Which athlete grew up in the territory that would become Oklahoma?

James Francis Thorpe (May 22 or 28, 1887 – March 28, 1953) was an American athlete and Olympic gold medalist. A member of the Sac and Fox Nation, Thorpe became the first Native American to win a gold medal for the United States. Considered one of the most versatile athletes of modern sports, he won Olympic gold medals in the 1912 pentathlon and decathlon and played American football (collegiate and professional), professional baseball, and basketball.

He lost his Olympic titles after it was found he had been paid for playing two seasons of semi-professional baseball before competing in the Olympics, thus violating the amateurism rules that were then in place. In 1983, 30 years after his death, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) restored his Olympic medals.

Thorpe grew up in the Sac and Fox Nation in Oklahoma, and attended Carlisle Indian Industrial School in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, where he was a two-time All-American for the school's football team.

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9 Comments

patrhea

Great Q&A, and great athlete. Shame on the Olympics.

belindawilliams

Jaimi McEntire, 3 years later they corrected the question per your suggestion ☺️ Kudos!

John W Shreve

Jaimi McEntire, That would certainly be more accurate.

Jaimi McEntire

John W Shreve, I would prefer either the question or answer to be corrected. They could correct it by simply restating the question as "Which athlete grew up in the territory that would become Oklahoma" for example.

John W Shreve

Jaimi McEntire, People complain about the questions being too easy. Would you really prefer "Which athlete grew up in Indian Territory?'

Wilma Tomlinson Mcphail

Thank you, Burt Lancaster

Jaimi McEntire

Jim Thorpe grew up in "Indian Territory", not Oklahoma. Of course, this would become Oklahoma when he was 20 years old. But during his "growing up" age it was not Oklahoma.