 Born in Oakville, Alabama, on September
12, 1913, track and field legend Jesse Owens was a Category II
inductee into the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters
Association Hall of Fame. Category II allows "an individual, team,
moment, or event in sports especially noteworthy for some
inspirational quality" to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Owens
was inducted for his performance at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. In
Berlin he won four gold medals including: the 100-meter run, in an
Olympic record 10.3 seconds; the 200-meter run, in a world record
20.7 seconds; the long jump, with a world record 8.06 meter (26.4
foot) jump; and the 4x100-Meter relay in 39.8 seconds. His
performance was a blow to Hitler, who had planned to use the games
to show Aryan Superiority. Owens died in 1980. He was inducted into
the Hall of Fame on April 4, 1978. |