Ohio State leads effort on behalf of alumnus Jesse Owens
Ohio State is leading an initiative to have a statue of legendary track star Jesse Owens represent the state of Ohio in the U. S. Capitol’s National Statuary Hall. The university on Friday (11/6) presented its case to members of the National Statuary Collection Study Committee. Jesse Owens was not only a stellar athlete, but a true diplomat for humanity, said Rusty Wilson, an Ohio State alumnus, staff member and author of the book, The Ohio State University at the Olympics. Wilson was one of several university and community representatives who spoke to the committee on the appropriateness of Owens’ selection.for more information
Any opinions about this?
Laura
I hear a lot about this issue where I work. While I don't necessarily think that Jesse Owens should be the new Ohio statue (it'll probably be thomas edison I think - although you never know), it is a shame that no state has sent any statue of an African American to be one of their two statues.
ReplyDeleteJosh
Agree that Edison will most likely get the nod (how does this guy keep coming up? it's like he's famous or something). However, I think that Owens would be a good choice right now, especially considering your last point. Owens has become an important symbol of integration, and integrating the national statuary hall with his likeness would be a good play for Ohio.
ReplyDeleteAlso, from a school-spirit standpoint, and considering Dr. Gee's comments on diversity and athleticism at OSU, I can't think of a better representative for our school specifically.
-Sam