Jesse Owens won 4 gold medals at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, Germany. 40 years later, Owens was awarded an honorary degree by Wagner College.
Check out these articles from the Wagner College Archives about the event and read the speech given at Convocation by President Satterfield.
"Race," the movie that chronicles Owens' journey to the 1936 Olympics, opens this Friday, February 19th.