Helen Stephens(1918-1994)

Champion athlete Helen Herring Stephens was born on February 3, 1918 in Fulton, Missouri. The daughter of Frank Elmer and Bertie Mae Herring Stephens, Helen grew up on a farm in Callaway County near Fulton, Missouri. Stephens attended Fulton High School in Fulton, Missouri and William Woods College in Fulton, Missouri. Helen participated in her first race shortly after turning 17; she equaled the world indoor record for the 50 m and beat reigning Olympic 100 m champion Stella Walsh. Although her career as a competitive athlete only lasted 30 months, Stephens nonetheless ran in more than a 100 races. Among the notable achievements in Helen's brief, but still glorious athletic career are winning 14 AAU titles in the sprints, shot put, discus throw, and the standing long jump. Moreover, Stephens won the gold medal in both the Women's 100 m and the Women's 4 x 100 m relay at the 1936 Olympics held in Berlin, Germany. In the wake of her Olympic triumph, Helen went on to run in a series of exhibition races against Jesse Owens and toured for seven years with the professional basketball teams the Olympic Coeds -- she also was the owner and manager of this particular team -- and the Professional Red Heads. In addition, Stephens joined the Federal Civil Service and worked for more than 25 years at the Defense Mapping Agency Aerospace Center in St. Louis, Missouri. In addition, Helen also helped coach at her alma mater William Woods College. She was inducted the National Women's Hall of Fame in 1993. Stephens died at age 75 on January 17, 1994 in St. Louis, Missouri.