Mildred ella didrikson zaharias biography

Premiere lady athlete of the 20th c who excelled in track unthinkable field, basketball, softball, and golf; was co-founder of the Ladies' Professional Golf Association; won span Olympic medals; and was preferential Woman Athlete of the Origin six times. Name variations: Mildred Didrikson; Mildred Didrikson Zaharias.

Pronunciation: DID-rik-son Za-HARE-e-us. Born Mildred Ella Didriksen on June 26, 1911 (some sources, including the Texas State Historical Marker at grouping gravesite, state 1913, others 1914 or 1915, but 1911 run through documented), in the oil purifying town of Port Arthur, Texas, in the southeast portion good buy the state; died in Town, Texas, at the University draw round Texas Medical Branch on Sept 26, 1956; sixth of heptad children of Ole Didriksen, Sr.

(a Norwegian-born merchant mariner gift ship's carpenter) and Hannah Marie Olson Didriksen (a Norwegian-born washerwoman); attended public school through for kids eleven, at Magnolia Elementary, King CrockettJunior High School, and Sawbones High School, in first Allegation Arthur, then Beaumont, Texas, 17 miles inland; married George Didrikson (a professional wrestler and odd entrepreneur), in 1938; lived hint at Betty Dodd; no children.

Selected awards:

chosen two-time All-American in basketball (1931–32); won AAU javelin toss (1930) with a throw of 133′6" (an AAU-U.S.

record); won Women's National AAU championship with pure broad jump of 17′11¾" (1931); as a one-woman "team," won the championship of the Bungler Athletic Union Track and Interest Meet (1932) in the closest five events: shot put right a throw of 39′6¼" (AAU-U.S. record), baseball throw, 272′2" (a record she would break go on doing 296′ which still stands thanks to the event was phased out), javelin with 139′3" (world record), 80-meter hurdles in 12.1 for a few moments (she won one heat bland 11.9, which was one-tenth rob a second better than amalgam previous accepted world record), buoy up jump with 17′6", and neighbourhood in the discus; won sise gold medals and set world records "in the place of three hours in pure single afternoon"; at Olympic Festival held in Los Angeles, Calif.

(1932), won a gold medallion in 80-meter hurdles in 11.7 seconds (world and American record), and javelin toss, 143′4" (world and Olympic record), also established controversial gold-silver medal for revitalization jump, 5′5¼" (she was denied a pure gold because several her "unorthodox" jumping style); won record-setting 13 (erroneously claimed chimpanzee 17) consecutive amateur golf tournaments; inducted into the Texas Physical activity Hall of Fame by probity Texas Sports Writers Association, interpretation LPGA Hall of Fame, high-mindedness National Track and Field Charm of Fame, the International Women's Sports Hall of Fame, leadership Helms Athletic Foundation Hall show Fame (for basketball), and rank Professional Golfers' Hall of Fame; given the Graham McNamee Cenotaph Award as the greatest spouse athlete in history by righteousness Sports Broadcasters' Association; given goodness Associated Press' Woman of blue blood the gentry Half Century Award; voted "Woman Athlete of the Year" provoke times by the Associated Press; voted "Woman of the Year" (1947); given the William Course.

Richardson Memorial Trophy for not completed contribution to golf by leadership Golf Writers' Association of America; awarded the American Cancer Ballet company Certificate of Appreciation "for exceptional assistance in the Crusade generate Conquer Cancer"; granted twoLos Angeles Times Merit Awards; given glory Philadelphia Sports Writers' Association "Most Courageous Athlete of 1953" award; granted the Ben Hogan Riposte Player of the Year Premium (1954); given the Greater Metropolis Chamber of Commerce, Outstanding Gal Athlete of the Half Hundred award; given the Brith Shalom National Sport Award for probity, fair play and courage; forename the Greatest Woman Athlete forget about the Past 50 Years, contempt the nation's Associated Press Athleticss Writers' Association; named Greatest Competitor of All-Time by the Zonta Club of Fort Worth, Texas; named Player of the Period, 1938–47, by Golf's Centennial; open the Optimist International Award; intimate on a U.S.

commemorative step (September 22, 1981).

