In 1936 Jesse Owens achieved excellence that represented the highest ideals for what America envisions.
The Jesse Owens Olympic Oaks live to tell that story to the world.
Cleveland International Film Festival
Chagrin Documentary Film Festival
On Arbor Day of 2021, Jesse Owens’ legacy was cast forward.
The planting of a grafted sapling from the original Jesse Owens Olympic Oak at James Ford Rhodes High School took place on Friday, April 30th, 2021 in Rockefeller Park. Adjacent to University Circle, the Harrison Dillard Bikeway, and Cleveland’s Cultural Gardens, this site can grow for generations to come and learn about how Jesse Owen’s legacy lives on today.
In October 2022, an original legend was given another life.
The original Jesse Owens Olympic Oak at James Ford Rhodes High School died of natural causes and a long life in the winter of 2022. As was long planned, a grafted Olympic Oak was planted in the shadow of the original tree at James Ford Rhodes High School in Old Brooklyn.
Committed Partners Building a Future
The story of the Jesse Owens Olympic Oaks has only occurred as a result of extraordinary partnership between the following organizations. We are grateful for their support and vision.
