Jim Thorpe was selected by the Associated Press as America's greatest athlete of the first 50 years of the Twentieth Century. Presented is a Jim Thorpe cut signature and inscription. Born in 1887 on a reservation for Native Americans in what is now Oklahoma, Thorpe was of the Sac & Fox tribe, and his ancestry also included French and Irish forebears. Thorpe evidenced athletic ability early in life, as he could ride horses and swim at three years old. He became a football, baseball, and track star at the Carlisle Indian Industrial School in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. In the summers of 1910 and 1911, Thorpe played professional baseball in the East Carolina Association, a professional minor league. Later, he became an All-American back at the Carlisle School in both 1911 and 1912. Carlisle became a sensation on the gridiron, beating top programs such as Harvard and Pittsburgh. In 1912, Thorpe scored at least 25 touchdowns and 198 points - with some record books giving him even higher totals. Thorpe continued to excel in track & field, and he became the sensation of the 1912 Olympics, held in Stockholm, Sweden. He won the gold medal in both the pentathlon and decathlon, and Sweden's King Gustav called Thorpe "the world's greatest athlete." After the 1912 Olympics, Thorpe's Gold Medals were nullified because he had played professional baseball in 1910 and 1911. 

Thorpe was an early star in pro football. With the Canton Bulldogs, Thorpe was an all-around threat who could run, pass, catch passes, punt, kick field goals, and play defense. He led the Bulldogs to claim unofficial World Championships in 1916, '17, and '19. In 1920, Thorpe was elected President of the newly formed American Professional Football Association (APFL), a league that later became the NFL. Thorpe was only the president of the APFL for a short while, mainly as a publicity ploy. He played for six teams in the NFL, including Canton, Cleveland, and New York. He is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Thorpe also played baseball in the Major Leagues, with the New York Giants, Cincinnati Reds, and Boston Braves. Thorpe was not a star in the Major Leagues, as he had a career batting average of .252, but in his last season, with the Boston Braves, he batted .327. 

The offered Thorpe cut signature is on a black & white photograph of Thorpe. The photo has been affixed to a 3x4.25" card, on card stock. Thorpe used blue ink from a ballpoint pen to sign the bottom of the card. In addition to his name, Thorpe wrote the inscription "1952." Sadly, Thorpe battled alcoholism, and he passed away in 1953. The offering shows some light foxing and some slight darkening, but neither imperfection is significant, and the signed card is in very good condition. The offering comes with a JSA LOA for the Thorpe signature and inscription.