Jesse Owens Trademarks

Jesse Owens is considered to be the greatest track and field athlete in history.

James Cleveland Owens was born in Oakville, Alabama, and raised in Fairmont, Ohio, where his family moved when he was just a small child. He came from a large family and had nine brothers and sisters. Owens received the nickname “Jesse” from a teacher in Ohio, who misunderstood his Southern accent and recorded his name as “Jesse,” when the young man told her “J.C.”

He was encouraged to participate in Fairmont Junior High School’s track program by the school’s coach. He would participate in the sport when he wasn’t completing odd jobs for money. Owens also met his future wife, Minnie, while attending Fairmont Junior High. He would marry Minnie after high school and the couple would have three children.

Owens participated in track throughout middle and high school, and he attended the 1933 National High School Championship in Chicago, Illinois. While at the Championship, he tied the world record for the 100-yard dash. He also recorded a long jump of more than 24 feet.

He attended the Ohio State University, where he was segregated from his team much of the time, but still managed to find great success. He won four individual NCAA championships in 1935 and four individual NCAA championships in 1936, which set a record that would not be broken until 2006. During his time at Ohio State, Owens also established four records at a Big Ten competition held in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Athletic scholars consider this to be one of the most impressive athletic accomplishments in history.

Owens participated in the 1936 Olympic Games, where he won a gold medal in the 100-meter dash, the long jump, the 200-meter sprint, and the 4 x 100-meter sprint relay. There was significant controversy surrounding the entire Olympic Games at the time, as they were held in Nazi Germany. Owens’ wins would be seen by many as a victory over white supremacy.

After the Olympics there were not many opportunities for Owens, so he worked odd jobs and also tried to work as an entertainer and sports promoter, however, none of these endeavors were very successful. In the 1950s, President Dwight D. Eisenhower used Owens as a goodwill ambassador, which restored his prominence in the public. Owens would continue to work as a public personality and endorsed various products until 1980, when he died of lung cancer in Tucson, Arizona.

During his lifetime, Owens was awarded the AP Athlete of the Year (1936), Presidential Medal of Freedom (1976), and the Living Legend Award (1979). He was also posthumously awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in 1990. He has been inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame, the Silver Olympic Order, and the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame. Many landmarks, buildings, and awards have been named for him, including Ohio State University’s track and field facilities (the Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium), as well as three other facilities on their campus. To commemorate his accomplishments, the following items have been named after him: the Jesse Owens Memorial Park and Museum in Oakville, Alabama, a street located to the south of the Berlin Olympic Stadium, a secondary school in Berlin, and a roadway in Cleveland. Jesse Owens’ image can also be found on two United States postage stamps.

Throughout his life, Owens spent time working with and mentoring youth, particularly through his involvement with the Boys’ Clubs of America. He also worked with kids through the ARCO Jesse Owens Games. After his passing in 1980, his family and friends chose to honor him by establishing the Jesse Owens Foundation. The organization works to promote the development of young people, a cause that had always been close to Owens’ heart.

In 2000, The Jesse Owens Foundation, Inc. obtained a federal trademark registration for “THE JESSE OWENS FOUNDATION” for educational services, including providing scholarship information to children and helping them to reach their full potential. The foundation also obtained a federal trademark registration for a logo that is a stylized logo that features the capital letters “JOF” with the “O” filled in for the same purposes.

Additionally, the foundation obtained a federal trademark registration for “BECAUSE THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS AN AVERAGE KID.” for the same purposes. This phrase is a famous quote by Owens and was a passionate belief of his. “Because there’s no such thing as an average kid” became the slogan for The Jesse Owens Foundation.

The foundation is supported by an endowment and donations, as well as many events. The most prominent of these events is the Jesse Owens International Athlete Trophy Gala where athletes are honored for exemplifying the outstanding characteristics that Owens embodied. These trophies include the Jesse Owens Athlete Trophy for the best athlete in the world and the Jesse Owens Global Peace Award, given for peace efforts outside of sports.

Owens is remembered as a great athlete as well as a humanitarian. His foundation is still active and provides information and services to youth.