Legacy
She was named the 10th Greatest North American Athlete of the 20th Century by ESPN, and the 9th Greatest Athlete of the 20th Century by the Associated Press.
Zaharias broke the accepted models of femininity in her time, including the accepted models of female athleticism. Standing 5' 7" tall and weighing 115lbs., Zaharias was physically strong and socially straightforward about her strength. Although a sports hero to many, she was also derided for her "manliness". She died 10 years before the Second Wave of feminism altered the social landscape of the United States and made women athletes, such as Billie Jean King, more acceptable.
Zaharias has a museum dedicated to her, and a golf course that she owned was given landmark status. Beaumont, Texas is home to the Babe Didrikson Zaharias Park and Museum.
Read more about this topic: Babe Didrikson Zaharias
Famous quotes containing the word legacy:
“What is popularly called fame is nothing but an empty name and a legacy from paganism.”
—Desiderius Erasmus (c. 1466–1536)