Supreme Court Might Consider Jim Thorpe Burial Case

The two sons of famous athlete Jim Thorpe want their father’s remains to be re-buried on a sacred Native American burial ground in Oklahoma.  Jim Thorpe, who died in 1953, is currently buried in a Pennsylvania town that was named after him after his third wife seized control of his remains.  The town of Thorpe Pennsylvania named itself after the famous athlete to gain notoriety, though the Thorpe never set foot in the place. 

The sons are invoking the American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act of 1990 to make the case for moving their fathers remains the Oklahoma.  The law was passed to assist Native Americans in recovering plundered remains and burial sites.  An ABC Sports poll once declared Jim Thorpe to be the greatest athlete of the 20th century. 

See Tony Mauro, Jim Thorpe’s Sons Take Burial Dispute to Supreme Court, Legal Times, June 2, 2015.

Special thanks to Brian Cohan (Attorney at Law, Law Offices of Brian J. Cohan, P.C.) for bringing this article to my attention.