Athletes and sports figures (37)

by Agan, Kelly. Ernest Eugene Barnes – known as Ernie -- was born on July 15, 1938 to parents Ernest E. Barnes, Sr. and Fannie Mae Geer near the Hayti neighborhood in Durham.  His father, originally from [...] (from Government & Heritage Library, State Library of North Carolina.)

by Roberson, Elizabeth Whitley. North Carolina was the site of the first powered airplane flight in 1903. In 1913, only ten years later, a native North Carolinian became the first woman to make a parachute jump from an [...] (from Tar Heel Junior Historian, NC Museum of History.)

by Green, C. Sylvester. His preparatory schooling included attendance at the Franklinton Classical and Military Institute and at the Raleigh Male Academy. At both institutions his scholastic record showed superior grades, [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Rutherford, Rocky. EVENT. A rodeo has various types of events: roping, barrel racing, bareback riding, saddle bronc riding, bull riding, etc. Each was referred to as an "event" until the PBR and other bucking bull [...] (from NCpedia.)

by Case, Steven. Dale Earnhardt was born on April 29, 1951, in Kannapolis (Cabarrus County). His father Ralph, a competitive and innovative driver on the NASCAR Modified, Sportsman and Grand National circuits, [...] (from Government & Heritage Library, State Library of North Carolina.)

by Blackburn, George T., II. Isaac Edward Emerson, chemist, manufacturer, sportsman, and philanthropist, was born in Orange County, the son of Robert J. Emerson, a farmer, and his wife, Cornelia Lewis Hudson of Wake County. [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Case, Steven. A Wilmington native, Roman Gabriel attracted national interest during his quarterback days at N. C. State University, where he was twice recognized as an All-American. In 1962 Gabriel's [...] (from Government & Heritage Library, State Library of North Carolina.)

by Caldwell, Martha B. Graves, Ernest by Martha B. Caldwell, 1986 27 Mar. 1880–9 June [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Case, Steven. A native of Alabama, Mia Hamm made her mark in North Carolina during her years with the UNC women's soccer team (1989-94). She helped them to win four of their record twenty NCAA championships. [...] (from Government & Heritage Library, State Library of North Carolina.)

by Hood, Henry G., Jr. Allan Wilson Hobbs, educator, was born in Greensboro, the son of Dr. Lewis Lyndon Hobbs, president of Guilford College, and Mary Mendenhall Hobbs. His brother Lewis Lyndon, Jr., became a surgeon in [...] (from Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, University of North Carolina Press.)

by Case, Steven. The story of James Augustus Hunter reads like a Hollywood script. Born the last of eight children in Perquimans County, North Carolina, Jim Hunter rose to superstar status in baseball while [...] (from Government & Heritage Library, State Library of North Carolina.)

by Case, Steven. Michael Jordan may have been born in Brooklyn, but North Carolina claims him as one of our own. The Jordan family moved to North Carolina when Michael Jordan was very small and he grew up in [...] (from Government & Heritage Library, State Library of North Carolina.)

by Thompson, Taylor. Think about the shoes you’ve seen others wear. Have you ever seen someone wearing Air Jordans? If so, you might know that they get their name from Michael Jordan. He is a legendary basketball player. [...] (from NCpedia K-8 Collection.)

by Case, Steven. A native of Asheville, Justice acquired his nickname in the Navy, into which he was drafted in 1943. Seeing him dodge tacklers for the Bainbridge Naval Training Center team, an officer remarked, "He [...] (from Government & Heritage Library, State Library of North Carolina.)

by Case, Steven. Ray Charles Leonard, known as the boxing champion "Sugar Ray" Leonard (after the champion boxer Sugar Ray Robinson), was born on May 17, 1956 in Wilmington, North Carolina to Getha Leonard and [...] (from Government & Heritage Library, State Library of North Carolina.)