Jesse Owens Memorial Complex, the first varsity athletic complex built for the district in more than 35 years, was dedicated at an opening ceremony on August 27, 2005. The new complex for middle and high school athletic events features a stadium with capacity for 12,000 spectators and artificial turf and track surfaces for football, soccer, and track events. It also includes a field house capable of accommodating 7,500 spectators for volleyball, basketball, and wrestling events, as well as graduations.
Biography of Jesse Owens
The facility is named for James Cleveland "Jesse" Owens, an Olympic gold-medalist who broke world records at the Summer Olympics in Berlin in 1936. Born September 12, 1913, in Oakville, Alabama, Owens began his career in track and field events in junior high school. His exceptional ability in short-distance running and the long jump propelled him to the 1936 Olympics, where he won four gold medals. For his achievements, he was awarded the Medal of Freedom by President Gerald Ford in 1976 and received the Living Legend Award at the White House a year later. After his death in 1980, he was posthumously awarded the Congressional Gold Medal by President George H.W. Bush.
