The Phoenix index., 1941-05-17
SLANTS ON SPORTS
By LUCIUS JONES
Joe Louis And Jesse Owens, Both Born
On Alabama Farms, Concrete Proof It's
True What They Say About Dixie

TT IS much of coincidence that the two greatest attn
lees in the history of the Negro first the ght
nf day on Alabama soil Evidently it's true what they say
about dixie What's more it must be fact stars tel Oh
Alabama. ~ LIo sss Wy -
How else may account for that states Incompatible
yield of both Joe Louis and Jesse Owens?
You may tie it, as in Georgia's with your Iyrus
Tvond Cobb and Robert Tyre JONES' Jr but you'll have
mighty tough time trying to beat Aabamas unique rec
ord ,,.-
49, 1914 in Lafayette while erstwhe Worlds Fastest Hu
Jesse Ovens birthplace was Danvile september L.
1913. ,.., 1o,i. .na
Owens were farms and grew up the cotton fields before
later casting their lot in the great Northwest Michigan ana
Ohio respectively. :.
louis had only meagre grammar school education and
the rest of his training has been private tutoring Most Oh
his present acquired OVENS on the other
S well educated fluent speaker. He graduated from
Farmon Junior High School and later East Tech High
both Cleveland He graduates from Ohio State Univer,
syt this june having resumed study there the past fa
after an of four following his great rumphs
in the 1896 OEmpics at Berlin
But of you would sacrifice every ota of higher
education you POSSESSION the spur OF the momen-lor
Just conservative portion of Joe's long dough!
Like Louis standing at the acme of the heavyweight
prize picture Owens ascended the pinnacle of track ana
field greatness.
The Brown Bomber with 16 successful defense of his
world crown and so victories in his 81 fights has
the record of "A ockouts In but 2O5 OF the
first round in remach he kayoed the man-Max Schme
ing-who gave him the only reverse of his career
The Buckeye Bullets record is about as Impressive
In junior high school, Owens set up figures of feet
in the high jump 24 for the 220 dash, 1915 for 100 me-
4 QdSn
book. .
AT East Tech Owens competed in AZ through his
sophomore year. winning AZ and placing in five he faed
to garner He did not lose of kind in his junior
and senior years.
AS senior prep Owens hogged every record in the
book the 80 yard dash through the 22O yard dash
These marks still the existing worlds best for high school
athletes So in the 50 94 in the 10O and 2O7 in the
200 Besides he also placed the present world broad Jump
record of "a feet II 34 inches in the ledger for otner
cocly preps to shoot at.
But nothing Owens did prep was to be mentioned
the breath with his phenomenal collegiate perform
the evenfu afternoons of May 2526 1885, at Ann
Arbor scene of the annual Big Ten Meet.
All Owens did chalk up three new world records
and equal fourtf--n single day!
The amazing performances 9.4 in the 100, 20.3
in the 22O 22 in the 220 low hurdles, and leap of 26 feet
8 3-4 inches, in the broad jump!
Ranking with the above performances in Importance.
if the marks of 1885 did escape blemsh, Owens
phenomenal exhibition genius in the 1886 Olympad.
At Berlin, Owens the 100 METERS 200 meters and
broad jump then proceeded to team with FOy Draper white
Ralph Mecalfe and Frank WykOff white TO cop the 400
meter relay the world record time of 39 secondsony
time in history the quarerme relay has been Of
fcay in less than 40S seconds. Owens the lead with
Draper and Metcafe the second and third legs and Wy
koff at anchor For Ovens it the first time any Omp
ic athlete had four medals.
So, the columns guess is that stars DID fall Ala
bama and that it's plenty true what they say about dixie