Oklahoman Jim Thorpe receives Presidential Medal of Freedom posthumously: 'Greatest athlete in the world'
President Biden announced Friday one of Oklahoma's most famous athletes is being awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom posthumously.
Jim Thorpe, who was Sac and Fox, was born in Prague, Oklahoma and in 1912 became the first Native American to win an Olympic gold medal. He is among 18 others who will receive the Medal of Freedom Friday, which is given to "individuals who have made exemplary contributions to the prosperity, values, or security of the United States, world peace, or other significant societal, public or private endeavors," according to a news release from The White House.
Thorpe won not one but two Olympic gold medals, tripling the score of his nearest competitor in the pentathlon and earning 688 more points than the second-place finisher in the decathlon. When King Gustav V of Sweden, the patron of the Games of the V Olympiad, presented Thorpe with his medals, he said: “You sir, are the greatest athlete in the world.”
However, his first-place status in the pentathlon and decathlon was stripped from him the next year when it was discovered he had previously been paid to play minor league baseball which was against the Olympics' amateurism rules.
However, in 2022 the International Olympic Committee reinstated him as the sole winner of both events.
Thorpe went on to play baseball, American football and basketball at the highest level. In 1920, he became the first president of the National Football League while also playing for the Canton Bulldogs of Ohio.
In 1950, the Associated Press named him the nation's greatest athlete and American football player of the first half of the 20th century, according to the NFL. In a 2000 ABC Sports poll, a majority of voters chose him as the best athlete of the 20th century, according to the Oklahoma Historical Society.
Thorpe died in 1953.
More: Why Jim Thorpe posthumously receiving Presidential Medal of Freedom means so much
2024 Medal of Freedom recipients
Michael R. Bloomberg, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and three-term mayor. He revolutionized the financial information industry and transformed New York City’s education, environment, public health and the arts.
Father Gregory J. Boyle, a Jesuit Catholic priest and founder and director of Homeboy Industries, the world’s largest gang-intervention and rehabilitation program.
Rep. James E. Clyburn, former assistant Democratic leader and majority whip in the U.S. House of Representatives. Through three decades in the House, Clyburn has transformed the lives of millions of Americans and created a freer country.
Sen. Elizabeth Dole has served her country as a trailblazing senator, secretary of transportation, secretary of labor, and president of the American Red Cross. She leads by example through her foundation’s support for military caregivers and their families.
Phil Donahue, a journalist who pioneered the daytime issue-oriented television talk show. Donahue was the first daytime talk show to feature audience participation and one of the most influential television programs of its time.
Medgar Evers, a civil rights activist who was killed outside his Jackson home in 1963. Evers worked in the 1950s and 1960s work to end segregation in Mississippi and nationwide. He advocated for voting rights and equality for Black Americans until he was killed
Former Vice President Al Gore, a U.S. senator, and member of the House of Representatives. After winning the popular vote, he accepted the outcome of a disputed presidential election for the sake of our unity. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize jointly with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change for his bold action on climate change.
Clarence B. Jones. a renowned civil rights activist and lawyer who helped draft Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr's "I Have a Dream" speech. Jones was instrumental in preserving King's legacy and remains an outspoken force against hate.
Former Secretary of State John Forbes Kerry, a U.S. senator and first Special Presidential Envoy for Climate. His bravery in combat during the Vietnam War earned him the Silver Star and Bronze Star, and history will remember his public service career that has spanned seven decades.
Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg (1924-2013) was a five-term U.S. senator and New Jersey’s longest-serving senator. He is remembered for his critical work on environmental protection and consumer safety across a number of fields.
Kathleen "Katie" Genevieve Ledecky is the most decorated female swimmer in history. An athletic prodigy, she has won seven Olympic gold medals and 21 world championship gold medals so far.
Opal Lee is an educator and activist known for her efforts to make Juneteenth a federally recognized holiday. More than 150 years after enslaved Americans in Texas learned of their emancipation, she joined President Biden to officially make Juneteenth a national holiday in 2021.
Ellen Ochoa is the first Hispanic woman in space and the second female director of NASA’s renowned Johnson Space Center. Ochoa has flown in space four times, logged nearly 1,000 hours in orbit, and continues to inspire young generations of scientists.
Nancy D’Alesandro Pelosi served as the 52nd speaker of the House and has represented San Francisco in Congress for more than 36 years. A staunch defender of democracy, she has shaped legislative agendas and Democratic priorities for decades.
Jane Rigby, an astronomer who grew up in Delaware, is the chief scientist of the world’s most powerful telescope. A prolific researcher, Rigby embodies the American spirit of adventure and wonder.
Teresa Romero is the president of the United Farm Workers and the first Latina to become president of a national union in the United States.
Judy Shepard is the co-founder of the Matthew Shephard Foundation, an organization created in honor of her son who was murdered in one of the nation’s most notorious anti-gay hate crimes. Her work has driven tremendous progress in our fight to give hate no safe harbor.
Michelle Yeoh is an actress known for her groundbreaking work in a number of blockbusters over four decades. Recently, she became the first Asian to win the Academy Award for Best Actress. Yeoh continues to shatter stereotypes and enrich American culture.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Jim Thorpe posthumously awarded Presidential Medal of Freedom
