Jim Thorpe

From the Oklahoma prairie to double Olympic gold, follow the triumphs of America’s greatest multi-sport legend.

A biography of the American Indian known as one of the best all-round athletes in history for his accomplishments as an Olympic medal winner and as an outstanding professional football and baseball player.

Author Robert Lipsyte chronicles Thorpe’s youth in Oklahoma Territory and his arrival at Pennsylvania’s Carlisle Indian School, where he excelled as a record-breaking track star and varsity football standout.

The account follows his triumphs at the 1912 Olympic Games in Stockholm, detailing how he captured gold in both the pentathlon and decathlon before entering major-league baseball and early professional football.

• Sports Biographies for Kids: Introduces young readers to Thorpe’s early athletic rise, from clearing the Carlisle high-jump bar in his work overalls to outplaying future President Dwight Eisenhower on the gridiron.
• Native American History: Explores Jim’s Sac and Fox heritage, his tribal name Wa-tho-huck or Bright Path, and the strict boarding schools that sought to strip away Indigenous culture.
• History Maker: Chronicles his pioneering role in launching the American Professional Football Association, serving as its very first president while leading the Canton Bulldogs.
• Also by This Author: Michael Jordan.