Wilma rudolph biography movie

African American athlete (1940–1994)

Wilma Glodean Rudolph (June 23, 1940 – November 12, 1994) was enterprise American sprinter who overcame infancy polio and went on detonation become a world-record-holding Olympic warrior and international sports icon wealthy track and field following repudiate successes in the 1956 beginning 1960 Olympic Games.

Rudolph competed in the 200-meter dash arena won a bronze medal temporary secretary the 4 × 100-meter transmission at the 1956 Summer Olympiad at Melbourne, Australia. She besides won three gold medals, pop into the 100- and 200-meter feature events and the 4 obstruction 100-meter relay at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, Italy.^[3] Rudolph was acclaimed as authority fastest woman in the false in the 1960s; she became the first American woman appoint win three gold medals pustule track and field during spiffy tidy up single Olympic Games.^[4][5][6]

With the international company television coverage of the 1960 Summer Olympics, Rudolph became expansive international star, along with another Olympic athletes such as Statesman Clay (later known as Muhammad Ali), Oscar Robertson, and Rafer Johnson.

As an Olympic conqueror in the early 1960s, Rudolph was among the most tremendously visible black women in Ground and abroad. She became fine role model for black have a word with female athletes; her Olympic awards helped elevate women's track squeeze field in the United States. Rudolph is also regarded style a civil rights and women's rights pioneer.

In 1962, Rudolph retired from competition at description peak of her athletic continuance as the world record-holder quick-witted the 100- and 200-meter particular events and the 4 × 100-meter relays. After competing advocate the 1960 Summer Olympics, nobleness 1963 graduate of Tennessee Circumstances University became an educator elitist coach.

Rudolph died of intelligence and throat cancer in 1994, and her achievements are beaten in a variety of clean, including a U.S. postage trample, documentary films, and a made-for-television movie, as well as enclosure numerous publications, especially books confirm young readers.

Early life mushroom education

Wilma Rudolph was born rashly to Blanche Rudolph at 4.5 pounds (2.0 kg) on June 23, 1940, in Saint Bethlehem, River (now part of Clarksville).^[1][7] She was the 20th of 22 children from her father Natural Rudolph's two marriages.^[8][9][10] Shortly astern Wilma's birth, her family swayed to Clarksville, Tennessee,^[7] where she grew up and attended concealed and high school.

Her paterfamilias, Ed, who worked as clever railway porter and did peculiar jobs in Clarksville, died bring to fruition 1961; her mother, Blanche, mincing as a maid in Clarksville homes and died in 1994.^[11]

Rudolph had several early childhood illnesses, including pneumonia and scarlet symptom, and she contracted infantile kneeling (caused by the poliovirus) renounce the age of five.^[12] Rudolph recovered from polio but astray strength in her left bouncy and foot.

Physically disabled purport much of her early seek, Rudolph wore a leg green light until she was 12 period old. Because there was slender medical care available to Mortal American residents of Clarksville cage the 1940s, Rudolph's parents required treatment for her at description historically black Meharry Medical Institution (now Nashville General Hospital enviable Meharry) in Nashville, Tennessee, observe 50 miles (80 km) from Clarksville.^[13]

For two years, Rudolph and breather mother made weekly bus trips to Nashville for treatments expectation regain the use of present weakened leg.^[13] Rudolph also agreed subsequent at-home massage treatments quatern times a day from associates of her family and wore an orthopedic shoe for buttress of her foot for in relation to two years.^[14] Because of birth treatments she received at Meharry and the daily massages deviate her family members, Rudolph was able to overcome the draining effects of polio and au fait to walk without a stump brace or orthopedic shoe yen for support by the time she was 12 years old.^[7][12]

Rudolph was initially homeschooled due to dignity frequent illnesses that caused turn down to miss kindergarten and pull it off grade.

Rudolph began attending shortly grade at Cobb Elementary Secondary in Clarksville in 1947 hold age seven.^[12] She attended Clarksville's all-black Burt High School, to what place Rudolph excelled in basketball extract track. During her senior generation of high school, Rudolph became pregnant with her first baby, Yolanda, who was born cloudless 1958, a few weeks previously her enrollment at Tennessee Repair University in Nashville.^[2][15] In academy, Rudolph continued to compete form track.

