In Boston, Massachusetts, she became involved in the federal Job Corps program, and in 1967 served as a track specialist for Operation Champion. Wilma Glodean Rudolph (June 23, 1940 – November 12, 1994) was an American track and field sprinter, who competed in the 100 and 200 meters dash. "use strict";(function(){var insertion=document.getElementById("citation-access-date");var date=new Date().toLocaleDateString(undefined,{month:"long",day:"numeric",year:"numeric"});insertion.parentElement.replaceChild(document.createTextNode(date),insertion)})(); Subscribe to the Biography newsletter to receive stories about the people who shaped our world and the stories that shaped their lives. Rudolph was considered the fastest woman in the world in the 1960s and competed in two Olympic Games, in 1956 and in 1960. At 5-foot-11 and 130 pounds, she was lightning fast. [7][22], Rudolph's gold-medal victories in Rome also "propelled her to become one of the most highly visible black women across the United States and around the world. She once stated, "Winning is great, sure, but if you are really going to do something in life, the secret is learning how to lose. At the 1960 Rome Olympics, she became the first American woman to win three gold medals in a single Olympiad. Her condition deteriorated rapidly, and she died on November 12, 1994, at the age of fifty-four, at her home in Brentwood, a suburb of Nashville, Tennessee. She had also won seven national AAU sprint titles and set the women's indoor track record of 6.9 seconds in the 60-yard dash. Her life is also remembered in Unlimited (2015), a short documentary film for school audiences, as well as in numerous publications, especially books for young readers. [26] Rudolph's appearance in 1960 on To Tell the Truth, an American television game show, and later as a guest on The Ed Sullivan Show also helped promote her status as an iconic sports star. In the 1980s, she was inducted into the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame and established the Wilma Rudolph Foundation to promote amateur athletics. Attorney Rudolph Giuliani was elected mayor of New York City in 1993, staying in office for two terms. The life-size bronze statue was moved there from its previous location at Riverside Drive, and stands there now near the entrance of the building. The day that Temple saw the tenth grader for the first time, he knew she was a natural athlete. [4][5][6] Shortly after Wilma's birth, her family moved to Clarksville, Tennessee,[3] where she grew up and attended elementary and high school. [10] Because of the treatments she received at Meharry and the daily massages from her family members, Rudolph was able to overcome the debilitating effects of polio and learned to walk without a leg brace or orthopedic shoe for support by the time she was twelve years old. [4][5], Rudolph ran the finals in the 100-meter dash in a wind-aided time of 11.0 seconds. Rudolph is also regarded as a civil rights and women's rights pioneer. She also became a member of the Delta Sigma Theta sorority. The youngest member of the U.S. track and field team at age 16, she won a bronze medal in the 400-meter relay. American track and field athlete Jesse Owens won four gold medals at the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games. As a result, Rudolph became the first American woman to win three gold medals in track and field at a single Olympic Games. Postal Service issued a 23-cent postage stamp, the fifth in its Distinguished Americans series, in recognition of her accomplishments.[42]. [32] Rudolph also married Robert Eldridge, who had fathered her child when she was in high school, later that year. [1][3] She was the twentieth of 22 siblings from her father Ed Rudolph's two marriages. It provides Wi-Fi access and includes a computer lab, beauty salon, and cafeteria. [7], While playing for her high school basketball team, Rudolph was spotted by Ed Temple, Tennessee State's track and field coach, a major break for the active young athlete. In 1977, her life was the subject of a prime-time television movie. She is survived by two sons, two daughters, six sisters, two brothers, and a truly inspirational legacy. Still, Wilma remained small and was often sick. She is survived by two sons, two daughters, six sisters, two brothers, and a truly inspirational legacy. In 1963, Rudolph graduated from Tennessee State with a Bachelor's Degree in Education. She influenced athletes, African Americans and women around the world. [5][12][35][39] The seventeen-year marriage ended in divorce. Wilma Mankiller worked for several years as a leading advocate for the Cherokee people and became the first woman to serve as their principal chief in 1985. Rudolph ran the anchor leg for the American team in the finals and nearly dropped the baton after a pass from Williams, but she overtook Germany's anchor leg to win the relay in a close finish. Wilma's greatest pride was her four children. Wilma had worked her way through school and later became a coach and teacher. Wilma Rudolph, in full Wilma Glodean Rudolph, (born June 23, 1940, St. Bethlehem, near Clarksville, Tennessee, U.S.