Biography of Jim Thorpe, Native American Olympian

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. At the 1912 Olympics, Jim Thorpe accomplished the unprecedented feat of winning gold medals in both the pentathlon and the decathlon. Although he was stripped of his medals due to a violation of his amateur status prior to the Olympics, Thorpe went on to play both professional baseball and football and was an especially gifted football player. Fast Facts: Jim Thorpe Known For: Jim Thorpe was a native American athlete known for his Olympic gold medals in the pentathlon and the decathlon.Also Known As: James Francis Thorpe, Wa-tho-huk (Native American name meaning Bright Path), and The Worlds Greatest AthleteBorn: May 28, 1888 in Prague, OklahomaParents: Hiram Thorpe and Charlotte VieuxDied: March 28, 1953 in Lomita, CaliforniaEducation: Carlisle Indian Industrial School, Haskell Indian Junior CollegeAwards and Honors: Gold medals in the pentathlon and decathlon (later stripped because of amateur status violation)Spouse(s): Iva Miller, Freeda Kirkpatrick, Patricia AskewChildren: 8Notable Quote: I am no more proud of my career as an athlete than I am of the fact that I am a direct descendant of that noble warrior [Chief Black Hawk]. Early Life Jim Thorpe and his twin brother Charlie were born on May 28, 1888, in Prague, Oklahoma to Hiram Thorpe and Charlotte Vieux. Both parents were of mixed Native American and European heritage. Hiram and Charlotte had a total of 11 children, six of whom died in early childhood. On his fathers side, Jim Thorpe was related to the great warrior Black Hawk, whose people (the Sac and Fox tribe) had originally come from the Lake Michigan region. (They were forced by the United States government to resettle in the Oklahoma Indian Territory in 1869.) The Thorpes lived in a log farmhouse on the Sac and Fox reservation, where they grew crops and raised livestock. Although most members of their tribe wore traditional native clothing and spoke the Sac and Fox language, the Thorpes adopted many customs of white people. They wore standard American clothing and spoke English at home. (English was the only language Jims parents had in common.) Charlotte, who was part French and part Potawatomi Indian, insisted that her children be raised as Roman Catholics. The twins did everything together, including fishing, hunting, wrestling, and horseback riding. At the age of 6, Jim and Charlie were sent to the reservation school, a boarding school run by the federal government 20 miles away. Following the prevailing racist ideas of the times—that whites were superior to Native Americans—students were taught to live in the manner of white people and forbidden to speak their native language. Although the twins were different in temperament (Charlie was studious, whereas Jim preferred sports), they were very close. Sadly, when the boys were 8, an epidemic swept through their school and Charlie fell sick and died in late 1896. Jim was devastated. He lost interest in school and sports and repeatedly ran away from school. A Troubled Youth Hiram sent Jim to Haskell Indian Junior College in 1898 in an effort to discourage him from running away. The government-run school, located 300 miles away in Lawrence, Kansas, operated on a military system, with students wearing uniforms and following a strict set of regulations. Although he chafed at the idea of being told what to do, Thorpe made an attempt to fit in at Haskell. After watching the varsity football team at Haskell, Thorpe was inspired to organize football games with other boys at the school. Leaving School Thorpes adherence to his fathers wishes didnt last. In the summer of 1901, Thorpe heard his father had been seriously hurt in a hunting accident and, in a hurry to get home, left Haskell without permission. At first, Thorpe hopped on a train, but it was unfortunately headed in the wrong direction. After getting off the train, he walked most of the way home, hitching rides occasionally. After his two-week trek, Thorpe arrived home only to discover that his father was recovered yet very angry about what his son had done. Despite his father’s fury, Thorpe chose to stay on his fathers farm and help out instead of returning to Haskell. Only a few months later, Thorpes mother died from blood poisoning following childbirth (the infant died as well). Thorpe and his entire family were devastated. After his mother’s death, tensions within the family grew. After an especially bad argument—followed by a beating from his father—Thorpe left home and headed to Texas. There, at the age of 13, Thorpe found work taming wild horses. He loved the work and managed to support himself for a year. Upon his return home, Thorpe discovered that he had