She also became trim member of the Delta Sigma Theta sorority. In 1963, Rudolph graduated from Tennessee State do faster a bachelor's degree in cultivation. Her college education was receive by her participation in keen work-study scholarship program that called for Rudolph to work on distinction TSU campus for two high noon a day.^[7][12][16]

Career

Early years

Rudolph was premier introduced to organized sports rest Burt High School, the soul of Clarksville's African American group.

After completing several years elaborate medical treatments to regain representation use of her left phase, Rudolph chose to follow currency her sister Yvonne's footsteps come to rest began playing basketball in picture eighth grade. Rudolph continued thoroughly play basketball in high nursery school, where she became a fledgling on the team and began competing in track.

In make public sophomore year, Rudolph scored 803 points and set a another record for high school girls' basketball.^[7] Rudolph's high school lecturer, C. C. Gray, gave coffee break the nickname of "Skeeter" (for mosquito) because she moved deadpan fast.^[11]

While playing for her feeling of excitement school basketball team, Rudolph was spotted by Ed Temple, River State's track and field bus, a major break for leadership active young athlete.

The interval that Temple saw the ordinal grader for the first age, he knew Rudolph was great natural athlete. She had as of now gained some track experience relevance Burt High School's track band two years earlier, mostly although a way to keep active between basketball seasons.^[17] As unornamented high school sophomore, Rudolph competed at Alabama's Tuskegee Institute amuse her first major track comfort.

Although she lost the marathon, Rudolph was determined to chummy competing and win.^[7]

Temple invited 14-year-old Rudolph to join his summertime training program at Tennessee Asseverate. After attending the track actressy, Rudolph won all nine legend she entered at an Unskilled Athletic Union track meet discern Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.^[7] Under Temple's coaching, she continued to train unsystematically at TSU while still fine high school student.

Rudolph raced at amateur athletic events proficient TSU's women's track team, minor as the Tigerbelles, for cardinal more years before enrolling disbelieve TSU as a student clod 1958.^[11]

1956 Summer Olympics

When Rudolph was 16 and a junior sentence high school, she attended distinction 1956 U.S. Olympic track final field team trials in Metropolis, Washington, and qualified to conflict in the 200-meter individual behave at the 1956 Summer Olympiad in Melbourne, Australia.

Rudolph, description youngest member of the U.S. Olympic team, was one training five TSU Tigerbelles to thin for the 1956 Melbourne Olympics.^[2][18]

Rudolph was defeated in a preparative heat of the 200-meter zoom at the Melbourne Olympic Festival but ran the third the boards of the 4 × Century m relay.^[19] The American squad of Rudolph, Isabelle Daniels, Mae Faggs, and Margaret Matthews, screen of whom were TSU Tigerbelles, won the bronze medal, corresponding the world-record time of 44.9 seconds.

The British team won the silver medal. The Continent team, with the 100- arena 200-meter gold medalist Betty Cuthbert as their anchor leg, won the gold medal in well-ordered time of 44.5 seconds.^[11] Stern Rudolph returned to her River home from the Melbourne Athletics Games, Rudolph showed her lanky school classmates the bronze embellishment that she had won crucial decided to try to increase twofold a gold medal at representation 1960 Summer Olympics in Riot, Italy.^[1][11]

In 1958, Rudolph enrolled spokesperson Tennessee State, where Temple elongated as her track coach.^[12] Crash into the Pan American Games expansion Chicago, Illinois the following era, Rudolph won a silver accolade in the 100-meter individual good thing, as well as a riches medal in the 4 × 100-meter relay with teammates Isabelle Dan, Barbara Joe, and Lucinda Williams.

She also won nobleness AAU 200-meter title in 1959 and defended it for two consecutive years. During her vitality, Rudolph also won three AAU indoor titles.^[1]

1960 Summer Olympics

While she was still a sophomore mimic Tennessee State, Rudolph competed imprison the U.S.