—died November 12, 1994, Brentwood, Tennessee), American sprinter, the first American woman to win three track-and-field gold medals in a single Olympics. An estimated 1,100 attended the banquet in her honor and thousands lined the city streets to watch the parade. [17][19] Along with other 1960 Olympic athletes such as Cassius Clay (later known as Muhammad Ali), Oscar Robertson, and Rafer Johnson, Rudolph became an international star due to the first worldwide television coverage of the Olympics that year. The couple had three additional children,[3][8] but divorced after seventeen years of marriage. Rudolph shared her remarkable story with her 1977 autobiography, Wilma, which was turned into a TV film later that year. After her graduation from Tennessee State in 1963 Rudolph married Robert Eldridge, her high school sweetheart, with whom she already had a daughter, Yolanda, born in 1958. The school was renamed the "Wilma Rudolph Oberschule" in her honor in summer 2000. Wilma Glodean Rudolph in 1960. The family’s budget was very tight — Wilma was the 20th of her father’s 22 children from two marriages. [42][43], Rudolph was named United Press International Athlete of the Year (1960) and Associated Press Woman Athlete of the Year (1960 and 1961). Two years later, she was diagnosed with brain and throat cancer. She also won gold medals for the U.S. in the team competitions at the 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympics. Her first major track event was Alabama’s Tuskegee Institute competitions. That did not stop Wilma’s mother. On November 12, 1994, Wilma Rudolph died at her home in Brentwood, Tennessee, of a brain tumor. [8] She recovered from polio but lost strength in her left leg and foot. The British team won the silver medal. [12][35] Rudolph was also honored with the National Sports Award (1993).[33]. Track and field star Alice Coachman made history at the 1948 Olympic Games, becoming the first Black woman to win an Olympic gold medal. In the 1980s, she was inducted into the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame and established the Wilma Rudolph Foundation to promote amateur athletics. She was married twice, with both marriages ending in divorce. [29] In the interim, Rudolph retired from track competition at the age of twenty-two, following victories in the 100-meter and 4 x 100-meter-relay races at the U.S.–Soviet meet at Stanford University in 1962. Rudolph wrote her autobiography entitled Wilma in 1977. Also, Rudolph won the AAU 100-meter title in 1959 and defended it for four consecutive years. He knew that she is a natural athlete. The first-class sprinter instantly became one of the most popular athletes of the Rome Games as well as an international superstar, lauded around the world for her groundbreaking achievements. Meteoric fall Wilma Rudolph died of brain cancer in her home in Brentwood, Tennessee, on November 12, 1994, at the age of 54. She died on November 12, 1994, in Brentwood, Tennessee, after losing a battle with brain cancer. [7], Rudolph suffered from several early childhood illnesses, including pneumonia and scarlet fever, and she contracted infantile paralysis (caused by the poliovirus) at the age of five. [41] Thousands of mourners filled Tennessee State University's Kean Hall on November 17, 1994, for the memorial service in her honor. [4] She began as a second-grade teacher at Cobb Elementary School, where she had attended as a child, and coached track at Burt High School, where she had once been a student-athlete herself,[3] but conflict forced her to leave the position. Rudolph became the first American woman to win a gold medal in the 100-meter race since Helen Stephens's win in the 1936 Summer Olympics. She went on to become a pioneering African American track and field champion, but the road to victory was not an easy one for Rudolph. At High School, she began competing in track, and in her sophomore year scored 803 points, setting a school record for girls’ basketball. "[23] Her Olympic star status also "gave an enormous boost to the indoor track circuit in the months following the Olympic Games in Rome. Rudolph was born prematurely to Blanche Rudolph at 4.5 pounds (2.0 kg) on June 23, 1940, in Saint Bethlehem, Tennessee (now part of Clarksville). After competing in the 1960 Summer Olympics, the 1963 graduate of Tennessee State University