Greater Grand Crossing in Chicago in Cook County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Jesse Owens

Olympic Champion

— 1936 —

Jesse Owens grave image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, October 17, 2026

1. Jesse Owens grave

Inscription. Athlete and humanitarian, a master of the spirit as well as the mechanics of sports. A winner who knew that winning was not everything. He showed extraordinary love for his family and friends. His achievements have shown us all the promise of America. His faith in America inspired countless others to do their best for themselves and their country.

September 12, 1913 – March 31, 1980

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Patriots & Patriotism • Sports. A significant historical date for this entry is September 12, 1913.

Location. 41° 46.275′ N, 87° 36.116′ W. Marker is in Chicago, Illinois, in Cook County. It is in Greater Grand Crossing. It is on Ravina Road 0.2 miles south of East 67th Street, on the right when traveling north. Jesse Owens's gravesite is in Oak Woods Cemetery. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1035 East 67th Street, Chicago IL 60619, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is on Chicago’s South Side. It is also in the American Midwest.

Globally, it is in North America,

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the Great Lakes,

in the Western Hemisphere,

in the Western World,

and in the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Viceroyalty of New France,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

and the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Roland W. Burris, Esq. (a few steps from this marker); Relic of the Chicago Fire (about 700 feet away, measured in a direct line); Cold Storage Warehouse Fire Memorial (about 700 feet away); 9/11 Memorial (approx. 0.2 miles away); Confederate Mound (approx. 0.3 miles away); Confederate Mound Monument (approx. 0.3 miles away); Memorial to Union Supporters from Southern States (approx. 0.3 miles away); The Confederate Dead at Oak Woods Cemetery (approx. 0.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Chicago.

More about this marker. The gravestone pays homage to Jesse Owens's Olympic legacy, with its center stone flanked by two pillars that look like Olympic cauldrons and feature the Olympic rings.

The gravesite is next to a pond at Oak Woods Cemetery called the Lake of Memories. It's

Jesse Owens gravesite image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, October 17, 2026

2. Jesse Owens gravesite

about a quarter-mile drive from the main entrance of the cemetery on 67th Street.

Regarding Jesse Owens. James Cleveland Owens — the name Jesse stuck after a teacher misheard his original nickname, J.C. — was born in Alabama and moved with his family to Cleveland, Ohio, during the Great Migration. As a senior in high school in Cleveland, Owens set a new world record in the 220-yard dash and tied the world record in the 100-yard dash at the national championships held in Chicago.

He became an American legend in the mid-1930s, first when he set or tied six world records in one day while competing for Ohio State University at the Big Ten Championships in 1935. A year later at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin, Owens won four gold medals, in the 100 and 200 meters, the long jump and the 4x400-meter relay, a record that would not be matched until Carl Lewis won the same four medals at the 1984 Olympics. His triumph at an Olympic Games is credited as a powerful rebuttal to German leader Adolf Hitler's belief in Aryan supremacy.

Despite his unparalleled success as a track athlete, racial realities in the United States colored the rest

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, October 17, 2026

3. Jesse Owens gravesite

Jesse Owens is buried beside his wife Ruth Solomon Owens, behind the Olympics-inspired gravestone. Jesse and Ruth met while attending junior high in Cleveland, Ohio.

of his life. After losing his amateur status immediately after the Olympics when he decided to capitalize on commercial offers, effectively ending his track career, Owens soon struggled to find full-time work. He raced for quick money in small-time races, and at various times worked as a gas station attendant, janitor and manager of a dry cleaners.

In 1949, he moved with his family to Chicago, holding a number of jobs over his more than two decades in the city. He lived in a number of locations on the city's South Side, including in the Woodlawn neighborhood that is very close to this cemetery. In 1953 he was appointed as secretary of the Illinois Youth Commission, which was in charge of the state's youth recreational and education programs. He moved to Arizona in the early 1970s. Owens took up smoking cigarettes when he was in his early 30s, and eventually became a pack-a-day smoker. He was diagnosed with lung cancer in late 1979, and he died in 1980 at age 66.

He was buried in Chicago, where much of his family was still residing. His wife Ruth, his childhood sweetheart, died in 2001 and is buried next to him at Oak Woods Cemetery.

Jesse Owens races at the 1936 Olympics image. Click for full size.

Courtesy of the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division, July 1936

4. Jesse Owens races at the 1936 Olympics

Credits. This page was last revised on October 19, 2026. It was originally submitted on October 18, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. This page has been viewed 18 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on October 18, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. 4. submitted on October 19, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.