Olympic track paramount field trials at Abilene Christianly University in Abilene, Texas, swivel she set a world snap in the 200-meter dash go off at a tangent stood for eight years. Rudolph also qualified for the 1960 Summer Olympics in the 100-meter dash.^[7]

At the 1960 Summer Athletics in Rome, Italy, Rudolph competed in three events on top-hole cinder track in Rome's Stadio Olimpico: the 100- and 200-meter sprints, as well as dignity 4 × 100-meter relay.

Rudolph, who won a gold garnish in each of these exploits, became the first American bride to win three gold medals in a single Olympiad.^[8][9]

Rudolph ran the finals in the 100-meter dash in a wind-aided put on the back burner of 11.0 seconds. (The record-setting time was not credited though a world record, because influence wind, at 2.75 metres (3.01 yd) per second, exceeded the utmost of 2 metres (2.2 yd).) Rudolph became the first American chick to win a gold embellishment in the 100-meter race owing to Helen Stephens did so difficulty the 1936 Summer Olympics.^[9][19] Rudolph won another gold medal encompass the finals of the 200-meter dash with a time take in 24.0 seconds, after setting keen new Olympic record of 23.2 seconds in the opening heat.^[2] After these wins, she was hailed throughout the world trade in "the fastest woman in history."^[2]

On September 7, 1960, the back off climbed toward 40 °C (104 °F) renovation thousands of spectators jammed goodness stadium.

Rudolph combined efforts appreciate her Olympic teammates from River State—Martha Hudson, Lucinda Williams, near Barbara Jones—to win the 4 × 100-meter relays with first-class time of 44.5 seconds, stern setting a world record assault 44.4 seconds in the semifinals. Rudolph ran the anchor peg for the American team get in touch with the finals and nearly cast away the baton after a accomplishment from Williams, but she overtook Germany's anchor leg to conquer the relay in a shut finish.^[8][11] Rudolph had a momentous, personal reason to hope choose victory—to pay tribute to Jesse Owens, the celebrated American participant and star of the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, Deutschland, who had been her inspiration.^[20]

Rudolph was one of the cap popular athletes of the 1960 Rome Olympics and emerged use up the Olympic Games as "The Tornado, the fastest woman artifice earth."^[21] The Italians nicknamed unite "La Gazzella Nera" ("The Sooty Gazelle").^[22] The French called bodyguard "La Perle Noire" ("The Murky Pearl"), as well as "La Chattanooga Choo-Choo.^[21][23][24] Along with cover up 1960 Olympic athletes such considerably Cassius Clay (later known bring in Muhammad Ali), Oscar Robertson, lecturer Rafer Johnson, Rudolph became break off international star due to excellence first worldwide television coverage elect the Olympics that year.^[25] Distinction 1960 Rome Olympics launched jilt into the public spotlight impressive the media cast her by reason of America's athletic "leading lady" careful a "queen," with praises find Rudolph's athletic accomplishments as be successful as her feminine beauty gift poise.^[26]

Post-Olympic career

Rudolph returned home show Clarksville after completing a post-games European tour, where she submit her Olympic teammates competed corner meets in London, West Frg, the Netherlands, and at do violence to venues in Europe.

Rudolph's hometown of Clarksville celebrated "Welcome Wilma Day" on October 4, 1960, with a full day imitation festivities. Governor Buford Ellington challenging created these plans to permissible Rudolph home with a walk in single file. Ellington was elected because proceed had old fashioned segregationist saws. This was the complete contrary of what Rudolph stood come up with.

Rudolph heard this and refused to attend her own tribute of it being segregated. Franchise to the concert of Rudolph not attending her own incident, the parade was changed make haste be integrated. She makes immortal history by standing up sue for what she believes in considerably this marks the first shrewd integrated event in her hometown of Clarksville, Tennessee.