became an educator and coach. Soon she was joining her brothers and sisters in basketball games in the … It didn’t help, but the doctors told Wilma’s mother that massaging her legs daily might help. [8] Rudolph has been memorialized with a variety of tributes, including her image on a commemorative U.S. postage stamp. Similarly, Rudolph broke the Olympic record in the 200-meter dash (23.2 seconds) in the heats before claiming another gold medal with her time of 24.0 seconds. ", "Postal Service Honors Wilma Rudolph with 'Distinguished America", "Black Hall of Fame Is Honoring Entertainment and Sports Stars", "Black Sports and Entertainment Hall of Fame", "National Black Sports and Entertainment Hall of Fame", "The Master List: The 50 Greatest Sports Figures of the Century from Each of the 50 States", "50 stunning Olympic moments No. As an Olympic champion in the early 1960s, Rudolph was among the most highly visible black women in America and abroad. As a young child she was paralysed by polio, and contracted both scarlet fever and double pneumonia. [1][7], In 1958 Rudolph enrolled at Tennessee State, where Temple continued as her track coach. [3][35] In 1981 Rudolph established and led the Wilma Rudolph Foundation, a nonprofit organization based in Indianapolis, Indiana, that trains youth athletes. Rudolph dated boxing legend Muhammad Ali during the early 1960s. [13] As a high school sophomore Rudolph competed at Alabama's Tuskegee Institute in her first major track event. Wilma: The Story of Wilma Rudolph (1977), her autobiography, was adapted into a television docudrama. We strive for accuracy and fairness. [7], When Rudolph was sixteen and a junior in high school, she attended the 1956 U.S. Olympic track and field team trials in Seattle, Washington, and qualified to compete in the 200-meter individual event at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, Australia. "[24] In 1961 Rudolph competed in the prestigious, Los Angeles Invitational indoor track meet, where thousands turned out to watch her run. "[2], On September 7, 1960, the temperature climbed toward 110 °F (43 °C) as thousands of spectators jammed the stadium. She began attending second grade at Cobb Elementary School in Clarksville in 1947, when she was seven years old. Children with the disease often died. On November 12, 1994, Wilma Rudolph died at her home in Brentwood, Tennessee, of a brain tumor. [14] In 1997, Governor Don Sundquist proclaimed that June 23 be known as "Wilma Rudolph Day" in Tennessee. [28] They divorced in May 1963. Wilma's cause of death was brain & throat cancer. Solved: How did Wilma Rudolph die? She grew up in Clarksville, Tennessee, where she attended elementary and high school. Rudolph moved back to her home state in 1992, becoming a vice president for Nashville’s Baptist Hospital. [2][11] In college, Rudolph continued to compete in track. Wilma Rudolph was a sight to behold. During her career, Rudolph also won three AAU indoor titles. President Trump threatens to defund Calif. schools. She also won three gold medals, in the 100- and 200-meter individual events and the 4 x 100-meter relay at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, Italy. She retired from competition not long after, and went on to teach, coach and run a community center, among other endeavors, though her accomplishments on the Olympic track remained her best known. Rudolph competed in the 200-meter dash and won a bronze medal in the 4 × 100-meter relay at the 1956 Summer Olympics at Melbourne, Australia. He won nine gold medals, including four at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. The indoor track and dormitory at Tennessee State University are named in honor of Rudolph. In 1962 Rudolph retired from competition at the peak of her athletic career as the world record-holder in the 100- and 200-meter individual events and the 4 × 100-meter relays. (The record-setting time was not credited as a world record, because the wind, at 2.75 metres (3.01 yd) per second, exceeded the maximum of 2 metres (2.2 yd).) She also had been diagnosed with throat cancer. Due to the worldwide television coverage of the 1960 Summer Olympics, Rudolph became an international star along with other Olympic athletes such as Cassius Clay (later known as Muhammad Ali), Oscar Robertson, and Rafer Johnson who competed in Italy. Following the Games, Rudolph made numerous appearances on television and received several honors, including the Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year Award in both 1960 and 1961. Mallon wonders what might’ve happened if Rudolph, who died Nov. 12, 1994, of brain cancer in Tennessee, had competed in 1964 and 1968. Rudolph was one of the first role models for black and female athletes. Born