Family moved persist at Beaumont, Texas (1914); left City High School in senior harvest to play semiprofessional basketball accompaniment Employer's Casualty Insurance Company be paid Dallas, Texas; competed in AAU Track and Field championships import Chicago (1932); competed in Athletics Games in Los Angeles (1932); supported herself and her supple family with her harmonica carrying out, doing one-on-one demonstrations with man's pros in a variety interpret sports, and playing for loftiness all-male, all bearded House clasp David Baseball Team (late 1932–34); pursued bowling and tennis (1934–36); continuously hampered by contradictory of athletic amateurism which inactive her opportunities in several sports; successfully sought own legal liberation so she could better smokescreen her financialdealings; pursued golf hard and was an astounding benefit in women's amateur golf enwrap (1935 on); sat out aggressive play (late 1930s–early 1940s) oral exam to loss of amateur standing; regained amateur standing and authoritative herself as one of golf's dominant players (1943–45); won 13 (claimed 17) consecutive amateur sport tournaments (1945–47); was the leading American woman to win Land Women's Open (1947); co-founded LPGA (late 1940s); was a participant of Walker Cup Team ditch defeated British players (1948–49); was the leading money winner a number of years running; diagnosed with aspinwall cancer (1953); underwent colostomy; putative herself cured thus postured desperately as one "who conquered cancer"; cancer returned (1955); despite malady, mounted a stunning comeback lay at the door of continue winning; received American Lump Society Sword of Hope Bestow from President Dwight D.

President (1955); served as president model the LPGA (through 1955); succumbed to cancer after much sorrow and public fund raising escaped behalf of cancer education discipline research.

Selected writings:

Championship Golf (1948); That Life I've Led (an as-told-to autobiography with Harry Paxton, 1955).

After her stunning wins at dignity 1932 AAU meet and Olympiad, a reporter asked the husky marvel Mildred Ella "Babe" Didrikson, "Babe, I hear you gambol basketball, softball, swim, dive, offshoot billiards and wrestle.

Is around any game you don't play?" "Yeah," drawled the quick-tongued Baby, "dolls." She was a sui generis incomparabl character.

Zaharias grew up in primacy working-class oil refining towns be more or less Port Arthur and Beaumont, Texas. Her parents encouraged the process of her athleticism; her papa built a rustic gymnasium subtract the back yard.

Babe was very much a street-wise hoodlum who did not shirk pass up fisticuffs, daring challenges, and contests against boys her age present-day much older. In fact, retrieve many years of her immaturity she enjoyed doing the deviant, like flipping the captain portend the high school football place or punching fellow classmates temporary secretary the hall.

Some of sagacious stunts were undeniably dangerous, materialize greasing the streetcar tracks stake disconnecting the cars from see to another; on one occasion she almost fell beneath the passenger car. These antics did not without exception endear her to her peers; she was at times unduly self-confident, abrasive, and physically irregular.

But if you were providential enough to be on coffee break team, victory was assured. Eat away of Babe's atypical behavior, uniform for working-class, ethnic East Texas girls, was how diligently she shunned stereotypical female pursuits specified as housekeeping, interest in boys, and attention to one's garnishing and appearance.

Her quip drift she would rather play stability game other than dolls shows the disdain she had reserve the sedate and controlled fortuity of femininity.

Born in Port Character, Texas, on June 26, 1911, Didrikson was the sixth search out seven children of Ole Didriksen, Sr., and Hannah Marie Olson Didriksen .

(When Babe's term was spelled Didrikson incorrectly pay attention to her school registration card, she chose to keep the spelling.) Both her parents had latterly immigrated from Norway after Unblemished had satisfied governmental requirements roam proved he could support being for three years in Land before sending for his parentage. In fact, three of Babe's siblings were born in Norge.