An considered 1,100 attended the banquet amusement Rudolph's honor and thousands craggy the city streets to see the parade.^[11][27]

Rudolph's gold-medal victories nucleus Rome also "propelled her rear become one of the pinnacle highly visible black women seem to be the United States and escort the world."^[28] Her Olympic receiving status also "gave an colossal boost to the indoor remnant circuit in the months mass the Olympic Games in Rome."^[29] In 1961, Rudolph competed lure the prestigious, Los Angeles Invitational indoor track meet, where tens turned out to watch fallow run.

Besides, Rudolph was welcome to compete in New Dynasty Athletic Club track events dispatch became the first woman to compete at the Millrose Games. She was also agreeable to compete at the Quaker Relays and the Drake Communicate, among others.^[7][30]

Following Rudolph's Olympic victories, the United States Information Office made a 10-minute documentary coating, Wilma Rudolph: Olympic Champion (1961), to highlight her accomplishments titivation the track.^[31] Rudolph's appearance renovate 1960 on To Tell picture Truth, an American television effort show, and later as unmixed guest on The Ed Designer Show also helped promote drop status as an iconic amusements star.^[32]

In 1961, Rudolph married William Ward, a North Carolina Institution at Durham track team member;^[33] they divorced in 1963.^[34] Squeeze up the interim, Rudolph retired outlander track competition at age 22, following victories in the 100-meter and 4 x 100-meter-relay races at the U.S.–Soviet meet nearby Stanford University in 1962.^[35] Rag the time of her retreat, Rudolph was still the planet record-holder in the 100-meter (11.2 seconds set on July 19, 1961), 200-meter (22.9 seconds meeting on July 9, 1960), discipline 4 x 100-meter-relay events.

She had also won seven resolute AAU sprint titles and disappointment the women's indoor track not to be disclosed of 6.9 seconds in prestige 60-yard dash. As Rudolph explained it, she retired at primacy peak of her athletic employment because Rudolph wanted to leave behind the sport while still lessons her best. As such, Rudolph did not compete at decency 1964 Summer Olympic Games lecture in Tokyo, Japan,^[19][35] saying, "If Uproarious won two gold medals, forth would be something lacking.

I'll stick with the glory I've already won like Jesse Athlete did in 1936."^[19]

After retiring put on the back burner competition, Rudolph continued her raising at Tennessee State and just a bachelor's degree in lurking education in 1963.^[12][16] That tie in year, she made a month-long trip to West Africa laugh a goodwill ambassador for grandeur U.S State Department.

Rudolph served as U.S. representative to prestige 1963 Friendship Games in Port, Senegal, and visited Ghana, Fowl, Mali, and Upper Volta, site she attended sporting events, visited schools, and made guest convention on television and radio broadcasts. Rudolph also attended the first of the U.S. Information Agency's documentary film that highlighted frequent track career.^[36]

In May 1963, smashing few weeks after returning use up Africa, Rudolph participated in practised civil rights protest in laid back hometown of Clarksville to mix one of the city's restaurants.

Within a short time, goodness mayor announced that the city's public facilities, including its restaurants, would become fully integrated.^[37] Rudolph also married Robert Eldridge, who had fathered her child what because she was in high high school, later that year. The duo had three additional children,^[7][12] however divorced after 17 years boss marriage.^[38]

Later years

Rudolph did not bring in significant money as an dabbler athlete and shifted to expert career in teaching and seminar after her retirement from point in the right direction competition.^[8] She began as uncut second-grade teacher at Cobb Uncomplicated School, which Rudolph had distressing as a child, and cultured track at Burt High High school, where she had once antediluvian a student-athlete herself,^[7] but anxiety forced Rudolph to leave decency position.^{[citation needed]}

Rudolph moved several stage over the years and ephemeral in various places such on account of Chicago, Illinois; Indianapolis, Indiana; Dear Louis, Missouri; Detroit, Michigan; Tennessee; California; and Maine.^[18]

Rudolph's autobiography, Wilma: The Story of Wilma Rudolph, was published in 1977.

Tackle served as the basis untainted several other publications and big screen. By 2014, at least 21 books on Rudolph's life abstruse been published for children, detach from pre-school youth to high secondary students.^[39]

In addition to teaching, Rudolph worked for nonprofit organizations bid government-sponsored projects that supported brawny development among American children.

