PRINTER'S NO. 2874
No. 355 Session of 2001
INTRODUCED BY McCALL, NOVEMBER 15, 2001
INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35,
NOVEMBER 15, 2001
A RESOLUTION
1 Recognizing the great athletic achievements of Jim Thorpe and
2 celebrating his appearance on the Wheaties cereal box.
3 WHEREAS, The popular cereal, Wheaties, has been in existence
4 since the early 1920s; and
5 WHEREAS, The brand's sports association began in Minneapolis
6 in 1933 to introduce a new advertising slogan; and
7 WHEREAS, The slogan from the early 1930s, "Wheaties-The
8 Breakfast of Champions," has remained a popular slogan for
9 numerous generations of Americans; and
10 WHEREAS, In 1934 New York Yankees slugger Lou Gehrig and Babe
11 Didrickson, a highly acclaimed multisport female athlete, were
12 the first athletes to appear on the Wheaties box; and
13 WHEREAS, Wheaties' storied sports heritage has embraced many
14 of the great athletes of all time; and
15 WHEREAS, Wheaties' popularity boomed in the 1930s, and the
16 cereal became synonymous with all parts of the sports world; and
17 WHEREAS, Appearing on the Wheaties box became popular after
1 Bob Richards, two-time Olympic pole vault champion and fitness
2 enthusiast, was featured in 1958; and
3 WHEREAS, The cereal has had testimonials by great athletes
4 such as Babe Ruth, Jack Dempsey and Johnny Weismuller; and
5 WHEREAS, Other Wheaties endorsers have included Red Grange,
6 Bronko Nagurski, Otto Graham, Patty Berg, Sam Snead, Ben Hogan
7 and George Mikan; and
8 WHEREAS, The cereal continues to recognize great athletes
9 such as Pennsylvania native Arnold Palmer, Muhammad Ali, Michael
10 Jordan, Tiger Woods, Lee Petty, Kirby Puckett, Barry Bonds and
11 David Pearson, who have recently appeared on the Wheaties box;
12 and
13 WHEREAS, In November 2001, Jim Thorpe, named one of the
14 greatest athletes of the 20th century, graces the Wheaties
15 cereal box; and
16 WHEREAS, Jim Thorpe, a Native American of the Sac and Fox
17 Indian Nation from Oklahoma, was the only American to excel as
18 an amateur and professional in three different sports (track and
19 field, football and baseball), won the decathlon and pentathlon
20 during one Olympic year, was voted the greatest football player
21 of the half century in 1950 and was enshrined in the National
22 Football Hall of Fame and the National Track and Field Hall of
23 Fame; and
24 WHEREAS, Jim Thorpe, because of his unsurpassed sports
25 achievements, has long inspired America's youth and all sports-
26 conscious people; and
27 WHEREAS, Jim Thorpe's appearance on the Wheaties box is a
28 great tribute to this Native American; and
29 WHEREAS, A Pennsylvania borough in Carbon County which honors
30 his name and his resting place is celebrating Jim Thorpe's
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1 selection for honor on the Wheaties cereal box; therefore be it
2 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives recognize and
3 celebrate the selection of Jim Thorpe as a champion to grace the
4 Wheaties cereal box; and be it further
5 RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be sent to General
6 Mills, Incorporated, 1 General Mills Boulevard, P.O. Box 1113,
7 Minneapolis, MN 55440.
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