Hall of Fame

Mildred “Babe” Didrikson Zaharias was named the Woman Athlete of the Half Century by the Associated Press in 1950 for her prowess in basketball, track and field, and golf. Nicknamed “Babe” after hitting five homeruns in a childhood baseball game, Didrikson first gained national prominence as a basketball player at Beaumont High School where she was a two-time All-American. She then turned her focus to track and field, winning three medals at the Olympic Games Los Angeles 1932 in javelin, 80-meter hurdles and high jump, setting multiple world records in the process. Over the next two decades, Didrikson became known as the greatest female golfer of her generation, winning 82 amateur and professional tournaments, including the U.S. Women’s Open. A two-time cancer survivor, Didrikson and her husband, George Zaharias, established the Babe Didrikson Zaharias Fund to support cancer treatment centers. She passed away in 1956.