David Cotham

23 August, 2021

Professor Lark

History 153

Jesse Owens at the 1936 Summer Olympics

Jesse Owens is an American athlete that has interested me because of my love for World

War II history and his legendary triumph over Hitler’s ambitions. During the Summer Olympics

of 1936 (held in Berlin), Jesse Owens set many records, received medals for his country, and

out-classed the German athletes in their own home.

The Berlin Olympic games was meant to be broadcasted to a huge worldwide audience

and to show off Germany’s power. The planning required huge funding and lots of attention. The

Tim Ott of the History Magazine writes, “the Summer Games were meant to be the first to reach

audiences around the world via television, as well as the first to feature the now-traditional

element of the Olympic torch relay” (Ott). Hitler’s plan to show the nation’s dominance in the

athletic achievement was set. He infamously had a hatred towards Jewish people and people of

color. Jesse was a black man from the United States, a country that nearly boycotted the

Olympics. The stakes were very high.

Jesse grew up in Ohio, though born in Alabama, and attended Ohio State University. He

set many records in the Big 10 conference. He joined the US Olympic team and was ready to

show the world what he was made of. According to Ohio State, “Owens, an African American

who had grown up in Cleveland, Ohio and studied at The Ohio State University, became an

international celebrity for putting a chink in Hitler’s propaganda machine. Owens was only 22

when he became an Olympic hero, and he never again competed as an amateur athlete”
(OSU.edu). Ohio State expresses a fair amount of pride in their alumnus; and for a good reason.

As the Encyclopedia of Britannica says, “Nearly 4,000 athletes competed in 129 events. The

track-and-field competition starred American Jesse Owens, who won three individual gold

medals and a fourth as a member of the triumphant U.S. 4 × 100-metre relay team”

(Encyclopedia of Britannica). Four gold medals in one Olympic games is unheard of. His

His achievements were a huge feat for himself and his country. However, some people

did not appreciate his achievements. Time Magazine notes, “Not everyone, of course, saw

Owens’ victories as highlights. Hitler famously refused to congratulate him” (Rothman and

Ronk). Overall, Jesse Owens is important to United States history as he proved himself to be a

legendary performer against a hostile nation in the Olympics.

Sources cited:

Editor of the Encyclopedia of Britannica. n.d. “Berlin 1936 Olympic Games”. Web. 23 August,

2021.

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jesse-Owens

Ohio State University. n.d. “From Buckeye to National Hero”. Web. 23 August, 2021.

https://library.osu.edu/site/jesseowens/

Ott, Tim. 10 June, 2021. “How Jesse Owens Foiled Hitler's Plans for the 1936 Olympics”. Web

23 August, 2021.

https://time.com/3971065/photos-1936-summer-olympics-jesse-owens/

Rothman, Lilly; Ronk, Liz. 3 August, 2015. “See the Controversial Drama of Adolf Hitler's 1936

Summer Olympics”. Web. 23 August, 2021.

https://www.history.com/news/jesse-owens-adolf-hitler-1936-olympics