Wilma Glodean Rudolph 1940-1994

Born on June 23, 1940, Wilma G. Rudolph, a native of Clarksville, overcame illness, poverty and segregation to become an Olympic champion sprinter. A graduate of Burt High School, she won a bronze medal in the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne, Australia. While at Tenn. A&I St. Univ., she became a member of the Tigerbelles, the school's famous women track team. At the 1960 Rome Olympics, Rudolph became the "fastest female runner in the world" and the first American woman to win three gold medals in a single Olympiad. She won the 100-meter dash, 200-meter dash, and was on the winning 400-meter relay team. Inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame in 1994, Wilma Rudolph died on November 12 of the same year.