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One Of World’s
Greatest
JIM THORPE
DIES AT 64
LOS , .ANGELES,
March(A-.A.F.):
Jim Thorpe, whose
prowess at football,
baseball and running
won'him acclaim as one
of the greatest athletes
of all time, died here
yesterday, aged 64.
Thorpe was an American
Indian who became almost
a legendary figure In the
sports world.
In the early years ol the
century he distinguished him
self as a footbnll player, but
in 1312 he beenme the hero ol
#ic Stockholm Olympic
Games, when he set a point
total record never berore ae
proached and returned with
50.000 dollars worth of
trophies.
King Gustof V of Suction
told him when he stood beforo
the Royal box, ‘ Sir, you are
the Greatest athlete in the
Thorpe, with almost no
specialised training, had won
four of the five events In
"la pentathlon and finished
third in the other, a record
unequalled to this tla.v. In
tile decathlon he scored 0113
out of a possible 10,000
points, alto unequalled.
But a mouth after lie had
returned from Stockholm lie
was toppled from hii pedestal
when the Amateur Athletic
Union riled charges of pro
fessionalism against him, ac
cusing him of having received
pay for playing summer base
ball.
Suspended
The amount of money in
volved was negligible, but tha
American Olympic Committee
offered Us apologies and sent
back the citt.s mul medals
which had been lavished on
After ids suspension as an
amateur athlete he became
a major league baseball pin ye.'
for seven seasons and then
went back to the game n»*
loved best, football, as a pro-1
fcrdonal.
After his retirement, Thorpe |
fell cn hard.days. In 1952. a
group in Congress made an
unsuccessful attempt to have
his Olympic medals restored i
to him. At about ilite time,
following an operation for
cancer of the lip, he wa*
found to be nearly penniless
and groups throughout th;»
country raised thousands of
dollars for1 him.'
$