About This Stamp
A 20-cent commemorative stamp honoring American athlete Jim Thorpe was issued May 24, 1984, in Shawnee, Oklahoma. The First Day of Issue ceremony was held at Shawnee Junior High School.
The stamp, an addition to the American Sports series, was based on a photograph of Thorpe taken when he played for the Canton Bulldogs of the American Professional Football Association. It was designed by Richard Gangel and modeled by Esther Porter.
A football, track, and baseball star, Jim Thorpe is considered one of the greatest athletes of all time. He won gold medals for both the pentathlon and the decathlon at the 1912 summer Olympics in Stockholm. He played both professional baseball and football and was named to the halls of fame of college football, pro football, and track and field.
The stamp was printed in the intaglio process, with 50 stamps per pane.