[on hearing that Jesse had received $10,000 from an unknown benefactor in 1936]
Lew Gilbert: What is the straight story behind that money, Mr. Owens?
Jesse Owens: You want the truth? I was paid $10,000 to support Alfred M. Landon's campaign againt Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Lew Gilbert: Were you ashamed of that?
Jesse Owens: Some people thought I should be, but I wasn't. Celebrities endorse cigarettes, banks, automobiles. Why was it wrong for me to endorse a Republican? Besides, it wasn't just for the money. I believed Landon would be better for the Black man.
Lew Gilbert: What made you think so?
Jesse Owens: Adolf Hitler made my name a household word when he wouldn't shake hands with me. President Roosevelt didn't shake hands with me, either. Governor Landon did.