Nehez, Bill
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Left to right, Harrison Dillard, East Tech Coach Ivan Greene, Jesse Owens. Jesse Owens (1913-1980) was an all-time-great track athlete, and the star of the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, Germany. The son of a sharecropper, Owens was born in Alabama. His family moved to Cleveland when he was nine. He attended East Technical Institute High School. At the 1933 National Interscholastic meet in Chicago, he tied the world 100-yard dash record of 9.4 seconds, ran the 200-yard dash in 20.7 seconds, and long jumped 24 feet, 9-1/2 inches. At Ohio State University, while working his way through college, he won a record eight individual NCAA championships. In 1935 at the Conference Championship meet, despite a back injury, he set a world record in the long jump (26 ft 8 1⁄4 in), which lasted 25 years. He also posted a world record in the 220-yard low hurdles, becoming the first athlete to 23 seconds. As Adolph Hitler looked on at the 1936 Olympics, Owens earned gold medals in the 100- and 200-meter dashes, the long jump, and the 4x100 meter United States relay team. Following his success as an amateur athlete, he engaged in a number of activities, including some that cashed in minimally on his athletic talent, including racing against cars and horses. Among his jobs, he was employed as a playground director in Cleveland, and his work with youth was a common thread throughout the rest of his life. After relocating to Chicago later in life, Owens directed...
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