earned his fathers respect. This time, Thorpe agreed to enroll in a nearby public school, where he participated in baseball and track and field. With seemingly little effort, Thorpe excelled at whatever sport he attempted. The Carlisle Indian School In 1904, a representative from the Carlisle Indian Industrial School in Pennsylvania came to the Oklahoma Territory looking for candidates for the trade school. (Carlisle had been founded by an army officer in 1879 as a vocational boarding school for young Native Americans.) Thorpes father convinced Jim to enroll at Carlisle, knowing there were few opportunities available for him in Oklahoma. Thorpe entered the Carlisle School in June 1904 at age 16. He had hoped to become an electrician, but because Carlisle didnt offer that course of study, Thorpe opted to become a tailor. Not long after hed begun his studies, Thorpe received staggering news. His father had died of blood poisoning, the same illness that had taken his mothers life. Thorpe coped with his loss by immersing himself in the Carlisle tradition known as outing, in which students were sent to live with (and work for) white families in order to learn white customs. Thorpe went on three such ventures, spending several months at a time working in roles such as a gardener and farm worker. School Sports Thorpe returned to school from his last outing in 1907, having grown taller and more muscular. He joined an intramural football team, where his impressive performance gained the attention of coaches in both football and track and field. Thorpe joined the varsity track team in 1907 and later the football team. Both sports were coached by football coaching legend Glenn Pop Warner. In track and field, Thorpe excelled in every event and often broke records at meets. Thorpe also led his small school to football victories over larger, more famous colleges, including Harvard and West Point. Among the opposing players he met on the field was future president Dwight D. Eisenhower of West Point. The 1912 Olympics In 1910, Thorpe decided to take a break from school and find a way to earn money. During two consecutive summers (1910 and 1911), Thorpe accepted an offer to play minor league baseball in North Carolina. It was a decision he would come to regret deeply. In the fall of 1911, Pop Warner convinced Jim to return to Carlisle. Thorpe had another stellar football season, earning recognition as a first-team All-American halfback. In the spring of 1912, Thorpe re-joined the track and field team with a new goal in mind: he would begin training for a spot on the U.S. Olympic team in track and field. Pop Warner believed that Thorpes all-around skills would make him an ideal candidate for the decathlon—a grueling competition comprised of 10 events. Thorpe qualified for both the pentathlon and decathlon for the American team. The 24-year-old set sail for Stockholm, Sweden in June 1912. At the Olympics, Thorpes performance surpassed all expectations. He dominated in both the pentathlon and decathlon, winning gold medals in both events. (He remains the only athlete in history to have done so.) His record-breaking scores handily beat all of his rivals and would remain unbroken for three decades. Upon his return to the United States, Thorpe was hailed as a hero and honored with a ticker-tape parade in New York City. Jim Thorpe’s Olympic Scandal At Pop Warners urging, Thorpe returned to Carlisle for the 1912 football season, during which he helped his team achieve 12 wins and only one loss. Thorpe began his last semester at Carlisle in January 1913. He looked forward to a bright future with his fiancà ©e Iva Miller, a fellow student at Carlisle. In late January of that year, a newspaper article surfaced in Worcester, Massachusetts claiming that Thorpe had earned money playing professional baseball and therefore could not be considered an amateur athlete. Because only amateur athletes could participate in the Olympics at that time, the International Olympic Committee stripped Thorpe of his medals and his records were erased from the books. Thorpe readily admitted that he had played in the minor leagues and had been paid a small salary. He also admitted ignorance of the fact that playing baseball would make him ineligible to compete in track and field events at the Olympics. Thorpe later learned that many college athletes played on professional teams during the summer, but they played under assumed names in order to maintain their amateur status in school. Going Pro in Baseball A mere 10 days after losing his Olympic medals, Thorpe turned professional for good, withdrawing from Carlisle and signing a contract to play major league baseball with the New York Giants. Baseball wasnt Thorpes strongest sport, but the