The Olympic Flame is arriving in Pyeongchang. The athletes have arrived in South Korea and are waiting for the opening ceremony to begin. As we too patiently wait for the games to begin, we must also look back and reflect on the history of the Olympics and the SigEp brothers who were a part of it.
Since 1912, at least 25 alumni have played a role in the Olympic Games. Overall, they brought home six gold medals, one silver medals and six bronze medals. These are their stories:
1912
David S. Caldwell, Cornell 1903
Game: Stockholm
Sport: Athletics
Event: 800m
Interesting fact: Though Caldwell did not medal, he finished in fourth place.
Alma Richards, Cornell 1917
Game: Stockholm
Sport: Athletics
Event: High Jump
Medal: Gold
Interesting fact: He is known as the first resident of Utah to win a gold medal at the Olympic Games running high jump event. He is also the first known SigEp to win gold.
1924
Schuyler Enck, Pennsylvania State ’34
Game: Paris
Sport: Athletics
Event: 800m
Medal: Bronze
Marvan “Red” Layton, Nebraska ’23
Game: Paris
Sport: Athletics
Event: 400m Hurdles (Alternate)
Interesting fact: Layton, a former Nebraska fullback and hurdler, was given the opportunity to serve as an alternate after the stubborn Olympic hopeful was discovered as a stowaway on the American team’s Paris-bound steamship.
1928
Clarence Berryman, Oklahoma State, 1928
Game: Amsterdam
Sport: Wrestling
Event: Male – Freestyle Light
Hubert A. Caldwell, California-Berkeley 1929, and Alvin F. Rydlander, California-Berkeley 1929
Game: Amsterdam
Sport: Rowing
Event: Eight with coxswain (8+)
Medal: Gold
1932
J. Lyman Bingham, Denver 1916
Game: Los Angeles
Sport: Athletics (Manager of U.S. Track Team)
Interesting fact: Bingham went on to serve as executive director of the Olympic association from 1950, when the committee was organized, until 1954.
James L. Harsh, Colorado State ’33
Game: Lake Placid
Sport: Nordic Combined (Alternate)
Interesting fact: Harsh was one of the first Coloradans to qualify for the Winter Olympics. because of his strength in jumping and cross-country, he was selected as an alternate for the U.S. Nordic combined team. In 1981, he was inducted into the Colorado Ski & Snowboard Museum’s Hall of Fame.
William H. Kuhlemeier, Southern California ’34
Game: Los Angeles
Sport: Gymanstics
Event: Clubs
Medal: Bronze
1936
Edward Clark Gallagher, Oklahoma State Renaissance
Game: Berlin
Sport: Wrestling (Honorary Coach)
Interesting fact: Gallagher was an honorary coach at the 1936 games. During his tenure as Oklahoma State’s head wrestling coach, he sent 16 men to the Olympics.
James Naismith, Kansas Renaissance
Game: Berlin
Sport: Basketball
Event: Men’s Basketball
Interesting fact: Naismith was given the honor of tossing up the ball for the tip-off of the very first Olympic basketball game, between Estonia and France (won by Estonia 34-29). He also handed out the medals to winning teams.
1948
Bill Jernigan, Oklahoma State ’48
Game: London
Sport: Wrestling Freestyle
Event: 52kg (Flyweight)
Interesting fact: Jernigan made it to the second round of competition at 114.5 lbs.
Bill Parnell, Washington State ’50
Game: London
Sport: Athletics
Event: Middle-distance running
Interesting fact: He won the gold medal in the 1-mile race at the 1950 British Empire Games at Auckland.
1952
Donald R. Laz, Illinois ’51
Game: Helsinki
Sport: Athletics
Event: Pole Vault
Medal: Silver
Burwell O. “Bumpy” Jones, Michigan ’55
Game: Helsinki
Sport: Swimming
Event: 4×200-meter freestyle relay
Interesting Fact: Although the U.S. finished first and brought home the gold, Jones did not receive a medal under the 1952 rules because he did not swim in the event final. He did compete in the preliminaries. At the 1951 Pan American Games held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, he won the bronze medal in the men’s 100-meter backstroke and a gold medal in the men’s 4×200-meter freestyle relay event.