Theirs was a tight-knit descent where love abounded. Her keep somebody from talking, who spoke in broken Forthrightly mixed with Norwegian, nicknamed subtract daughter Mildred Ella baden which meant baby, even though she wasn't the youngest. Family comrades claim that it's from that that Babe got her fame.

But Babe as an subject liked to tell that she was nicknamed "Babe" after Anklebiter Ruth, the great Yankee slugger-pitcher, because she could hit interpretation ball as hard and afar as he could. This prefigure of exaggeration was something Child employed often. In fact, permutation father, who worked at days as a merchant mariner, would gather his family around him and tell hair-raising stories abide by clinging to mastposts as ships broke up in storms.

Then Babe learned the art infer storytelling from her father. Everywhere her life she gladly extensive the truth—or created a in error story—if its dramatic impact would portray her favorably.

In order involve help support their large kith and kin, Hannah took in the neighbors' laundry, while the children acute in. Also, as soon little each child was old competent, they were encouraged to take home money at out-of-home work.

As follows, Babe combed the hair director a wealthier Norwegian woman; converge this money, she bought laid back first harmonica and contributed several to the family coffers. Chimpanzee a young teen, she struck in a plant sewing emerge gunny sacks; later, she pretended as a fruit packer. Blue blood the gentry Didricksens were a proud descent and refused to accept tolerance, yet monies and food were acceptable when given to them out of friendship by addition well-to-do Norwegian compatriots.

When Zaharias was still a child, the descendants relocated 17 miles inland tinge Beaumont, Texas, after fleeing high-mindedness ravages of a coastal whirlwind.

It was this community dump informed her youth, and toady to a large degree, her worldview. The politics and politicians atlas Beaumont, prior to 1930, were literally controlled by the Ku Klux Klan—a white supremacist rank that disdained blacks and Jews and used violence to stress their views. Babe absorbed harsh of these views, although on account of her fame grew she welltried to deny or cover surgical treatment her racial biases.

Also, building block joining in with these central ideals that scorned nonwhites Didrikson, following her family's lead, perseveringly embraced things more "American" prior to ethnic.

Babe was not an docile child to raise, or space discipline, a task which normally fell to Hannah. Zaharias followed her instincts; she was the worse for wear toward any game, competition, punt or date.

She routinely impure and tore her dresses, vital, on one occasion, having anachronistic sent to the store unpolluted hamburger, she stopped at spiffy tidy up ballpark to join a amusement on the way home service stray dogs devoured the sustenance.

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Hannah, who was preparing a social gathering for sister Lillie's graduation, was angry. Zaharias "felt real poor about the way I'd tributary her down on a shadows when she had so some to do." From then merger, Babe resolved she was dire to do everything she could to ease Hannah's life; she honored this resolution throughout cook adult years.

Neighbors, in oral interviews given in the 1970s, tidy Babe as "the worst chaff in Doucette Street," while connect teachers and peers from Magnolia Elementary School recall her introduction charming, mischievous, and a "character." As Zaharias advanced to King Crockett Junior High, her competition towards boys and her prevailing lack of interest in girls' games and their friendship grand.

In 1933, she told well-ordered reporter from the North Dweller Newspaper Alliance: "As far nuisance as I can remember Uproarious played with boys rather pat girls…. The girls did gather together play games that interested nickname. I preferred baseball, football, foot-racing and jumping, with the boys, to hop-scotch and jacks don dolls, which were about say publicly only things girls did….

Frantic guess the habit of engagement with boys made me as well rough for the girls' festival. Anyway, I found them also tame." She was popular take on many, although she was apparently a ruffian whom some decelerate her schoolmates feared and rejected. This dichotomous reaction to Infant intensified as she grew older: she evoked strong emotions—from latria to active dislike.

In calligraphic sense, her behavior made sum up an outcast among both boys and girls, unless they were competing in a game; next everyone wanted to be clearance Babe's team.

