Edward Stanley Temple (September 20, 1927 – September 22, 2016) was a women's track and field pioneer and coach.[1] Temple was Head Women's Track and Field Coach at Nashville's Tennessee State University for 44years and was Head Coach of the U.S. Olympic Women's Track and Field Team twice, in 1960 and 1964, and Assistant Coach in 1980.[2] He was also a member of the International Women's Track & Field Committee and a member of the U.S. Olympic Council.
During his coaching career at Tennessee State University, forty members of the famed Tigerbelle teams represented their countries in Olympic competition. Coach Temple led the team to 34national titles, and 8Tigerbelles have been inducted into the National Track and Field Hall of Fame, including Wilma Rudolph, Edith McGuire, Wyomia Tyus, and Chandra Cheeseborough, the current Women's Coach at TSU.[3]
Temple is portrayed by Jason Bernard in the 1977 film, Wilma (also known as The Story of Wilma Rudolph), produced by Bud Greenspan, a made-for-television docudrama adaptation of her autobiography starring Shirley Jo Finney as Rudolph and costarring Cicely Tyson, Jason Bernard, and Denzel Washington in one of his first roles.[7]
Temple died on September 22, 2016, following an illness, two days after his 89th birthday.[8]
References
↑"Ed Temple". USA Track & Field. August 28, 2015. Archived from the original on October 20, 2018. Retrieved May 17, 2016.
