Jim Thorpe: World's Greatest Athlete [Paperback]

Robert W. Wheeler (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 15, 1981

Born in 1888 in Oklahoma Territory, Jim Thorpe was a Sac and Fox Indian. After attending the Sac and Fox agency school and Haskell Indian Junior College in Lawrence, Kansas, he transferred to Carlisle Indian School in Pennsylvania. At Carlisle he led the football team to victories over some of the nation’s best college teams-Army, Navy, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Pennsylvania, and Nebraska. In 1912 he participated in the Olympic Games in Stockholm, winning both the decathlon and pentathlon. It was then that King Gustav V of Sweden dubbed him "the world’s greatest athlete."

Between 1913 and 1919, Thorpe played professional baseball for the New York Giants, the Cincinnati Reds, and the Boston Braves. In 1915 he began playing professional football with the Canton (Ohio) Bulldogs. When the top teams were organized into the American Professional Football Association in 1920, Thorpe was named the first president of the league, which was renamed the National Football League in 1922. Throughout his career he excelled in every sport he played, earning King Gustav’s accolade many times over.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Robert W. Wheeler is founder and President of the Jim Thorpe Foundation. Sport Illustrated credited him with primary responsibility for the restoration of Thorpe's Olympic awards in 1982. He has also been Director of Public Relations for the White House Conference for Children and Youth, Executive Director of the Heart of Ohio Girl Scout Council, and Executive Director of the Brighton (New York) Youth Service and Recreation Agency. He holds degrees in history and education from New York University and Syracuse University.

Product Details

• Paperback: 334 pages
• Publisher: University of Oklahoma Press; Revised edition (May 15, 1981)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0806117451
• ISBN-13: 978-0806117454
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #489,669 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wheeler is Jim Thorpe's Boswell, August 21, 2008

By 

Tom Benjey (Carlisle, PA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jim Thorpe: World's Greatest Athlete (Paperback)

Dick Schaap was right when he said, "Robert W. Wheeler is Jim Thorpe's Boswell." Not only did Wheeler exhaustively research Thorpe's life but he and his wife, Dr. Florence Ridlon, got his Olympic medals restored. This is the gold standard.

Tom Benjey, author of "Doctors, Lawyers, Indian Chiefs" and "Keep A-goin': the life of Lone Star Dietz."

7 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THE GREATEST ATHLETE OF ALL TIME, December 13, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Jim Thorpe: World's Greatest Athlete (Paperback)

THIS IS THE FINEST BOOK EVER WRITTEN, OF THE FAMED NATIVE AMERICAN, JAMES FRANCIS THORPE...1912 DOUBLE-GOLD MEDAL OLYMPIC CHAMPION, FIRST TEAM FOOTBALL ALL-AMERICAN-1911 AND 1912, FIRST 'BONUS-BABY' IN BASEBALL'S MAJOR LEAGUES-1913, SAVED PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL VIA HIS PLAYING PARTICIPATION-1915, FIRST PRESIDENT OF THE PRE NFL-1920... THORPE, 'THE LEGEND'..FEARED AS THE 'SCOURAGE OF THE PRO GRIDIRON', AND LOVED BY AN ENTIRE COUNTRY...AS WELL AS TOLD BY A KING, THAT HE WAS INDEED, "THE WORLD'S GREATEST ATHLETE!"...NUFF' SAID!