Bill Parnell, Washington State ’50
Game: Helsinki
Sport: Athletics
Event: Middle-distance running
1956
Les Streeter, Middlebury ’55
Game: Cortina d’Ampezzo
Sport: Alpine Skiing
1960
Dallas Long, Southern California ’62
Game: Rome
Sport: Athletics
Event: Shot Put
Medal: Bronze
Interesting fact: Long is a four-time world record holder in the shot put.
Robert Beck, Virginia ’58
Game: Squaw Valley
Sport: Athletics
Events: Modern Pentathlon, Individual and Modern Pentathlon, Team
Medals: Bronze (x2)
1964
Dallas Long, Southern California ’62
Game: Tokyo
Sport: Athletics
Event: Shot Put
Medal: Gold
1972
Bill Schmidt, North Texas ’70
Game: Munich
Sport: Athletics
Event: Javelin Throw
Medal: Bronze
Interesting fact: No American has medaled in javelin since Schmidt took the bronze in 1972. Schmidt was considered an underdog at the trials for the 1972 Summer Olympics, but that was a role he was comfortable playing. He qualified, and after arriving in Munich, threw a javelin 276 feet, 11 1/2 inches to win a bronze medal.
1984
Frank E. Rader, Davidson ’71
Game: Los Angeles
Sport: Wrestling (Coaching Staff)
Interesting fact: In 1982, Rader was named USA Wrestling Man of the Year. He also coached in the 1996 Olympic Games.
1988
John Smith, Oklahoma State Renaissance
Game: Seoul
Sport: Wrestling Freestyle
Event: 57 – 62kg (featherweight)
Medal: Gold
Interesting fact: He is a four-time World Champion, two-time Olympic Games champion, and currently the head coach of wrestling at Oklahoma State University.
1992
Robert Kempainen, Dartmouth ’88
Game: Barcelona
Sport: Athletics
Event: Distance Running
John Smith, Oklahoma State Renaissance
Game: Barcelona
Sport: Wrestling Freestyle
Event: 57 – 62kg (featherweight)
Medal: Gold
1996
Rich DeAugustinis, Georgia Tech ’91
Game: Atlanta
Interesting fact: On the morning of the opening ceremonies, DeAugustinis ran the Olympic Flame through downtown Atlanta.
Robert Kempainen, Dartmouth ’88
Sport: Athletics
Event: Distance Running
Frank E. Rader, Davidson ’71
Game: Atlanta
Sport: Wrestling (Coaching Staff)
1998
Lew Vadheim, Montana State ’68
Game: Nagano
Interesting fact: Vadheim served as a team USA physician at the 1998 Olympic Games in Nagano, Japan. “Our work was fast paced and always interesting. The unexpected was routine,” Vadheim said. He had previously enjoyed a 14-year involvement with the U.S. Olympic Committee, including roles as physician-incharge for the U.S. ski team’s pre-season training camp in West Yellowstone, Montana, and the pre-world championship training camp in Vaja, Sweden.
2000
John Chaplin, Washington State ’63
Game: Sydney
Sport: Athletics (Head Coach)
Interesting fact: Chaplin was the Head Coach of the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Team at the 2000 Olympics. Collectively, Team USA brought home seven gold medals, four silver medals, and five bronze medals.
Jon Rauch, Morehead State ’00
Game: Sydney
Sport: Baseball (Pitcher)
Medal: Gold
2002
Chris Gassman, Colorado ’04
Interesting fact: As a volunteer race runner, Gassman was responsible for maintaining the alpine skiing course between racers. This meant preventing delays and maintaining a level playing field across each athlete’s race. The pressure was high, as every second the Games were delayed cost $1 million, Gassman said.
Other SigEps who played a role in the Olympics:
George F. Anderson, California-Berkeley 1936
James Lyman Bingham, Denver 1916, was the head of the United States Olympic Committee. General manager track and field athletics Olympic Games Los Angeles, 1932. Member advising committee New York World’s Fair.
Marvan H. Layton, Nebraska 1923
Lee Streeter, Middlebury ’55
Dan Hicks, Arizona ’84, has become one of the best-known voices of NBC’s Olympics coverage over the past two decades in both the Summer and Winter Games.
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