III 

113TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 226 

Celebrating the 100th anniversary of the birth of James Cleveland ‘‘Jesse’’ 

Owens and honoring him for his accomplishments and steadfast commitment to promoting the civil rights of all people. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

SEPTEMBER 12, 2013 

Mr. BROWN (for himself, Mr. PORTMAN, Mr. DURBIN, Mr. KIRK, Ms. LANDRIEU, and Mr. SESSIONS) submitted the following resolution; which was 

referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 

DECEMBER 16, 2014 

Committee discharged; considered and agreed to with an amended preamble 

RESOLUTION 

Celebrating the 100th anniversary of the birth of James 

Cleveland ‘‘Jesse’’ Owens and honoring him for his accomplishments and steadfast commitment to promoting 

the civil rights of all people. 

Whereas James Cleveland ‘‘Jesse’’ Owens was born on September 12, 1913 in Oakville, Alabama; 

Whereas Jesse Owens, the youngest of 10 children of sharecroppers and the grandson of a slave, moved with his 

family at the age of 9 to Cleveland, Ohio as part of the 

Great Migration; 


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•SRES 226 ATS 

Whereas as a student at Fairmount Junior High School, 

Jesse Owens broke junior high school world records for 

the high jump and the broad jump; 

Whereas Jesse Owens attended East Technical High School 

in Cleveland, Ohio where, as a member of the track team, 

he placed first in 75 of the 79 races he entered during 

his senior year, set the world record in the 220-yard 

dash, and tied the world record in the 100-yard dash; 

Whereas Jesse Owens, the ‘‘Buckeye Bullet’’, matriculated at 

the Ohio State University in 1933 after attracting national attention as a high school athlete; 

Whereas while attending classes, training, and breaking a 

number of track and field records, Jesse Owens worked 

various jobs, including as an elevator operator at the 

Ohio State Capitol, a waiter, a gas station attendant, and 

a library employee; 

Whereas due to his race, Jesse Owens was barred from living 

on campus at the Ohio State University, denied service 

at restaurants near the University, and forced to stay in 

segregated hotels; 

Whereas on May 25, 1935, in a 45-minute period during the 

Big Ten Track and Field Championships in Ann Arbor, 

Michigan, Jesse Owens, competing with an injured back, 

tied the world record in the 100-yard dash and set new 

world records in the long jump, the 220-yard dash, and 

the 220-yard low hurdles; 

Whereas as of the 2012 Summer Olympics, only two men had 

surpassed the long jump record Jesse Owens set in 1935; 

Whereas at the 1936 Summer Olympics, Jesse Owens won 4 

gold medals, tied the world record in the 100-meter dash, 


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•SRES 226 ATS 

and set new Olympic records in the 200-meter race, the 

long jump, and the 400-meter relay; 

Whereas Jesse Owens’ resilience and heroic performance at 

the 1936 Summer Olympics exposed the struggle against 

racial bigotry and publicly defied Adolf Hitler’s intention 

of proving that ethnicity was a predetermining factor for 

achievement; 

Whereas the record-breaking performance by Jesse Owens at 

the 1936 Summer Olympics was never recognized by the 

32nd President of the United States or the 33rd President of the United States, but was later recognized in 

1955 by the 34th President of the United States, who referred to Jesse Owens as an ‘‘Ambassador of Sport’’; 

Whereas following his Olympic career, Jesse Owens resumed 

his commitment to public service by spending much of his 

time working with community groups such as the Boys 

Clubs of America, chronicling his personal story to magnify the importance of equality and civil rights; 

Whereas during the 1950s, Jesse Owens worked with the Department of State to promote democracy abroad as an 

Ambassador of Goodwill during the Cold War and advocated for socioeconomic equality, individuality, freedom, 

and love of country; 

Whereas Jesse Owens was awarded the Presidential Medal of 

Freedom by the 38th President of the United States in 

1976 and the Living Legend Award by the 39th President of the United States in 1979, and was posthumously 

awarded the Congressional Gold Medal by the 41st President of the United States in 1990; and 


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•SRES 226 ATS 

Whereas the integrity, courage, and strength of character 

that Jesse Owens demonstrated remain an example for 

all people of the United States: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) honors and celebrates the 100th anniversary 

3 of the birth of James Cleveland ‘‘Jesse’’ Owens; and 

4 (2) supports and encourages the people of the 

5 United States to recognize the contributions of Jesse 

6 Owens to the Olympic Games, collegiate athletics, 

7 international race relations, and democracy. 

Æ 


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