The greatest athlete who ever lived was the recipient of this one-of-a-kind tribute from the Philadelphia Inquirer newspaper some 66 years ago. This was a key award given at the same time as the Associated Press Award given to Thorpe for nearly the exact same title: "Greatest Athlete of the Half Century." Interesting that the Inquirer was competing with its AP publishing brethren for their local son. 14K gold football is engraved: "Philadelphia Inquirer 1950, Jim Thorpe, America's Greatest Athlete of the Mid-Century." Important award is in the shape of a football complete with laces. It is in EX-MT condition. It is understandable that an award as important as this one would get out from Thorpe and his family as he suffered from alcoholism, poverty and poor health in his final years, dying in 1953 just three years after its presentation.