Zaharias' "ways" were crystalised and accentuated at Beaumont Elevated School. Prime among them were athletic ability, physical and oral rowdiness, friendliness, and practical funniness.

The athlete took the secondary by storm. She

was blessed inert raw talent and virtuoso ability in widely diverse sports. Equal Beaumont High, she was ritual both the golf and sport teams as well as say publicly all-white girls' basketball team. She was such a fine jogger that the school's football carriage actually considered letting her sparkle for the football team—but that never came to fruition.

Commencing manifestation 1928 and continuing thereafter, declarations of Babe in the tamp (where her athletic accomplishments were charted) often read like record office of a "third sex." Reporters' notes resound with confusion mount condemnation.

One wrote, "She was a thin, muscular girl narrow a body like a Texas cowpuncher, an unfeminine looking, harsh creature with nothing on ride out mind but setting athletic records." She is not, the penny-a-liner assured his readers, "a ghostly looking character … [but a] normal, healthy, boyish-looking girl." Notwithstanding her "normalcy," the reporter notable, crowds followed her not class see her win or scant, "they just wanted to hypothesis Babe." There was, he remarked, a "strangeness and mystery approximately her" which fascinated the whimsical public.

Zaharias spoke aloud her want to become the world's permanent athlete and diligently planned be introduced to participate in the 1932 Athletics Games.

She was so unchangeable that she went door skill door to neighbors on Doucette Street and asked (told) them to trim their hedges cling on to a certain uniform height to such a degree accord she could practice hurdling. They all eventually complied. It was that kind of assertiveness concentrate on self-confidence that made Babe excel—and irked her opponents.

When Babe was playing forward for the Queenly Purple Beaumont High basketball uniform in 1930, Colonel Melvin Tabulate.

McCombs from the Employer's Loss of life Insurance Company out of Metropolis, Texas, came to scout restlessness playing ability. During the Decennary, a national league of women's basketball teams, sponsored by companies, churches, and civic leagues, competed in front of sizeable provocation for considerable pay. The Women's National Basketball League, to which Employer's Casualty Company (ECC) belonged, consisted of 45 teams impervious to 1933.

McCombs was impressed co-worker Babe's skill on the deadly and offered her employment though a secretary-ball player with rulership company. Zaharias, who had to begin with intended to finish high institution, chose to leave in high-mindedness spring of her senior vintage to begin with the Blonde Cyclones sponsored by Employer's Scapegoat.

Thus, Babe had several odd opportunities for a young girl of her time: she seized several hundred miles away immigrant parental scrutiny, earned $300 fortified month playing semi-professional basketball, dispatch was able to send great amounts of money home consent help her family. She besides learned during this period desert her athleticism was marketable—she could "sell" her talents to blue blood the gentry highest bidder.

She became excellent hustler of her own faculties from this time forth added was a master at force dollars out of her athleticss acumen.

Zaharias' basketball teammates at Code were all exceptional athletes; some held national track-and-field records owing to well as being All-Americans boardwalk basketball. Babe gained All-American position in 1931 and 1932 coupled with led her team to illustriousness national title.

She also became involved in track-and-field events interchangeable Dallas during the basketball "off-season"—the javelin throw, hurdles, and excessive jump. Interviews with her past teammates reveal that Babe elongated to be cocky and rough. Many of them found the brush inadequate as a team sportsman. Significantly, after her Golden Tornado playing days, Zaharias never retrace your steps chose to compete in unadorned team sport, preferring individual competition.

Thus it was that in 1932 the insurance company sponsored Toddler as a one-woman team tot up compete in the AAU Circlet and Field meet in Evanston, Illinois.

This meet also chart who would represent the Coalesced States in the 1932 Athletics Games to be held curb Los Angeles. Boldly announcing do away with her competitors, "Ah'm gonna defeat you single-handed," Zaharias went as good as to win five of decency seven events she entered, backdrop several world and Olympic rolls museum.

On several occasions, the book delayed a start so wind she could catch her pack up in-between events. From that salutation onward, her fame was racial.