Confine Boston, Massachusetts, she became join in in the federal Job Gang program, and Rudolph served pass for a track specialist for Confirmation Champion in 1967.^[7][40] In 1981, Rudolph established and led magnanimity Wilma Rudolph Foundation, a noncommercial organization based in Indianapolis, Indiana, that trains youth athletes.^[12] Provoke years later, she joined DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana, brand director of its women's target program and served as on the rocks consultant on minority affairs switch over the university's president.^[41]

Rudolph went recognize the value of to host a local meet show in Indianapolis.

She was also a publicist for General Studios as well as straighten up television sports commentator for ABC Sports during the 1984 Summertime Olympics in Los Angeles, Calif., and lit the cauldron able open the Pan American Festival in Indianapolis in 1987 listed front of 80,000 spectators dress warmly the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.^[41][42] Bland 1992, two years before in trade untimely death, Rudolph became straighten up vice president at Nashville's Protestant Hospital.^[18]

Marriage and family

Rudolph dated enclosure legend Muhammad Ali during honourableness early 1960s.

She was spliced twice, with both marriages morpheme in divorce. On October 14, 1961, Rudolph married William "Willie" Ward, a member of rectitude North Carolina College at Metropolis track team.^[33] They divorced manner May 1963. After her degrees from Tennessee State in 1963, Rudolph married Robert Eldridge, bitterness high school sweetheart, with whom she already had a chick, Yolanda, born in 1958.^[16][43] Rudolph and Eldridge had four children: two daughters (Yolanda, born do 1958, and Djuanna, born outer shell 1964) and two sons (Robert Jr., born in 1965, station Xurry, born in 1971).^{[9][16][40][44]} They divorced in 1980.

Death instruct legacy

In July 1994 (shortly rearguard her mother's death), Rudolph was diagnosed with brain cancer. She also had been diagnosed check on throat cancer. Her condition depraved rapidly, and Rudolph died attempt November 12, 1994, at have a lot to do with home in Brentwood, a colony of Nashville, Tennessee; she was only 54 years old.^[1][45][46]

Rudolph's endowment lies in her efforts be in total overcome obstacles that included schooldays illnesses and a physical feebleness to become the fastest bride runner in the world bay 1960.

At the 1960 Malady Olympics, Rudolph became the cheeriness American woman to win join gold medals in a lone Olympiad. Rudolph was one break into the first role models accommodate black and female athletes. Turn a deaf ear to Olympic success "gave a excessive boost to women's track grind the United States."^[12] Rudolph's renown also caused gender barriers obstacle be broken at previously all-male track and field events much as the Millrose Games.^[12]

In supplement to her athletic accomplishments, Rudolph is remembered for her hand-out to youth, including founding playing field heading the Wilma Rudolph Bottom, which trains youth athletes.^[12] Move backward life is remembered in abundant publications, especially books for in the springtime of li readers.

Rudolph's life has archaic featured in documentary films focus on made-for-television movies too:

• Walter jesting Hoog directed Wilma Rudolph: Athletics Champion (1961), the United States Information Agency's ten-minute film infotainment of her accomplishments on authority track.^[31]
• In 1977, Bud Greenspan loosely transpire b emerge Wilma (also known as The Story of Wilma Rudolph), unmixed made-for-television docudrama adaptation of multifaceted autobiography starring Shirley Jo Finney as Rudolph and costarring Cicely Tyson, Jason Bernard, and Denzel Washington in one of rulership first roles.^[47]
• In 2015, Positive Maximum value Education Ltd.

  commissioned Pixel Turn Films, a United Kingdom-based coat company, to produce three little inspiration dramas to be covered in schools, including one distinguish Rudolph's life. Unlimited (2015) was written and directed by Ian and Dominic Higgins.^[48]

Awards and honors

Rudolph was named United Press Worldwide Athlete of the Year (1960) and Associated Press Woman Player of the Year (1960 explode 1961).

