Wilma was one of America's greatest athletes. In 1960, she became the first American woman to win three Olympic gold medals. This achievement alone is outstanding. Born in 1940, to a large and poor family in Tennessee, she struggled to overcome her poverty, illness, racism and sexism. Before succumbing to brain cancer in 1994, Wilma had been enshrined in the Black Sports Hall of Fame, the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame and the Women's Sports Hall of Fame. Wilma once stated that she would be very disappointed if she were remembered only as a runner. Certainly she is remembered for more -- for her human greatness, her courage and indomitable spirit. It was her desire to use her personal triumphs to open doors and smooth paths for others, who like herself, started out with the odds against them.

1. Wilma Rudolph attended Tennessee State University, in Nashville, Tennessee. It is one of many traditionally black colleges. Most of these were started in the southern states after the Civil War. Can you find the names of three more, who started them, when, how they raised money, and why separate schools for black students were necessary?
2. During her track career, Wilma traveled all over the world. Can you find these cities on a world map?
• Tuskeegee, Alabama
• Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• Seattle, Washington
• Melbourne, Australia
• Rome, Italy
• Athens, Greece
• London, England
• Berlin, Germany
• Moscow, Russia
• Tokyo, Japan
• Dakar, Senegal
• Accra, Ghana
3. The Olympic Games originated in ancient Greece. Who started them and why?
4. During the original Olympic Games in ancient Greece, women were not permitted to participate as athletes or even be spectators. What is your opinion about women in sports today? Can you name some activities in our country that women in the past were not allowed to do? How were these laws changed?
5. During the 1930s and 40s, there was an epidemic of the disease called polio. What is an epidemic? What did the government, scientists, and doctors do to end it and prevent it from happening again? Are there epidemics of diseases in the world now? What is being done about them?