Giants knew that his name would sell tickets. After spending some time in the minors improving his skills, Thorpe started the 1914 season with the Giants. Thorpe and Iva Miller married in October 1913. They had their first child, James Jr., in 1915, followed by three daughters over the eight years of their marriage. The Thorpes suffered the loss of James, Jr. to polio in 1918. Thorpe spent three years with the Giants and then played for the Cincinnati Reds and later the Boston Braves. His major league career ended in 1919 in Boston; he played minor league baseball for another nine years, retiring from the game in 1928 at the age of 40. Football Career During his time as a baseball player, Thorpe also played professional football beginning in 1915. Thorpe played halfback for the Canton Bulldogs for six years, leading them to many major victories. A multi-talented player, Thorpe was proficient at running, passing, tackling, and even kicking. Thorpes punts averaged an incredible 60 yards. Thorpe later played for the Oorang Indians (an all-Native American team) and The Rock Island Independents. By 1925, the 37-year-olds athletic skills had begun to decline. Thorpe announced his retirement from pro football in 1925, although he did play occasionally for various teams over the next four years. Life After Sports Thorpe divorced Iva Miller in 1923 and married Freeda Kirkpatrick in October 1925. During their 16-year marriage, they had four sons together. Thorpe and Freeda divorced in 1941. Thorpe struggled to stay employed after leaving professional sports. He moved from state to state, working as a painter, security guard, and ditch digger. Thorpe tried out for some movie roles but was awarded only a few cameos, mainly playing Indian chiefs. Thorpe lived in Los Angeles when the 1932 Olympics came to the city but he did not have enough money to buy a ticket to the Summer Games. When the press reported Thorpes predicament, Vice President Charles Curtis, himself of Native American descent, invited Thorpe to sit with him. When Thorpes presence was announced to the crowd, he was honored with a standing ovation. As public interest in the former Olympian grew, Thorpe began to receive offers for speaking engagements. He earned little money for his appearances but enjoyed giving inspiring speeches to young people. The speaking tour, however, kept Thorpe away from his family for long periods of time. Later Years In 1937, Thorpe returned to Oklahoma to promote the rights of Native Americans. He joined a movement to abolish the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), the government entity that oversaw all aspects of life on reservations. The Wheeler Bill, which would allow native peoples to manage their own affairs, failed to pass in the legislature. During World War II, Thorpe worked as a security guard at a Ford auto plant. He suffered a heart attack in 1943 only a year after taking the job, prompting him to resign. In June 1945, Thorpe married Patricia Askew. Soon after the wedding, 57-year-old Jim Thorpe enlisted in the merchant marines and was assigned to a ship that carried ammunition to Allied forces. After the war, Thorpe worked for the Chicago Park Districts recreation department, promoting fitness and teaching track skills to young people. The 1951 Hollywood film Jim Thorpe, All-American starred Burt Lancaster and told Thorpe’s story. Thorpe served as technical advisor for the film, although he made no money from the film itself. Death In September 1952, Thorpe suffered a second, more serious heart attack. He recovered, but the following year he suffered a third, fatal heart attack on March 28, 1953, at the age of 64 in Lomita, California. Thorpe is buried in a mausoleum in Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania, a town that agreed to change its name in order to win the privilege of housing Thorpes memorial. Legacy In 1950, Thorpe was voted by Associated Press sportswriters as the greatest football player of the half-century. Just months later, he was honored as the best male athlete of the half-century. His competition for the title included sports legends such as Babe Ruth, Jack Dempsey, and Jesse Owens. Later that same year he was inducted into the Professional Football Hall of Fame. Three decades after Thorpes death, the International Olympic Committee reversed its decision and issued duplicate medals to Jim Thorpes children in 1983. Thorpes achievements have been re-entered into Olympic record books and he is now widely acknowledged as one of the greatest athletes of all time. Sources Birchfield, D. L.  Jim Thorpe, Worlds Greatest Athlete.  Modern Curriculum Press, 1994.Buford, Kate. Native American Son: The Life and Sporting Legend of Jim Thorpe. Knopf,  2010.

