Jesse Owens was a professional track and field athlete and is known for his exceptional triumph at the 1936 Berlin Olympic during the Nazi rule. He was born on 12th of September, 1913 and is known by nicknames such as J.C, Jesse, The Buckeye Bullet, The Fastest Man Alive, and Hero of Berlin. Here are some of details about his personal and professional life.
Personal Basic Information
| Full Name | James Cleveland Owens |
| Nick Name | J.C, Jesse, The Buckeye Bullet, The Fastest Man Alive, Hero of Berlin. |
| Father’s Name | Henry Cleveland Owens |
| Mother’s Name | Mary Emma Fitzgerald Owens |
| Date of Birth (Born) | September 12, 1913 |
| Birth Place | Oakville, Alabama, USA |
| Current Age | Age: 112 years, 6 months, and 5 days as of today. Time left for next birthday: 5 months and 26 days. |
| Height | 5 feet 10 inches (178 cm) |
| Weight | 165 pounds (75 kg) |
| Net worth | Approx. $150,000 dollars as of March 2025 |
| Marriage Status | Married |
| Wife’s Name | Minnie Ruth Solomon |
| Kids Name | Gloria Owens, Beverly Owens, Marlene Owens |
| High school | East Technical High School in Cleveland, Ohio |
| Nationality | American |
| Zodiac Sign | Virgo |
| Retirement | Retired in 1940 at the age of 26 |
Jesse Owens Net Worth
After adjusting his income to 2025, his net worth is approximately $500,000 dollars and this earning came from various sources which are mentioned below:
- Amateur Athletics: Jesse struggled a lot during his amateur time because of certain rules during that time that did not allow him to take any payment or endorsement. Even after his renowned performance at the Berlin Olympics, which was held in Nazi Germany, Jesse still struggled financially because of racial discrimination.
- Early Struggles Post-Olympics: Jesse used to race in various types of events to earn money, some of them were racing against horses, novelty races and he also used to participate against amateur sprinters. Even after doing everything he could in order to earn money, he still used to get very less fees.
- Business Ventures: Although Jesse had very less capital to make investments in different business ventures, he started a gas station but it was not very profitable and he also owned a dry-cleaning business in Cleveland.
- Speaking events & Appearances: After his retirement, Jesse started public speaking and used to speak at various types of events such as motivational speaking events, corporate, civil rights and many others. Through speaking, he started earning a reliable income and this eventually became his primary source.
- Government Work: Later on, Jesse was given the position of goodwill ambassador, whose role was to travel around the globe and promote America, and work against the “propaganda” that the Soviet Union spread in the U.S. about racial discrimination.
- Books: He released his own autobiography called “The Jesse Owens Story” in 1970 and earned through its sales and royalties. He also earned from giving rights to make documentaries about his life.
- Film & TV Rights: Jesse did act in some movies and shows but they were released after his death so he did not gain much from it.
Jesse Owens Early Life and Childhood
Jesse Owens was born on 12th of September in the year 1913 in Oakville, Alabama, USA, his father Henry Cleveland Owens was a sharecropper in Oakville, Alabama and his mother Mary Emma Fitzgerald Owens was a housewife.
They were nine siblings and Jesse was the youngest among his 9 siblings. His family relocated to Cleveland, Ohio, when he was young.
Jesse’s childhood was very tough, because of his family’s financial situation, racial discrimination and various other factors.
He even had to work on the farm along with his parents and he often suffered from different types of health issues. Even after moving to the city Jesse had to work after school to support his parents.
Education and the Beginning of Sports Career
Jesse was good at physical education since he was in middle school and after taking admission at the East Technical High School, Jesse started participating in track and field.
There he was being coached by coach Charles Riley and soon Jesse started making school records. During his high school years, he gained attention from a lot of scouts.
Even after being one of top promising athletes in the country, Jesse still did not get any scholarship because of his race and in 1933, Jesse took admission at the Ohio State University located in Columbus, Ohio.
There, he had to face a lot of discrimination from his white teammates. Jesse used to work part-time jobs to fend for himself.
At the Big Ten Meet in 1935, Jesse made three world records in long jump, 220-yard dash, 220-yard low hurdles and tied one record in 100-yard dash.
In athletic history, it is still referred to as one of the greatest moments. In 1936, Jesse participated in the Berlin Olympics and achieved 4 gold medals.
Professional Career
1933-1936: In 1933, after defeating the best sprinters in the country, Jesse won the national high school championship held in Chicago.
In 1935, Jesse made 3 records and tied 1 and this moment was recorded in the history of sports and through this Jesse gained fame in the athletic world.
He participated in the Berlin Olympics, which were held in 1936 where Jesse won four gold medals in the 100m, 200m, 4x100m relay and long jump categories during the Nazi rule.
1937-1938: In 1937, Jesse was deprived from the status of an amateur athlete because of earning money from races, and was forced to turn professional after which he had to run at shows against horses.
For Jesse, these years were demeaning but he had to do it in order to earn money.
1939-1950s: After retiring during the late 1930s, Jesse started doing public speaking, through which he started earning a reliable income.
1950s-1970s: During 1950s, he was given the position of Goodwill ambassador by President Eisenhower, and to fulfil the role Jesse had to travel around the world and preach the greatness of American culture, promote sports and democracy.
Achievements / Awards / Medals
In the professional track and field journey of Jesse Owens, he has a long list of achievements and here are some of them:
National Achievements
- 1933: When Jesse was in high school then he won the National High School Championship which was held in Chicago.
- 1935: In this year, Jesse made four records at the Big Ten Championships after defeating many famous athletes.
- 1936: Jesse was selected for the U.S Olympic Trials, in which he performed very well and won gold in different categories against players like Ralph Metcalfe and Mack Robinson.
- 1937-1940: After his amateur status was taken away from him, Jesse had to participate in exhibition races and shows to support his family.
International Achievements
- 1936: At the Berlin Olympics held in Nazi Germany, Jesse achieved 4 gold medals in 4 different categories i.e. 100m, 200m, long jump and 4x100m Relay after defeating players like Luz Long, Mack Robinson, and many others.
Married Life and Family
Jesse Owens and Minnie Ruth Solomon met each other while they were in Junior High School and started dating, just like Jesse, Minnie’s family also relocated to Cleveland from Alabama. Jesse and Minnie got married on 5th of July in 1935, the two of them have three daughters.
- Gloria Shirley Owens Hemphill: the eldest daughter of Jesse and Minnie was born on August 8, 1932 and she passed away on July 1, 2024, during her time she lived a very private life.
- Marlene Owens Rankin: She was born in the year 1937 and took on role of co-founder of the Jesse Owens foundation.
- Beverly Owens Prather: She is the youngest daughter of Jesse and Minnie, she was born in 1940 and she tries to preserve her father’s legacy and sometimes participates in some interviews.
Death
At the age of 66 years old, on March 31, 1980, Jesse Owens passed away due to lung cancer.
After his death, he was honoured with the U.S Congressional Gold Medal by the reigning president of that time Ronald Reagan.
He was also honoured with the Jesse Owens Award posthumously, many stadiums and schools were built to honour his legacy.