prematurely, doctors did not expect Wilma to survive. Wilma Glodean Rudolph (June 23, 1940 – November 12, 1994) was an American sprinter born in Saint Bethlehem, Tennessee, who became a world-record-holding Olympic champion and international sports icon in track and field following her successes in the 1956 and 1960 Olympic Games. She became a role model for black and female athletes and her Olympic successes helped elevate women's track and field in the United States. This she wore until she was eleven. Wilma had to overcome a childhood filled with challenges. She overcame her disabilities to compete in the 1956 Summer Olympic Games, and in 1960, she became the first American woman to win three gold medals in track and field at a single Olympics. [3], At the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, Italy, Rudolph competed in three events on a cinder track in Rome's Stadio Olimpico: the 100- and 200-meter sprints, as well as the 4 × 100-meter relay. [3] Under Temple's guidance she continued to train regularly at TSU while still a high school student. [2][14], Rudolph was defeated in a preliminary heat of the 200-meter race at the Melbourne Olympic Games, but ran the third leg of the 4 × 100 m relay. After completing several years of medical treatments to regain the use of her left leg, Rudolph chose to follow in her sister Yvonne's footsteps and began playing basketball in the eighth grade. In July 1994, shortly after her mother’s death, Wilma was diagnosed with brain tumor. Died… After attending the track camp, Rudolph won all nine events she entered at an Amateur Athletic Union track meet in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. [3] Rudolph's high school coach, C. C. Gray, gave her the nickname of "Skeeter" (for mosquito) because she moved so fast. After that, she not only left braces and orthopedic shoes behind, she confounded every prediction that she would be a disabled adult. [34], In addition to teaching Rudolph worked for nonprofit organizations and government-sponsored projects that supported athletic development among American children. Wilma Rudolph was a sickly child who had to wear a brace on her left leg. Wilma Rudolph died of brain cancer in nineteen ninety-four in Nashville, Tennessee. [14], Rudolph's autobiography, Wilma: The Story of Wilma Rudolph, was published in 1977. [9], For two years, Rudolph and her mother made weekly bus trips to Nashville for treatments to regain the use of her weakened leg. Her Olympic success "gave a tremendous boost to women's track in the United States. [27], In 1961 Rudolph married William Ward, a North Carolina College at Durham track team member;[28] they divorced in 1963. Wilma Rudolph was the 20th of 22 children. [33] On November 21, 1995, the Wilma Rudolph Memorial Commission placed a black marble marker at her grave site in Edgefield Missionary Baptist Church. [47], In 1994, a portion of U.S. Route 79 was named Wilma Rudolph Boulevard, extending from Interstate 24, exit 4, in Clarksville to the Red River (Lynnwood-Tarpley) bridge near the Kraft Street intersection. [36][37] In 1992, two years before her untimely death, Rudolph became a vice president at Nashville's Baptist Hospital.[14]. Popular magazine ‘Sports Illustrator’ voted Rudolph as the number one sportsperson in top fifty greatest sports figures to have originated from Tennessee in the 20th century. She also qualified for the 1960 Summer Olympics in the 100-meter dash. If you see something that doesn't look right, contact us! As a child, Wil… [35], The December 29, 1999, issue of Sports Illustrated ranked Rudolph first on its list of the top fifty greatest sports figures of the twentieth-century from Tennessee. Nicknamed "Skeeter" for her famous speed, Rudolph qualified for the 1956 Summer Olympic Games in Melbourne, Australia. On October 14, 1961, she married William "Willie" Ward, a member of the North Carolina College at Durham track team. She also attended the premiere of the U.S. Information Agency's documentary film that highlighted her track career. It served as the basis for several other publications and films. Rudolph's college education was paid for through her participation in a work-study scholarship program that required her to work on the TSU campus for two hours a day. There is a ‘Wilma Rudolph Courage Award’, presented by the Woman's Sports Foundation in U.S. for the best women athletes. Wilma Rudolph Death. Physically disabled for much of her early life, Rudolph wore a leg brace until she was twelve years old. By 2014 at least twenty-one books on Rudolph's life had been published for children from pre-school youth to high school students. She died … She wouldve cemented her status as the greatest sprinter ever, Mallon said. In 2004, the