Olympic Plaza and Statue

Famed TSU alumna and Olympian Wilma Ruldoph once said, “Never underestimate the power of dreams and the influence of the human spirit. . . The potential for greatness lives within each of us.”

Either close up or from afar, you are looking at the Olympic Statue. It was sculpted to mimic the running style of TSU alumna and Olympic gold medalist, Wilma Rudolph. But Rudolph wasn’t the only track standout at TSU. From 1950 to 1993, the team was coached by the legendary Edward S. Temple. Temple required three training sessions a day, the first of them at 5:30 a.m. In total, he produced 40 Olympians who between them won 13 gold medals, 6 silver and 4 bronze, starting with Mae Faggs and Barbara Jones, who won gold in 1952. His team also won 34 national titles. According to The Guardian, “Temple’s success made him one of the most significant coaches in the history of athletics.”

As you gaze at the statue, you will notice that it carries an Olympic Torch in one hand and the other hand holds a Tennessee State University diploma. The base of the statue features the names of TSU’s many Olympic stalwarts. Their names are placed in accordance with the medal they won during competition. Gold medalists are in the top ring, silver, in the middle, and bronze on the bottom. Indeed, today, TSU holds more Olympic medals than many nations. There is an outdoor track dedicated to Ed Temple that was completed in 1977. We won’t walk there, but it is down the hill to your right just past the softball field.

If you walked to the Olympic statue, then turn around and walk back up the hill, taking the stairs that run parallel to the stadium. Walk through the stadium parking lot and return to the corner of Merritt Blvd. and 33^rd Avenue. There you will see Hale Stadium from above. If you did not walk to the statue, then you are already standing in the right spot—in front of Kean Hall—on the corner of Merritt Blvd. and 33^rd Avenue.