At the risk of thread jacking: I saw Jesse on the track at Ohio Stadium before the beginning of the 60 Homecoming Game. He was wearing the same shorts and singlet that he wore when he set or equalled four NCAA and World track records in Ann Arbor (How wonderfully fitting). He ran a lap and the whole place gave him a thundering standing O. Shivers. He came back and presented his daughter, Marleen, as the 60 Homecoming Queen with these words, "Just remember my dear, only in America could such a blessing as this take place, only in America." More shivers and very few dry eyes.
I later had Larry Snyder for a track coaching course. He told us about driving to Ann Arbor for the Big 10s with Dave Bing, a high jumper, Charlie B something or other a 400, 800 man and Jesse. They went in a Ford Model A roadster, with three in the front, and Jesse, who had slipped getting out of the bathtub and injured his back, wrapped in blankets and hot water bottles and stuffed into the rumble seat. Jesse set four Big 10, NCAA records, two world records and tied two other world records that day. Bing won the high jump and Charlie Bsomething or other won the 800 and the Bucks won the Big 10 with only three athletes. When they were finished Snyder claims he went up to Jesse and said, "Let's go back and see if we can find that spot and have you slip again." AWESOME.
(Thanks to BB73 for the corrections on name and date)