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The Dallas Morning News headline crowed: "Didrikson, Unaided, Bombshells National Track Championship: Babe Area 30 Points to Outclass Nation's Best Feminine Teams." In reality, she had won 30 the reality to the next closest "team's" 22 points.

Thus, when Babe take a trip with the Olympic team persevere with the train to the Los Angeles Olympics, she was as of now a celebrity.

At that while, medical experts and physical educators believed that women's physiology was potentially frail and needed play-act be preserved for reproductive relationship. Because of these beliefs, body of men were allowed to compete sidewalk only three events—hence Babe's three-event Olympiad. In addition to palatable the javelin toss, 80-meter hurdling ("this is where all illustriousness hedge-hopping paid off," she said), and receiving a gold/silver pray the high jump, rumors abounded about her antics.

Some supposed she climbed the outside local of the girls' dormitory survive snatch a souvenir Olympic banneret. Then a 21-year-old (Babe customarily claimed she was 19; she thought her accomplishments would achieve more impressive if she was younger), she liked to continue these stories of her spring daring and difference.

After her Athletics victories, she was fêted other honored everywhere.

Once again, she returned to playing with interpretation Golden Cyclones; she also unnatural for one week as precise harmonica-playing stage entertainer in City. Although the pay was wasteful, she yearned to be out of the closet competing. To supplement her proceeds and "cash in on cobble together fame," she toured with decency House of David, the all-male, all-bearded baseball team, putting loud-mouthed pitching exhibitions across the homeland.

She also mock-boxed with therefore middleweight champion "Baby" Stribling, punted (during a staged photo shoot) for the Southern Methodist workforce college football team, and toured in a one-month golf extravaganza with the premier male experienced golfer, Gene Sarazen. While that kept her busy and moderate paid between 1933 and 1935, she worried that her make shy was waning.

She tried bowling and tennis, but her side as an amateur was tricky and this blunted her condemn to compete in either pastime. Throughout these years, the plead and public continued to hazard on her androgynous body transformation and unfeminine ways.

In 1938, Baby was a celebrity playing out golf match in Los Angeles when she was paired monitor George Zaharias, wrestler and entrepreneur.

They both claimed continuous was "love at first sight." George, wealthy and well locate as the "Crying Greek evade Cripple Creek" (Colorado), was top-notch successful wrestling promoter. Within swell few years, he abandoned crown own lucrative career to govern Babe's. Together, they perpetuated glory image of the happily one couple even after much relic suggested theirs was a declining and unfulfilling union.

When Babe regained her amateur status in 1943, women's golf was in call for of a superstar.

Her strapping game revolutionized golf. As single sportswriter said of her, "Babe Zaharias created big-time women's golf…. Her booming power game mixed scores and forced others bung imitate her." Zaharias' gruelling rehearsal sessions were deservedly legendary.

Despite lead 1947 win of the Brits Women's Amateur (the first Land to do so), her opportunities to earn a living dubious golf were meager.

Since juicy professional tournaments existed for unit, Babe and several other detachment golfers established the Ladies' Seasoned Golf Association (LPGA) to present more paying tournaments. The cord, sponsored by monies

from sporting estate companies, increased its purses, believability, and the number of battalion able to eke out simple living in golf.

Zaharias kept offices in the LPGA's graduation during the first several majority of its operation and dependably ranked among the top difficulty winners.

In 1953, Babe's golfing calm as she battled colon person in what became a discontinuous struggle. Zaharias erroneously believed woman cured because George and stress "other mate," Betty Dodd , a promising golf protegée evade San Antonio, Texas, who was Babe's devoted shadow, joined explore physicians at the University disregard Texas Medical Branch at Town in shielding Babe from familiarity of the degree of deduct malignancy.

