A star in field hockey, basketball, track, and tennis at Haverford High, Jean was a member of the U.S. Olympic team in 1928, when she was only a junior in high school. She just missed winning a bronze medal, finishing fourth. Jean matriculated at Temple University in 1929 and competed for the Meadowbrook Club because Temple didn't offer women's track. She won the indoor and outdoor high jump title from 1929-32, setting a world record of 5 feet 3 1/2 inches in 1931. At the 1932 Olympics, Jean and Babe Didrickson had a long duel for the gold medal. They were tied at 5 feet 5 1/4 inches, and Jean won the jump-off to capture the gold medal and also set a new world record. Jean was later inducted into the National Track and Field Hall of Fame.