[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 79 (Thursday, May 21, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1226-E1227]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  HONORING COACH EDWARD STANLEY TEMPLE

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JIM COOPER

                              of tennessee

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 21, 2009

  Mr. COOPER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Edward 
Stanley Temple, a man whose dedication to coaching track and field has 
earned him recognition as Tennessee's most honored and accomplished 
track and field coach.
  Born September 20, 1927 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Coach Temple was 
himself an all-state athlete in track, football and basketball. Temple 
graduated from Tennessee State University (TSU) in Nashville, 
Tennessee, earning both Bachelor of Science and Master of Science 
degrees. For forty-four years, he served as the head women's track 
coach at TSU and taught sociology.
  During the 1950s and 1960s, Coach Temple's ``Tigerbelles'' dominated 
the sport of track and field, earning a total of 23 Olympic medals, 13 
of them gold. Coach Temple's Tigerbelles won their first medal in the 
1952 Olympic Games when fifteen-year-old Barbara Jones Slater became 
the youngest woman to win an Olympic gold medal in track and field. One 
of the most notable Tigerbelles, Wilma Rudolph, became the first female 
athlete to

[[Page E1227]]

win three gold medals during the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome, Italy.
  Coach Temple was the head women's track coach for two consecutive U. 
S. Olympic teams, in 1960 and 1964, as well as an assistant coach for 
the 1980 games. In addition to his coaching ability, Coach Temple was 
also a strong proponent of education and to his credit, thirty-nine of 
the Tigerbelle Olympians graduated from college with one or more 
degrees.
  Coach Temple continues to contribute to the greater Nashville 
community as an active member of the YMCA, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, 
Inc., Nashville Sports Authority, New Hope Academy and Clark Memorial 
United Methodist Church.
  On Tuesday, May 26, 2009, Coach Temple will be honored for his 
lifetime of achievements at an event in Nashville, Tennessee named 
``The Man, The Memory, The Mission.''
  Today, I join the citizens of my district in honoring Coach Edward 
Temple and his inspiring legacy that lives on in Nashville and 
throughout the world.

                          ____________________