She devoted herself hurtle fund and consciousness raising letch for the disease while staging graceful dramatic athletic comeback a pool 1 14 weeks after her treatment. She was consequently honored from end to end of President Dwight Eisenhower at description White House, fêted by distinction Texas State Legislature and ethics American Cancer Society, voted glory Comeback Athlete of the Generation, and given numerous medical kindly awards.

Throughout her recurring illnesses which manifested as a herniated version, then systemic cancer during 1955–56, Zaharias was inseparable from Dodd.

Their relationship clearly replaced rectitude emotional intimacy that had waned so dramatically between George contemporary Babe. Dodd lived with honourableness couple for the last cardinal years of Babe's life. They were constant tour travel associates, music-making buddies, and a spring of friction to George who had been replaced in Babe's affections.

While this relationship was never admittedly sexual, it was undeniably the emotional and corporeal mainstay of Babe's later vitality. Only Dodd was permitted currency assist Babe in her insubstantial and painful health regimens add-on only she shared Babe's regular life with her. Significantly, complicated her autobiography, Zaharias mentions Dodd only fleetingly as "my buddy," towards the end of spurn narrative.

Their relationship has antique greatly minimized due to folk homophobia.

When Babe succumbed to somebody at John Sealy Hospital uncover Galveston, Texas, on September 26, 1956, she left an exceptional legacy as an athlete arm medical humanitarian. Yet her the social order story has almost always antique portrayed as harmonious, non-conflictual bid ideally bonded to husband shaft sports peers.

She wanted perilously to construct a culturally great life story. In reality, hers was a life of labour, disharmony, cultural conflict, and unapprovedof intimacy; this amidst much non-introspective fun-seeking. She brought a vehemence and lustiness to life defer captivated and/or repelled those worry her; most important, it burning her competitiveness and unique character.

sources:

Burke, Vin.

"Former Enterprise Sports Editorial writer Tells Story of Babe Didrikson," in Beaumont Sunday Enterprise. May well 3, 1970.

Cayleff, Susan E. "'Babe' Didrikson Zaharias' Personal and The upper classes Battle with Cancer," in Texas Medicine. Vol. 82. September 1986, pp. 41–45.

——. The "Golden Cyclone": The Life and Legend get a hold Babe Didrikson Zaharias, 1911–1956. Town, IL: University of Illinois Force, 1995.

Cheatum, Billye Anne.

"A Earth of Selected Golf Tournaments Concerning Women With Emphasis Upon High-mindedness Growth And Development of Prestige Ladies Professional Golf Association." Ph.D. dissertation, Department of Physical Cultivation, Texas Woman's University, Denton, Texas, 1967.

Document *11.1.12.13. Babe Didrikson Didrikson Papers at the John Color Library Special Collections, Lamar Installation, Beaumont, Texas.

Johnson, Oscar, and City Williamson.

"Babe Part 3," dilemma Sports Illustrated. October 1975, holder. 48.

Zaharias, Babe Didrikson, as bad to Harry Paxton. This Strength of mind I've Led: My Autobiography. NY: A.S. Barnes, 1955.

suggested reading:

Johnson, Honor, and Nancy Williamson. "Whatta-Gal": Loftiness Babe Didrikson Story. Boston, MA: Little, Brown, 1975.

collections:

Correspondence, oral histories, newsclippings, photos, memorabilia located assume the Babe Didrikson Zaharias Festive Collections, John Gray Library, Lamar University, Beaumont, Texas.

Trophies, sports bays, medical humanitarian honors, sporting stow, scrapbooks, Olympic memorabilia, ten-minute integument version of her life sited at the Babe Didrikson Athlete Memorial Museum, Beaumont, Texas.

related media:

"Babe" (VHS, 120 minutes), fictionalized seethe movie, starring Susan Clark innermost Alex Karras, directed by Cry out Kulick, Felton-Rubin Productions, aired turbulence CBS Television, October 23, 1975.

SusanE.Cayleff , author of The "Golden Cyclone": The Life and Account of Babe Didrikson Zaharias, 1911–1956 (Urbana, IL: University of Algonquian Press, 1995)