Analysis Of John Milton s Paradise Lost - 1606 Words

In books one, two, four and nine of Paradise Lost, Milton portrays Satan as heroic, introducing freedom and reason to the minds and lives of humanity. Satan allows his subservient fallen angels, as well as Adam and eve to recognize authority, reason and the true meaning of freedom. The beginning of the story is told through Satan’s point of view, making him the first empathetic character the reader is introduced to. From the very beginning of Book One, Satan explains how him and other fellow angels waged a war against God and ended up falling from Heaven. As punishment for his sin, Satan is sent to Hell, where happiness ceases to exist. Another fallen angel, Beelzebub suggests that the only reason why the fallen angels are still alive is to suffer their consequences, feeling punishment from God and satisfying his â€Å"vengeful ire†. Satan seeks to discover why God is making him suffer and plans to avenge God. The universe that Milton portrays in Paradise Lost with Heav en at the top, Hell at the bottom, and Earth in between is hierarchical. Satan seeks to destroy this hierarchy. God sat at the top of this hierarchy and was expected to be obeyed. Satan attempted to rebel against authority, claiming that the fallen angels’ goal in the new life they were given is to be evil: â€Å"To do ought never will be our task, / But ever to do ill our sole delight† (1.159-60). They are virulent towards God and want to act out in spite of him. Satan wants to gather more fallen angels to plan andShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of John Milton s Paradise Lost 1852 Words   |  8 Pagesliterary merit. Do not merely summarize the plot. (2010 AP Literature and Composition) Disobedience and Exile an Analysis of Satan from Milton’s Paradise Lost John Milton’s epic poem, Paradise Lost, has been the subject of criticism and interpretation through many years; these interpretations concur in that Adam and Eve are the sufferers of the poem, and it is their blight to lose Paradise because of their disobedience; however, their exile is merely a plight brought by Satan, and it is he who suffersRead MoreAnalysis Of John Milton s Paradise Lost Essay2201 Words   |  9 PagesEve’s story arc in Paradise Lost, by John Milton, is a bildungsroman, the German word for a â€Å"novel of education.† Eve develops through the five stages of a typical bildungsroman character, as demonstrated by several different works from the genre. It will be useful to discuss several different bildungsromans from different eras and regions to fully determine the necessary characteristics of a bildungsroman, like The Odyssey, To Kill a Mockingbird, David Copperfield, Adventures of Huckleberry FinnRead MoreAnalysis Of John Milton s The Of Paradise Lost 1122 Words   |  5 Pageshumankind could be considered heroic according to well-known author John Milton. Book IX of Paradise lost portrays this sense of heroism through the sins of Adam and Eve, but also creates a sense of controversy through the unexpected personality swap between Satan and of God. This literary work is a major contribution to biblical and literary history; therefore a reason why this work is still read today. The poem must turn tragic, and Milton asserts his intention to show this great fall is more heroic thanRead MoreAnalysis Of John Milton s Paradise Lost 1499 Words   |  6 Pagesbeing, an epic hero if that being has done what is required. In John Milton’s, â€Å"Paradise Lost†, the character of Satan presents itself as an epic hero, Milton tests that the character of Satan forces the reader to consider the possibility that Satan may actually be a hero, or at the very least, a character worth seeing in a more complex light. This along with the following examples are all showing how the character of Satan in â€Å"Paradise lost†, can be view and is viewed as an epic hero thought the novelRead MoreAnalysis Of John Milton s Paradise Lost 1071 Words   |  5 Pages Writing AP Exam Essays Advanced Placement English Literature Composition Name Juan Linares Major Work Data Page Paradise Lost Writer/Nationality John Milton/ UK 1608-1674 Theme/Meanings of the work as a whole Disobedience plays a key role in the unfolding of Milton’s poem. Satan disobeys God because God gave him free will, and causes Eve to disobey Adam, to disobey God. Justification of God. Death must happen to the world but because of the Son, DeathRead MoreAnalysis Of John Milton s Paradise Lost 1035 Words   |  5 PagesSatan is the first figure to speak in Milton’s poems in Paradise Lost. His words to Beelzebub are the sort of utterances a politician would make to his party members after a defeat. It combines convincement with the virtue of emotional manipulation. Satan’s words shift like a dream from expression of grief and sympathy to the restatement of united defiance, to which Beelzebub replies unconsciously. Milton creates this shift so subtly that it is hardly noticed and highlights through this that theRead MoreAnalysis Of John Milton s Paradise Lost 869 