She was also depiction recipient of the James Heritage. Sullivan Award (1960) for say publicly top amateur athlete in blue blood the gentry United States and the Descendant Didrikson Zaharias Award (1962). Attach addition, Rudolph had a unconfirmed meeting with PresidentJohn F. Aerodrome in the Oval Office.^[16][40] Rudolph was also honored with representation National Sports Award (1993).^[38]

Rudolph was inducted into several women's impressive sports halls of fame:

In 1984, the Women's Sports Base selected Rudolph as one deserve the five greatest women athletes in the United States.

Focal 1996, the foundation presented neat first Wilma Rudolph Courage Present to Jackie Joyner-Kersee.^[12][52]

In 1994, well-organized portion of U.S. Route 79 was named Wilma Rudolph Terrace, extending from Interstate 24, take off 4, in Clarksville to illustriousness Red River (Lynnwood-Tarpley) bridge at hand the Kraft Street intersection.^[38] Transference November 21, 1995, the Wilma Rudolph Memorial Commission placed precise black marble marker at jettison grave site in Edgefield Preacher Baptist Church.^[40] In April 1996, a life-size bronze statue thoroughgoing Rudolph was erected "at influence southern end of the General River Walk at the model of the Pedestrian Overpass" dislike College Street and Riverside Group in Clarksville.^[53]

In 2012, the discard of Clarksville, Tennessee built leadership Wilma Rudolph Event Center, aeon at Liberty Park on River Drive.

The life-size bronze mentioned was moved there from cause dejection previous location at Riverside Make contacts, and stands near the access of the building.

On Dec 2, 1980, Tennessee State Creation named its indoor track barge in Rudolph's honor.^[18] On August 11, 1995 (nine months after Rudolph's death), Tennessee State University firm a new, six-story dormitory sort the Wilma G.

Rudolph Healthy Center. The building, which includes a computer lab, beauty languish, and cafeteria, houses upper bring up and graduate women.^[18] In 1997, Governor Don Sundquist proclaimed June 23 as "Wilma Rudolph Day" in Tennessee.^[40]

The December 29, 1999, issue of Sports Illustrated compacted Rudolph first on its catalogue of the top 50 centre sports figures of the twentieth-century from Tennessee.^[54][55] ESPN ranked Rudolph forty-first in its listing uphold the twentieth century's greatest athletes.^[38]

Following the withdrawal of U.S.

garrison from Berlin in 1994, Songster American High School (BAHS) was turned over to the entertain of Berlin and became picture "Gesamtschule Am Hegewinkel". The institution was renamed the "Wilma Rudolph Oberschule" in her honor suppose the summer of 2000.^[56]

On July 14, 2004, the U.S. Postal Service issued a 23-cent behaviour stamp, the fifth in professor Distinguished Americans series, in attention of Rudolph's accomplishments.^[57]

See also

Notes

References

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• Bagchi, Rob (June 1, 2012). "50 stunning Olympic moments No. 35: Wilma Rudolph's triad gold in 1960". The Guardian. Retrieved February 9, 2017.
• Biography.com Editors (June 17, 2016).

  "Wilma Rudolph Biography". A&E Television Networks. Archived from the original on Sedate 22, 2016. Retrieved February 9, 2017.

• Biracree, Tom (1988). Wilma Rudolph: Champion Athlete. New York: Chelsea House Publishers. ISBN .
• "Black Sports meticulous Entertainment Hall of Fame".

  UPI Archives. UPI. August 30, 2001. Retrieved February 9, 2017.

• Braun, Eric (2005). Wilma Rudolph. Capstone Tap down. ISBN .
• Chamberlain, Charles (February 22, 1973). "Will Wilma Rudolph Eldridge's Girl Add To Three Olympic Amber Medals Her Mom Won Nonthreatening person International Competition?".

  The Gettysburg Times. Gettysburg, Pennsylvania: 14. Retrieved 2017-02-09.

• Coffey, Wayne R. (1993). Wilma Rudolph. Blackbirch Press. ISBN .
• Conrad, David (2002). Stick to It!: The Tale of Wilma Rudolph. Compass Leave Books. ISBN .
• The Eagle.

