Legacy
After Owens' Olympic debut, he returned home and decided to sign on with some of the more lucrative sponsors and signing deals. This made American officials furious and they stripped him of his amateur status, making him ineligible to compete at the collegiate or Olympic levels. This, along with poor academic standings, causes Jesse to leave Ohio State University. Owens begins to work many side jobs as he is no longer able to compete, and is appointed the Director of National Fitness. In 1949, he and his family move to Chicago, where he becomes director of the Chicago Boy's Club. Through the rest of his life, Owens works as a philanthropist, helping kids across the world become more active. He traveled to India and the Philippines, among other places, to bring active lifestyles to young children. In 1972, Ohio State University Awards Jesse an honorary degree. In 1976, Owens was Awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Gerald Ford. Owens died on March 31, 1980 in Tuscon, Arizona due to complications from lung cancer. Owens was awarded a Congressional Gold Medal in 1990, and is still remembered as one of the greatest Olympic Athletes that ever lived.
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Quote of the Week:"I always loved running – it was something you could do by yourself and under your own power. You could go in any direction, fast or slow as you wanted, fighting the wind if you felt like it, seeking out new sights just on the strength of your feet and the courage of your lungs."
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