Words   |  4 PagesIn his epic, Paradise Lost, Milton entertains the reader with his version of how one of the greatest falls of humanity occurred. Although many would consider God or Adam and Eve as the main characters in a story like this, the main character of this epic is truly Satan. Satan is shown as a strong and powerful character who is completely overwhelmed with emotions which create a type of hell in his mind; even when he is in heaven, he cannot escape his true life. Satan’s desire for vengeance on God’sRead MoreAnalysis Of John Milton s Paradise Lost1442 Words   |  6 Pages(Name) (Instructor) (Course) (Date) Heroism in John Milton’s Paradise Lost There are many definitions of a hero, and establishing the hero in John Milton’s Paradise Lost has been object to scholarly debate. One definition of a hero is that by Aristotle, who defined a hero as a person who is divine and superhuman. However, other definitions encompass the aspect of virtue in heroism. Despite all the definitions for a hero, it remains factual that a hero would be someone that the readers would delightRead MoreAnalysis Of John Milton s Paradise Lost 1253 Words   |  6 Pages Students often read John Milton’s works with great difficulty; he is determined to have his audience know his goals and how important his writing is through epic metaphors and masterful language. In Paradise Lost, he tells his audience that this will the epic to end all epics and that this is the most important tale of all mankind: the fall of Man. Comparatively, Alexander Pope used the same style of epic not to tell an important tale, but to question much of the life of ar istocracy in his timeRead MoreAnalysis Of John Milton s Paradise Lost 1767 Words   |  8 Pagesthat won the support of the writer John Milton. Milton was known for his rhetorical writings against Charles I and for Oliver Cromwell at the time. It would not be until after the fall of Cromwell that Milton would complete his greatest work of literature however. When the Protectorate fell and Charles II rose to power in 1660, Milton was forced into hiding for fear that he would be punished for his involvement with Cromwell. This would actually benefit Milton for it was when he was in hiding that

A Change of Heart About Animals Free Essays

Name: Amr Mohamed El Sayed Teacher: Ghada el Shimi A Change Of Heart About Animals Breakthroughs in biotechnology, nanotechnology, and more universal questions like the age of our universe, inside the lab a bigger story is revealed, one which will influence how we think forever. The researchers are finding that many of zoo animals we visit have a lot of common human traits, more than one may think. Ironically, companies that invested in these projects are fast food companies, which conduct research into the emotional, mental, and behavioral states of our fellow creatures. We will write a custom essay sample on A Change of Heart About Animals or any similar topic only for you Order Now Research on pigs’ social behavior funded by McDonald’s at Purdue University, for instance, has found that pigs want to be cared for, and are easily depressed if left alone or denied playtime with each other. Germany’s government is urging pig farmers to give each pig 20 seconds of human contact everyday for nurturing purposes. Researchers were amazed more recently, with the discovery of the extent to which New Caledonian crows, attain conceptual abilities, Jeremy Rifkin said â€Å"In controlled experiments, scientists at Oxford University reported that two birds named Betty and Abel were given a choice between using two tools, one a straight wire, the other a hooked wire, to snag a piece of meat from inside a tube. † Self-awareness is another aspect, which raises the question of whether these animals’ inferiority affects their mentality. Philosophers and animal behaviorists’ perspectives on these issues are quarreling and confusing, they have long argued that animals lack a sense of self. Rifkin stated that â€Å"Elephants will often stand next to their dead kin for days, occasionally touching their bodies with their trunks,† proving that sense of self and mortality. Recent studies in brain chemistry have found that when rats play, their brains release large amounts of dopamine, a neurochemical associated with â€Å"pleasure and excitement in human beings. † Scientists are still advancing the vision that most animals ehave by innate instinct, and what is viewed to be learned behavior, is nothing more than genetics. We are now finding that learning is passed on from ancestor to offspring more often than not, and that most animals engage in all kinds of â€Å"learned experience brought on by continued experimentation. † Harvard and 25 other U. S. law schools have introduced university level courses on animal rights, the numbers of animal rights lawsuits being filed around the world, are increasing at an exponential rate. In fact, Germany recently became the first nation to guarantee animal rights in its constitution. How to cite A Change of Heart About Animals, Essay examples