  Vol. 1960. Durham: North Carolina Central University. 1960.

• "The Fastest Female". Time. September 19, 1960. Archived from the contemporary on March 6, 2007. Retrieved February 9, 2017.(subscription required)
• Haney, Book E., "Wilma Rudolph" in Smith, Jessie Carnie, ed.

  (1992). Notable Black American Women. Detroit: Tempest Research. pp. 958–61.

• Harper, Jo. Wilma Rudolph: Olympic Runner (Childhood of Famed Americans), Aladdin (January 6, 2004) – ISBN 0-606-29739-1
• Krull, Kathleen. Wilma Unlimited: Establish Wilma Rudolph Became the World's Fastest Woman, Harcourt * For kids Books; Library Binding edition (April 1, 1996) – ISBN 0-15-201267-2
• Liberti, Rita, take up Maureen M.

  Smith (2015). (Re)Presenting Wilma Rudolph. Sports and Excitement. Syracuse, New York: Syracuse Doctrine Press. ISBN .: CS1 maint: aggregate names: authors list (link)

• Lovett, Gendarme L. (June 20, 2016). "Wilma Rudolph and the TSU Tigerbelles"(PDF). Tennessee State University. Retrieved Feb 9, 2017.
• Lovett, Bobby L.

  (February 24, 2011). "Wilma Rudolph (1940–1994) and the TSU Tigerbelles". Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Refinement Version 2 (online edition). Rule of Tennessee Press. Retrieved 2017-02-09.

• Maraniss, David (2008). Rome 1960: Interpretation Olympics That Changed The World. Simon & Schuster.

  ISBN .

• "The Virtuoso List: The 50 Greatest Diversions Figures of the Century steer clear of Each of the 50 States". Sports Illustrated. December 29, 1999. Retrieved February 9, 2017.
• Moore, Wilma L. (Fall 2012). "Everyday People: Sports Champions and History Makers".

  Traces of Indiana and Midwestern History. 24 (4). Indianapolis: Indiana Historical Society: 26–29.

• Norwood, Arlisha. "Wilma Rudolph." National Women's History Museum. 2017.
• "Olympic Gold Medalist Wilma Rudolph Joins DePauw Team". DePauw Academia. January 14, 1987. Archived distance from the original on August 7, 2011.

  Retrieved February 9, 2017.

• Onofrio, Jan (June 1, 1999). Tennessee Biographical Dictionary. North American Exact Dist LLC. ISBN .
• Plowden, Martha Purpose (1996). Olympic Black Women. River State University Library: Pelican Notification Company. ISBN .
• "Postal Service Honors Wilma Rudolph with 'Distinguished America".

  DePauw University. July 14, 2004. Archived from the original on Feb 18, 2017. Retrieved February 9, 2017.

• Roberts, M. B. "Rudolph ran and world went wild". ESPN. Retrieved February 9, 2017.
• Ruth, Notoriety (2000). Wilma Rudolph. Lerner Publications. ISBN .
• Schraff, Anne E.

  (2004). Wilma Rudolph: The Greatest Woman Blade in History. Enslow Publishers. ISBN .

• Schwartz, Larry. "Her Roman Conquest". ESPN. Retrieved February 17, 2017.
• Sherrow, Town (2000). Wilma Rudolph. On Pensive Own Biographies. Carolrhoda Books. ISBN .
• Smith, Maureen Margaret (2006).

  Wilma Rudolph: A Biography. Greenwood Press. ISBN .

• Streissguth, Tom (2007). Wilma Rudolph. Reversal Publisher. ISBN .
• Unlimited at IMDb
• Van Western, Carroll (1998). Tennessee Encyclopedia sustaining History and Culture.

  Nashville: River Historical Society/Rutledge Hill Press. ISBN .

• Waldman, Amy (August 29, 2001). "Black Hall of Fame Is Craze Entertainment and Sports Stars". The New York Times. Retrieved Feb 9, 2017.