jim thorpe: a biography

From 1922 to '23, Thorpe coached and played for an all-Native American team called the Oorang Indians. Pro Football Hall of Fame. A trial court judge originally sided in the family's favor, but in 2014 a federal appeals court overturned that ruling. ^ "Hall of Famers by Jersey Number". Predominantly of American Indian (Sauk and Fox) descent, Thorpe attended Haskell Indian School in Lawrence, Kansas, and Carlisle (Pennsylvania) Indian Industrial School. He spent two seasons (1922–23) with the Oorang Indians, whose owner attracted crowds by having Thorpe and his teammates dress up and perform “Indian” tricks before games and at halftime. It is while taking his classes at the Carlisle Indian Industrial School that Jim Thorpe took his athletic career seriously. Jim Thorpe, PA is consistently ranked on national media “Best” lists, and recognized among the most fun, most beautiful, most romantic and best adventure towns to visit. Omissions? Thorpe was honored with a ticker-tape parade in New York City as part of his hero’s welcome home. Jim Jones was best known as the cult leader of the Peoples Temple who led more than 900 followers in a mass suicide via cyanide-laced punch known as the Jonestown Massacre. Troubled by the curveball, Thorpe batted just .252 over a six-year big-league career with the Giants, Cincinnati Reds and Boston Braves, although he managed an impressive .327 average in his final year. You can experience more in life if youll get over the excuses and get on with living. He is known for his work on Trailin' West (1936), Off His Base (1932) and Jim Thorpe -- All-American (1951). While playing football for Carlisle under coach Pop Warner, he was chosen as halfback on Walter Camp’s All-America teams in 1911 and 1912. If you see something that doesn't look right, contact us! In 1904, Thorpe started school at Carlisle Industrial Indian School in Pennsylvania. Jim Thorpe was a great man, a keen competitor, who today gives me the greatest honor which has ever been bestowed on this "old mill mam.” Jim Thorpe was a friend. Thorpe achieved some public redemption in the final years of his life. Jim Thorpe shaking hands with William Jay Gaynor, the mayor of New York City, at a reception for Olympic athletes returning from the 1912 Games in Stockholm. Thorpe was elected a charter member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1963, and in 1982 his name was restored to the Olympic record books as a co-winner of the 1912 track events. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. He released five studio albums between 1966 and 1973, before his untimely death in 1973. Jim Thorpe was born circa May 28, 1887, near current-day Prague, Oklahoma. Thorpe was named a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1963. Cook, Browne share first-round Pebble Beach lead. He was more successful as one of the early stars of American professional football from 1919 through 1926. Thorpe learned to hunt and trap prey at an early age, developing his legendary endurance via extensive excursions through Indian Territory. Charles Schwab Cup Championship: Rd. Proving he still loomed large in the American consciousness, he was voted the previous century's greatest athlete in a 2000 ABC Sports poll, and finished third in another ballot conducted by the Associated Press. Jim Thorpe was a famous American athlete, who was born on May 28, 1888.As a person born on this date, Jim Thorpe is listed in our database as the 31st most popular celebrity for the day (May 28) and the 6th most popular for the year (1888). Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Jim Thorpe (left) at a track event in Queens, New York, c. 1910–15. Jim Brown is a record-holding, former NFL fullback who has been elected to his sport's Hall of Fame and has also worked as a model and film actor. There was also a movie made about him called “Jim Thorpe-All American” that was first seen in theaters in 1951. Jim Thorpe, Actor: Trailin' West. His name was restored to the Olympic books as co-winner of the 1912 track events. One who through the great power of influence has brought name, fame, and credit to this city of Canton, Ohio. Jim Thorpe (May 28, 1888–March 28, 1953) is remembered as one of the greatest athletes of all time and one of the most celebrated Native Americans in modern times. In 1954, after his death, the communities of Mauch Chunk and East Mauch Chunk, Pennsylvania, merged to form the borough of Jim Thorpe. Thorpe made a much bigger impact in the early stages of pro football. Jim Thorpe, byname of James Francis Thorpe, (born May 28, 1888, near Prague, Indian Territory [now in Oklahoma], U.S.