OLYMPIC DREAMS COME TRUE IN NORTH ALABAMA

Who says dreams don't come true? For the people of Oakville, Alabama, what began as a dream more than 13 years ago became a reality June 29, when Jesse Owens Memorial Park was formally dedicated.

More than 60 years after Owens, an African-American, stunned Adolph Hitler and delighted the world by winning four gold medals in track and field at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, he was honored by his hometown, and the world was there to see it happen.

Click here to read a biography of Jesse Owens distributed at the dedication of the park.

Many dignataries including family members of Jesse Owens attended the celebration.

Congressman Tom Bevil spoke.

Several groups performed.

Governor Fob James introduced one of the most interesting guests.He introduced Ms Thea Petschek Irvolino who had taken pictures of Jesse Owens in 1936 as a twelve year old. She came to Oakville to take pictures of the Grandson of Jesse Owens lighting the Caldron at the Jesse Owen Memorial Park.

The Olympic Torch also traveled through the Oakville community in Lawrence County June 29 and through the Jesse Owens Memorial Park. Owens' only grandson, Stuart Owen Rankin of Boston, Mass., carried the torch through the gates of the park and up the winding road to a hilltop where the park's centerpiece -- a 14-foot bronze statue of Owens striding through the Olympic rings -- stands.

Sculpted by Birmingham artist Branko Medenica, the statue is exquisitely detailed--from the cleats of Owens' running shoes to the pins holding his Olympic number to his tank top.

Mrs. Ruth Owens, Owens' widow, unveiled the statue as part of the formal Park Dedication ceremonies. She also lit a replica of the 1936 Olympic Torch which will burn eternally at the park.

The dream of a park began when Marvin Fitzgerald, a cousin of Owens', and Therman White, who currently serves as president of the Jesse Owens Memorial Park Board, came to the Lawrence County Extension Office for help five years ago. After talking with the men, Agent-Coordinator James Pinion and other Extension staff caught the dream as well.

The Alabama Cooperative Extension System is well known for its efforts to assist agricultural producers and for its farreaching 4-H programs. Perhaps less known is the fact the System provides assistance in economic and community resource development.The Lawrence County Extension team, led by Pinion, enlisted the aid of Extension Tourism Specialist Tom Chesnutt at Auburn University. Drawing on the ideas of Fitzgerald and White and the input of the Lawrence County team, Chesnutt created a development plan for the park. That plan outlined everything from the park's purpose to estimated construction costs to detailed drawings of the park's facilities and landscaping.

Jesse Owens Memorial Park Board of Directors was established and has followed each step outlined in the plan.

The Board includes folks from across Lawrence County -Extension staff, business people, elected officials and others who have been involved in park planning, fundraising, construction, landscaping and publicity.

"The purpose of the park is not only to provide a living memorial to Jesse Owens but to honor and uphold his athletic achievements and sportsmanship, as well as his accomplishments as an individual," said Pinion, who also is a member of the Park Board.

"The board's goal is to educate future generations about Owens and what he meant to international athletics and to American society. Owens was a hero. His accomplishments went much further than athletics -- they had worldwide impact. He was a well-known humanitarian," said Pinion.

The 19-acre park will meet its goals in two ways -- by providing athletic and recreational opportunities for Oakville and Lawrence County residents and by attracting visitors to Lawrence County to see the Jesse Owens monument and museum complex, said Therman White, park board president.

"I feel good about it. In the early days, it was a one-man show and I was the show," said White. "Extension has been wonderful. If it hadn't been for the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, we just couldn't have gotten this far and the project would probably have been a flop."

Pinion says it's the citizens of Oakville who deserve recognition."The park expands the dream of Oakville residents," says Pinion. "It builds on what they started and they deserve the credit for getting the ball rolling."

It's not just adults who are working with the park. The local 4-H Club was awarded a Chevron Community Pride grant to help landscape the park. Lawrence County Extension Agent Linda Robinson said the young people used the grant money to purchase trees and flowers and did the planting themselves.

More than $1.5 million in private and public funds was raised for the park, which includes a number of facilities.

The Owens' statue, situated in the Gold Medallion Court, is the focus of the park. But visitors will also be able to tour a replica of Owen's Lawrence County home, a museum filled with memorabilia of his life and a welcome center.

The park will have a number of recreational facilities including a softball complex, a basketball court, picnic pavilions, a playground, a walking trail, and an official quarter-mile track.

Lawrence County Extension Agent Henry Buchanan says the park will be an economic asset to the county."Our county doesn't have big industries so we need to develop other avenues of economic development such as tourism."

White agrees about the park's potential for drawing tourists to the area."Oakville is just a small town. This park is going to mean tourism and dollars," says White. "It's a tremendous opportunity for the entire county."

The Board's plans don't stop with the park's dedication. Board members are already developing ideas to host an annual track meet for superior high school athletes as well as hiring retired citizens to staff the welcome center and serve as living-history storytellers at the museum.

Back to Home Page W. Raymond Jones
4419 Plummer Dr.
Montgomery, AL 36106
rayjones@knology.net