Notable American Indians 

The Athlete

Jim Thorpe (1888–1953)

Jim Thorpe was one of America’s most talented athletes. He excelled at track and field, football, baseball, and basketball.

James Francis Thorpe was born on May 28, 1888, near Prague, Oklahoma. He was of American Indian (Sac and Fox Nation) and European ancestry. His tribal name was Wa-Tho-Huk, which means Bright Path.

Thorpe achieved national attention by scoring all of his college football team’s points in an 18–15 upset against Harvard. His fame became worldwide when he won the 1912 Olympic pentathlon and decathlon events. Thorpe played professional baseball for the New York Giants and football for the Canton Bulldogs. He was also the first president of a football association that became the National Football League.

Thorpe experienced both racism and respect. During his lifetime, American Indians could not vote, and newspapers sometimes called him a “Redskin.” Among Thorpe’s honors, the U.S. Congress declared him America’s Athlete of the 20th Century, he received a ticker-tape parade for his Olympic victories, and the U.S. Post Office issued a special postage stamp after him.

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