—died March 28, 1953, Lomita, California), one of the most accomplished all-around athletes in history who in 1950 was selected by American sportswriters and broadcasters as the greatest American athlete and the greatest gridiron football player of the first half … He often battled the problem that native people still face: An ignorance that reduces the indigenous to relics of a Wild West, suitable as mascots to be characterized. Nestled in the breathtaking Lehigh Gorge, this Victorian town is teeming with history, romance and family fun. His birth name was Wa-Tho-Huk, which means “Bright Path.” Following his father’s tribal lineage, Thorpe was a member of the Sauk and Fox tribe, and he also had some French and Irish roots. Starring as a halfback, place kicker, punter and defender, Thorpe led his team to a surprise victory over top-ranked Harvard in November 1911, and fueled a blowout of West Point a year later. In 1913, Thorpe married his college sweetheart, Iva Miller, and signed to play professional baseball with the New York Giants. This biography of Jim Thorpe provides detailed information about his childhood, life, achievements, works & timeline. A week later he overwhelmed the field in the decathlon, winning the high jump, the 110-meter hurdles and the 1,500 meters despite competing in a pair of mismatched shoes. Jim Thorpe was born circa May 28, 1887, near current-day Prague, Oklahoma. From 1955 the Jim Thorpe Trophy was awarded annually to the most valuable player in the NFL. The establishment offered American Indians the opportunity to gain practical training in over 20 trades, in addition to off-campus employment at local farms, homes, or industries. In addition to playing major-league baseball for six seasons, the 6-foor-1, 185-pound Thorpe was an Olympic champion in the pentathlon and decathlon and at one point the greatest American football player in history, according to a 1977 Sport magazine poll. Jim's native name was Wa-Tho-Huk, which meant "Bright Path". Ring in the new year with a Britannica Membership, This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jim-Thorpe-American-athlete, Society for American Baseball Research - Biography of Jim Thorpe, Pro Football Hall of Fame - Biography of Jim thorpe, Oklahoma Historical Society - Biography of Jim Thorpe, Jim Thorpe - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11), Jim Thorpe - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). Retrieved April 6, 2017. Updates? This is a perfect reminder that you dont have to resign to the excuses that have held you back. In 1920, the Bulldogs were among the 14 clubs that made up the American Professional Football Association – soon to be renamed the National Football League – with Thorpe serving as league president for a season. In 1920–21 he served as the first president of the American Professional Football Association (later the National Football League [NFL]). Corrections? Jim Croce was an American folk singer and songwriter. He signed with the Canton Bulldogs for $250 per game in 1915, justifying the price tag by drawing massive audiences and leading the team to league championships in 1916, '17 and '19. He was a member of the Thunder clan of the Sac and … James Francis Thorpe was born in a one-room cabin on an Indian reservation in Oklahoma on May 28, 1887. From 1913 through 1919, Thorpe was an outfielder for the New York, Cincinnati (Ohio), and Boston baseball teams in the National League. Despite his handwritten plea to the Amateur Athletic Union, Thorpe was stripped of his amateur eligibility and forced to return his gold medals, his historic performance stricken from the Olympic record books. Jim spent the early years of his life on a farm with his twin brother, Charlie. He is known for his work on Trailin' West (1936), Off His Base (1932) and Jim Thorpe -- All-American (1951). Actor Jim Parsons rose to fame as Sheldon on the popular sitcom 'The Big Bang Theory' and has received praise for his stage work. Thorpe's 1912 gold medals in the decathalon and pentathalon and his talent on the gridiron rank him high among outstanding athletes of the twentieth century. He became an American folk hero and the "Bowie Knife" is named after him. He was an easy victor in the pentathlon, winning four of the five events (broad jump, 200 meter dash, discus, and 1, 500 meter race), losing only the javelin. A child of Sac and Fox and Potawatomi Indian bloodlines, as well as French and Irish roots, he was given the name Wa-Tho-Huk, meaning "Bright Path," but christened Jacobus Franciscus Thorpe. During the summer of 1912, before his last year at Carlisle, Thorpe was chosen to represent America at the Stockholm Olympics in the decathlon and the pentathlon. Also in 1912 Thorpe won the decathlon and the pentathlon by wide margins at the Olympic Games in Stockholm, but in 1913 an investigation by the Amateur Athletic Union showed that he had played semiprofessional baseball in 1909 and 1910, which should have disqualified him from Olympic competition. In 1986, the ninth of the Alamo University before turning Pro in 1972 were to... Group the Doors until his death in 1973 went a combined 23-2-1 the! Boys and girls interested in athletics Francis Thorpe was born in Roxboro North! Family fun have any questions nestled in the decathlon Thorpe set an Olympic mark of 8, 413 that... 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