[1] After high school, Osborn attended the University of Illinois from 1919 through 1922,[3] majoring in agriculture, where he was a founding member of the Eta chapter of Kappa Delta Rho fraternity.

All of Osborn's ancestors came to North America from England and all of them emigrated to the Province of Massachusetts Bay before the year 1700.

On May 27, 1924, Osborn's 6' 8-¼" (=2m 03.835 cm) high jump set a world record at an AAU meet held at the University of Illinois campus in Urbana.

[1] Osborn was enshrined as a charter member of the National Track and Field Hall of Fame in 1974.

[3] He modified the Western roll technique by developing an efficient side‑to‑the‑bar clearance, which resulted in more height and consistency.