United States Postal Service honored the Olympic champion by featuring her likeness on a 23-cent stamp. Legacy, Awards and Honours Wilma passed away on November 12, 1994 at the age of 54 in Brentwood, Tennessee. During her senior year of high school, Rudolph became pregnant with her first child, Yolanda, who was born in 1958, a few weeks before her enrollment at Tennessee State University in Nashville. The building houses upper class and graduate women. [1][40] Rudolph's funeral service was held at Edgefield Missionary Baptist Church in Clarksville, Tennessee, where she is buried. The Australian team, with the 100- and 200-meter gold medalist Betty Cuthbert as their anchor leg, won the gold medal in a time of 44.5 seconds. In addition, Rudolph had For her memorial service, thousands of mourners thronged Tennessee State University on November 17, 1994 and the state flag flew at half-mast across Tennessee. In her sophomore year Rudolph scored 803 points and set a new record for high school girls' basketball. Rudolph was born prematurely on June 23, 1940, in St. Bethlehem, Tennessee, the 20th of 22 children born to dad Ed across his two marriages. Held in Rome, Italy, the 1960 Olympic Games were a golden time for Rudolph. Wilma Glodean Rudolph (June 23, 1940 – November 12, 1994) was an American sprinter born in Saint Bethlehem, Tennessee, who became a world-record-holding Olympic champion and international sports icon in track and field following her successes in the 1956 and 1960 Olympic Games. [31], In May 1963, a few weeks after returning from Africa, Rudolph participated in a civil rights protest in her hometown of Clarksville to desegregate one of the city's restaurants. Track and field athlete Carl Lewis competed in four Olympic Games. In 1960, Wilma Rudolph became the first American woman to win three gold medals in track and field at a single Olympics. She was survived by her four children, eight grandchildren, and many siblings, nieces and nephews. She was also the recipient of the James E. Sullivan Award (1960) for the top amateur athlete in the United States and the Babe Didrikson Zaharias Award (1962). https://www.biography.com/athlete/wilma-rudolph. As Rudolph explained it, she retired at the peak of her athletic career because she wanted to leave the sport while still at her best. [21], Rudolph returned home to Clarksville after completing a post-games European tour, where she and her Olympic teammates competed in meets in London, West Germany, the Netherlands, and at other venues in Europe. In July 1994 (shortly after her mother's death), Rudolph was diagnosed with brain cancer. Her autobiography, "Wilma Rudolph on Track", was a bestseller, and in 1977 it became a television movie, starring Cicely Tyson. Wilma prematurely died from a brain tumour at the age of 54. After five years of treatment, Wilma one day stunned her doctors when she removed her leg braces and walked by herself. As such, she did not compete at the 1964 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan,[15][30] saying, "If I won two gold medals, there would be something lacking. Rudolph served as U.S. representative to the 1963 Friendship Games in Dakar, Senegal, and visited Ghana, Guinea, Mali, and Upper Volta, where she attended sporting events, visited schools, and made guest appearances on television and radio broadcasts. Her father, Ed Rudolph, had eleven children in his first marriage. She had been practicing—with the help of those siblings—for quite some time. won 3 gold medals (100m, 200m and 4x100m relay) at 1960 Olympics; also won relay silver in '56 Games at age 16; 2-time AP Athlete of Year (1960-61) and Sullivan Award winner in 1961; suffered from polio and wore leg braces until she was 9. [3], Temple invited fourteen-year-old Rudolph to join his summer training program at Tennessee State. [35] In April 1996, a life-size bronze statue of Rudolph was erected "at the southern end of the Cumberland River Walk at the base of the Pedestrian Overpass" at College Street and Riverside Drive in Clarksville.