Jim Thorpe was an Olympic gold medalist and American athlete. He was one of the most accomplished all-around athletes in history. Thorpe was selected as the greatest American athlete and the greatest gridiron player. Jim was born May 28, 1888, in Prague, Oklahoma. He attended Haskell Indian school in Lawrence, Kansas, and Carlisle Industrial school. Thorpe was also known for his track potential in 1907 especially since he cleared the high jump bar at 5 feet 9 inches. Later that fall Jim joined the varsity football team. His high school career was rising from playing some positions to a starter running back. According to Britannica.com “In 1912 Thorpe won the decathlon and the pentathlon by wide margins at the Olympic Games in Stockholm, but in 1913 an investigation by the Amateur Athletic Union showed that he had played semiprofessional baseball in 1909 and 1910, which should have disqualified him from Olympic competition. He was subsequently deprived of his gold medals. In 1913, Jim married his college girlfriend, Iva Miller. Also, later in that year he played as an outfielder for the New York, Cincinnati, and Boston teams in the National league. 1919 through 1926 Thorpe was successful in American football. He was the first president of the American Football League Association now known as the NFL. He was recognized for his accomplishments in magazines and newspaper articles. In 1951 a film about Jim Thorpe’s life was created, the film was named Jim Thorpe- All American. In March 28, 1953, in Lomita, CA, Jim Thorpe passed away from an heart attack, he was only 64 years old. According to smithsonianmag.com “In October of 1982, the IOC delivered two replica medals to Thorpe’s family, announcing that Jim Thorpe will be added to the list of athletes who were crowned Olympic champions at the 1912 Games.”