James Francis Thorpe
All-American
1887 · Born May 22 on the Sac and Fox Reservation near Belmont, Oklahoma Territory.
1904 · Enters Carlisle Indian School in Pennsylvania, scene of his brilliant career in college football.
1911 · First Team All-American Football Team at Carlisle.
1912 · First Team All-American Football Team at Carlisle. On November 9, Jim Thorpe and his Carlisle football teammates defeat Army and West Point halfback Dwight Eisenhower.
1915 · Jim Thorpe begins playing professional football for the Canton Bulldogs.
1920 · Selected as the first president of the National Football League.
1922-23 · Organizes, Coaches and plays for the "Oorgang Indians," an All-Indians pro Football team.
1929 · Jim Thorpe plays his last professional football game with the Chicago Cardinals on Thanksgiving Day.
1950 · Named the "Greatest Football Player of the Half-Century" and the "Greatest Athlete of the Half-Century."
1953 · Jim Thorpe died on March 28 at Lomita, California.
1954 · The National Football League establishes its most valuable player trophy, naming it in honor of Jim Thorpe. The town of Mauch Chunk, Pennsylvania becomes the final resting place of Jim Thorpe and is renamed in his honor
1963 · Jim Thorpe is named a charter member at the founding of the National Professional Football Hall of Fame, Canton, Ohio
2000 · ABC's Wide World of Sports, on-line poll names Jim Thorpe, "The Greatest Athlete of the Century"
2001 · November 20, National Unveiling of General Mills Inc., Wheaties Cereal with Jim Thorpe's picture on box.
Dedicated: May 19, 2007
Erected 2007
this page online
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Indigenous Peoples and Communities • Man-Made Features • Sports. In addition, it is included in the Former U.S. Presidents: #34 Dwight D. Eisenhower series list. A significant historical date for this entry is May 22, 1887.
Location. 40° 53.088′ N, 75° 43.526′ W. Marker is in Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania, in Carbon County. It is on North Street (Pennsylvania Route 903) 0.1 miles north of 13th Street, on the left when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: Jim Thorpe Memorial, Jim Thorpe PA 18229, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Pennsylvania’s Anthracite Coal Region and in the Pocono Mountains. It is also in the American Northeast, in the Mid-Atlantic, in Appalachia, and specifically in Northern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Jim Thorpe (Wa-tho-huck) (a few steps from this marker); a different marker also named James Francis Thorpe (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named James Francis Thorpe (within shouting distance of this marker); The Professional Sportsman (within shouting distance of this marker); The 1912 Olympics (within shouting distance of this marker); A Vigorous Youth (within shouting distance of this marker); The Carlisle Years (within shouting distance of this marker); Waterborne Veterans Memorial (approx. half a mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Jim Thorpe.
Also see . . .
1. Jim Thorpe. Wikipedia entry (Submitted on February 4, 2023, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
2. Jim Thorpe. Pro Football Hall of Fame website entry (Submitted on April 18, 2018, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.)
Credits. This page was last revised on February 4, 2023. It was originally submitted on April 18, 2018, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. This page has been viewed 562 times since then and 34 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on April 18, 2018, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. 2. submitted on February 4, 2023, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York. 3, 4, 5. submitted on April 18, 2018, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.
