Editor’s note: This is another column in Bill Boyd’s new series, “The Way It Was,” about growing up in Marysville. Bill continues to work with the Union County Historical Society to obtain information for his stories. With Marysville and Union County celebrating Bicentennial anniversaries in 2019 and 2020, respectively, these articles help depict what life was like in those early years.
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In 1936 when I was four years old, the Olympic games we’re held in Berlin, Germany. I, of course, was too young to take notice of that. My dad, however, followed those games every day, both in the newspapers and on the radio. And over the years as I was growing up, he told me a lot about those games, and how one athlete, Jesse Owens, won four gold medals for the United States to upset Adolf Hitler’s claims of a German “Master Race.” My dad thought the world of Jesse Owens.
Now move the calendar forward 14 years to the spring of 1950. I, along with two of my MHS track teammates, Bud Hoffman and Bob Patterson, qualified to compete in the state high school track and field finals. The event would be held in the OSU football stadium.
On the day of the competition, the three of us rode with our coach, Bob Wagner, to the stadium. Coach Wagner went to his seat in “A” deck with his binoculars and stopwatch while we went out on the football field to relax and do some stretching before our events. We found a perfect spot near the 50-yard line, and we made ourselves comfortable on the grass.
While we sat there, a man approached us and said, “Do you boys mind if I sit with you for a while?” When I looked up to answer him, I couldn’t believe my eyes. Do you know whom I was talking with? I was talking with Jesse Owens! He sat in the grass with us, and we talked for maybe 20 minutes. I can’t remember all the details of what we talked about. I guess I was flabbergasted to be sitting there, talking with America’s Olympic hero.
He was such a friendly guy, and it was so easy to talk with him. He laughed a lot, and he told us about the days when he was at OSU and ran on that same track. And before he left, he gave each of us his autograph.
Throughout the rest of the day, the three of us competed in our events. So how did we do?
Bob Patterson won two gold medals that day, one in the long jump, and the other in the 440-yard dash. Bud Hoffman ran in the 100-yard dash, and I think he came in third.
And what about me? I ran the high hurdles, and I was eliminated in the second qualifying round. That was disappointing, but Coach Wagner said it was the fastest I had ever run it, but it just wasn’t fast enough for the state finals.
When I sat down at the dinner table that night, my dad asked me if I brought home any medals. I told him I had no medals for him, but I had something he would like to see. Then I took out my billfold and handed him the autograph.
Boy, did his face light up when he saw that. And when I told him about sitting in the grass and talking with Jesse, he wanted to know all about it. As I said before … my dad thought the world of Jesse Owens.
Those wishing to contact Bill Boyd can e-mail him at bill@davidwboyd.com