Mae Faggs was the first student-athlete to receive a track scholarship from Temple in 1952 earning the nickname of "Mother of the Tigerbelles". Under Temple's tutelage, Faggs earned two Olympic and two Pan American medals.

Faggs, a native of Landing, N.J., came to TSU after failing to qualify for the 200-meter final in the 1948 Olympics at the age of 16.

Temple taught Faggs how to run the 4 x 100-meter relay so when the Olympics came around in 1952, Faggs was prepared.

Not only did Faggs get a spot on the U.S. Olympic relay team alongside teammate Barbara Jones, but the team actually took home a gold medal with a world-record time of 45.9 seconds.

1955 proved to be another big year as Faggs started the year by winning the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in the 100-yard dash with a reported time of 10.7 seconds. She finished the year with a silver medal in the 100-meter dash and another gold medal in the 4 x 100-meter relay at the Pan American games.

Faggs returned to the Olympics in 1956 for a record-setting third time to try and defend the relay title. She was teamed with fellow Tigerbelles Isabelle Daniels, Margaret Matthews and Wilma Rudolph, but the group could not retain the world championship, settling for a bronze medal. 

Faggs won 11 national Amateur Athletic Union titles and in 1976, she was inducted into the National Track and Field Hall of Fame.

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