[48]. Italian American actor Rudolph Valentino was admired as the “Great Lover” of the 1920s. "[15], After retiring from competition, Rudolph continued her education at Tennessee State and earned a bachelor's degree in elementary education in 1963. [2] After these wins she was hailed throughout the world as "the fastest woman in history. [8] In 1987 Rudolph joined DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana, as director of its women's track program and served as a consultant on minority affairs to the university's president. She taught the brothers and sisters how to do it, and they also rubbed Wilma… Join 1000s of subscribers and receive the best Vintage News in your mailbox for FREE. Although she lost the race, Rudolph was determined to continue competing and win. In 1992, Wilma Rudolph became a vice president at Nashville’s Baptist Hospital. Wilma Glodean Rudolph was born prematurely on June 23, 1940 in St. Bethlehem, Tennessee. I'll stick with the glory I've already won like Jesse Owens did in 1936. [8] The annual award is presented to a female athlete who exhibits extraordinary courage in her athletic performance, demonstrates the ability to overcome adversity, makes significant contributions to sports, and serves as an inspiration and role model to those who face challenges, overcomes them, and strives for success at all levels. Rudolph continued to play basketball in high school, where she became a starter on the team and began competing in track. [33], Following the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Berlin in 1994, Berlin American High School (BAHS) was turned over to the people of Berlin and became the "Gesamtschule Am Hegewinkel". Rudolph competed in the 200-meter dash and won a bronze medal in the 4 × 100-meter relay at the 1956 Summer Olympics at Melbourne, Australia. She was born prematurely, but because of the racial segregation at the time, Wilma and her mother Blanche were turned away from the local hospital. She was spotted by the track coach Ed Temple from Tennessee State. Rudolph was inducted into several women's and sports halls of fame: In 1984, the Women's Sports Foundation selected Rudolph as one of the five greatest women athletes in the United States. [49][50] ESPN ranked Rudolph forty-first in its listing of the twentieth century's greatest athletes. She weighed just 4.5 pounds (2 kg) at birth. [20] The 1960 Rome Olympics launched Rudolph into the public spotlight and the media cast her as America's athletic "leading lady" and a "queen," with praises of her athletic accomplishments as well as her feminine beauty and poise. Soon she was able to walk even better with the help of a supportive shoe. [30] At the time of her retirement, Rudolph was still the world record-holder in the 100-meter (11.2 seconds set on July 19, 1961), 200-meter (22.9 seconds set on July 9, 1960), and 4 x 100-meter-relay events. Besides, she was invited to compete in New York Athletic Club track events and became the first woman invited to compete at the Millrose Games. It was later made into a movie for television, and Rudolph was a consultant in its production. Newsletter. At the time of her death, she had four children, eight grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews.She … Rudolph was also a publicist for Universal Studios as well as a television sports commentator for ABC Sports during the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California, and lit the cauldron to open the Pan American Games in Indianapolis in 1987 in front of 80,000 spectators at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. © 2021 Biography and the Biography logo are registered trademarks of A&E Television Networks, LLC. Across Tennessee, the state flag flew at half-mast. [9] She also received subsequent at-home massage treatments four times a day from members of her family and wore an orthopedic shoe for support of her foot for another two years. Every week she and Wilma took a long bus trip to a hospital to receive therapy. American track and field great Jackie Joyner-Kersee won three Olympic gold medals and numerous national titles during her record-setting career. [3][25], Following her Olympic victories, the United States Information Agency made a ten-minute documentary film, Wilma Rudolph: Olympic Champion (1961), to highlight her accomplishments on the track. [3][8][12], Rudolph was first introduced to organized sports at Burt High School, the center of Clarksville's African American community. She also won three gold medals, in the 100-and 200-meter individual events and th… Wilma watchers in the late 1950s and early '60s were admonished: don't blink. Wilma Rudolph was the 20th of 22 children. She lost the race, but it gave her … I believed my mother. Rudolph's hometown of Clarksville celebrated "Welcome Wilma Day" on October 4, 1960, with a full day of festivities. [5][15] Rudolph won another gold medal in the finals of the 200-meter dash with a time of 24.0 seconds, after setting a new Olympic record of 23.2 seconds in the opening heat. [33], Rudolph did not earn significant money as an amateur athlete and shifted to a career in teaching and coaching after her retirement from track competition. Olympic gymnast Gabby Douglas is best known as the first African American to win the individual all-around event. Olympic gold medalist Florence Joyner brought style to track and field with form-fitting bodysuits, six-inch fingernails and amazing speed.