Jim Thorpe

World's Greatest Athlete

Nonfiction, Sports, Track & Field, History, Americas, Native American, Biography & Memoir
Cover of the book Jim Thorpe by Robert W. Wheeler, University of Oklahoma Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Robert W. Wheeler ISBN: 9780806187327
Publisher: University of Oklahoma Press Publication: November 28, 2012
Imprint: University of Oklahoma Press Language: English
Author: Robert W. Wheeler
ISBN: 9780806187327
Publisher: University of Oklahoma Press
Publication: November 28, 2012
Imprint: University of Oklahoma Press
Language: English

Born in 1888 in Oklahoma Territory, Jim Thorpe was a Sac and Fox Indian. After attending the Sac and Fox agency school and Haskell Indian Junior College in Lawrence, Kansas, he transferred to Carlisle Indian School in Pennsylvania. At Carlisle he led the football team to victories over some of the nation’s best college teams-Army, Navy, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Pennsylvania, and Nebraska. In 1912 he participated in the Olympic Games in Stockholm, winning both the decathlon and pentathlon. It was then that King Gustav V of Sweden dubbed him "the world’s greatest athlete."

Between 1913 and 1919, Thorpe played professional baseball for the New York Giants, the Cincinnati Reds, and the Boston Braves. In 1915 he began playing professional football with the Canton (Ohio) Bulldogs. When the top teams were organized into the American Professional Football Association in 1920, Thorpe was named the first president of the league, which was renamed the National Football League in 1922. Throughout his career he excelled in every sport he played, earning King Gustav’s accolade many times over.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Born in 1888 in Oklahoma Territory, Jim Thorpe was a Sac and Fox Indian. After attending the Sac and Fox agency school and Haskell Indian Junior College in Lawrence, Kansas, he transferred to Carlisle Indian School in Pennsylvania. At Carlisle he led the football team to victories over some of the nation’s best college teams-Army, Navy, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Pennsylvania, and Nebraska. In 1912 he participated in the Olympic Games in Stockholm, winning both the decathlon and pentathlon. It was then that King Gustav V of Sweden dubbed him "the world’s greatest athlete."

Between 1913 and 1919, Thorpe played professional baseball for the New York Giants, the Cincinnati Reds, and the Boston Braves. In 1915 he began playing professional football with the Canton (Ohio) Bulldogs. When the top teams were organized into the American Professional Football Association in 1920, Thorpe was named the first president of the league, which was renamed the National Football League in 1922. Throughout his career he excelled in every sport he played, earning King Gustav’s accolade many times over.

More books from University of Oklahoma Press

Cover of the book Small Boats and Daring Men by Robert W. Wheeler
Cover of the book The Forked Juniper by Robert W. Wheeler
Cover of the book Converting the Rosebud by Robert W. Wheeler
Cover of the book Cold War in a Cold Land by Robert W. Wheeler
Cover of the book The Indian Tipi: Its History, Construction, and Use by Robert W. Wheeler
Cover of the book A Cheyenne Voice by Robert W. Wheeler
Cover of the book Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca by Robert W. Wheeler
Cover of the book Wavell in the Middle East, 1939–1941 by Robert W. Wheeler
Cover of the book American Indian Policy in Crisis by Robert W. Wheeler
Cover of the book The Ch'ol Maya of Chiapas by Robert W. Wheeler
Cover of the book Building Yanhuitlan by Robert W. Wheeler
Cover of the book “Strange Lands and Different Peoples” by Robert W. Wheeler
Cover of the book A Call for Reform by Robert W. Wheeler
Cover of the book Speculators in Empire by Robert W. Wheeler
Cover of the book Syntactical Mechanics by Robert W. Wheeler
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy