TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY: AN OLYMPIC TRADITION

To soar to victory on eagle-wings...to challenge the wind for Olympic gold...to win with a spirit as tenacious as the legs that carry an athlete across the finish line: These visions have characterized the Tennessee State University quest for Olympic medals for more than four decades. Indeed, TSU is an Olympic tradition; such names as Rudolph, Boston, Tyus and McGuire are synonymous with "champion." During 1996, the centennial year of the modern Olympic Games, let us remember the athletes who blazed the track and field with the TSU torch-the TSU graduates who collectively have won 29 medals: 16 gold, eight silver and five bronze. Let us salute the Tigerbelles, TSU's triumphant women's track team with its 40 Olympic athletes.

1952
HELSINKI, FINLAND
TWO GOLD MEDALS (MAE FAGGS STARR AND BARBARA JONES SLATER)

1956
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA
ONE SILVER MEDAL (WILYE B. WHITE) AND FOUR BRONZE MEDALS (ISABELLE DANIELS HOLSTON, MARGARET MATTHEWS WILBURN, MAE FAGGS STARR AND WILMA RUDOLPH)

1964
TOKYO, JAPAN
TWO GOLD MEDALS (WYOMIA TYUS AND EDITH MCGUIRE DUVALL) AND FOUR SILVER MEDALS (EDITH MCGUIRE DUVALL-2, RALPH BOSTON AND WYOMIA TYUS)

1968
MEXICO CITY, MEXICO
THREE GOLD MEDALS (WYOMIA TYUS-2, AND MADELINE MANNING MIMS) AND ONE BRONZE MEDAL (RALPH BOSTON)

1972
MUNICH, GERMANY
ONE SILVER MEDAL (MADELINE MANNING MIMS)

1976
MONTREAL, CANADA
ONE SILVER MEDAL (KATHY MCMILLAN)

1980
(BRENDA MOREHEAD CAMPBELL, CHANDRA CHEESEBOROUGH, KATHY MCMILLAN AND MADELINE MANNING MIMS) WERE PART OF THE U.S. WOMEN'S TRACK TEAM; HOWEVER, THE UNITED STATES BOYCOTTED THE MOSCOW GAMES

1984
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA
TWO GOLD MEDALS AND ONE SILVER MEDAL (CHANDRA CHEESEBOROUGH)

ONLYS
MADELINE MANNING MIMS IS THE ONLY AMERICAN FEMALE TO WIN AN OLYMPIC GOLD MEDAL IN THE 800-METER EVENT.

WILLYE B. WHITE IS THE ONLY FEMALE TRACK ATHLETE TO REPRESENT THE UNITED STATES IN FIVE OLYMPIADS.

EDITH MCGUIRE DUVALL IS THE ONLY AMERICAN WOMAN TO HOLD THREE DIFFERENT NATIONAL AMERICAN ATHLETIC UNION (AAU) TITLES AT DIFFERENT TIMES.

WILMA RUDOLPH WAS THE ONLY FEMALE TO WIN ONE OF PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON'S NATIONAL SPORTS AWARDS IN 1993.

ONLYS
MADELINE MANNING MIMS IS THE ONLY AMERICAN FEMALE TO WIN AN OLYMPIC GOLD MEDAL IN THE 800-METER EVENT.

WILLYE B. WHITE IS THE ONLY FEMALE TRACK ATHLETE TO REPRESENT THE UNITED STATES IN FIVE OLYMPIADS.

EDITH MCGUIRE DUVALL IS THE ONLY AMERICAN WOMAN TO HOLD THREE DIFFERENT NATIONAL AMERICAN ATHLETIC UNION (AAU) TITLES AT DIFFERENT TIMES.

WILMA RUDOLPH WAS THE ONLY FEMALE TO WIN ONE OF PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON'S NATIONAL SPORTS AWARDS IN 1993.