CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (CLARKSVILLENOW) – A woman whose name is honored throughout Clarksville, Wilma Glodean Rudolph is so much more than a local hero. On what would have been her 79 birthday, we reflect on her impact to not only the community but the world.
Born in the St. Bethlehem area in 1940, Wilma Rudolph was one of 22 children. The early years were not easy for this young woman. Overcoming double pneumonia, scarlet fever, and polio as a child, doctors were not optimistic for her future heath. Problems with her leg forced young Rudolph to wear a leg brace.
But determination, support from her mother, and physical therapy pushed her to overcome any disability. In an interview Rudolph famously said, “My doctors told me I would never walk again. My mother told me I would. I believed my mother.”
Rudolph attended what was then Burt High School. In 1956, at the age of 16, she qualified for the Summer Olympic Games in Melbourne, Australia. She won a bronze medal in the 400-meter relay.
Rudolph was recruited by Ed Temple to attend Tennessee State University in Nashville. She ran track at the university and studied education. The whole time, she continued to train for her next run at the Olympics.
The 1960 Olympic Games were held in Rome, Italy. After tying world and Olympic records, Rudolph walked away with three Gold medals. She was the first American woman to win three gold medals in track and field at a single Olympic Games. The feat catapulted her into international acclaim. Rudolph became a superstar for her groundbreaking achievements.
Back in Clarksville, upon her return, the city wanted to hold a parade for their new celebrity. At Rudolph’s insistence, the parade was not held until officials agreed to allow the event to be desegregated. Wilma Rudolph’s homecoming parade became the first desegregated event in Clarksville.
Her legacy continues today. The recent Wilma Rudolph race honoring the local runner, was just held June 22. With several buildings, major roadways, foundations, and scholarships in her name, Clarksville continues to find ways to celebrate their own Olympic Hall of Famer. To learn more about Wilma Rudolph, and all of Clarksville’s famous faces, there is an exhibit at the Customs House Museum and Cultural Center.