American Men of Olympic Track and Field

This book of interviews with Olympic track and field athletes highlights those whose lives have revealed courage, persistence and decency, both on and off the field. After their great careers ended, they went on to become authors, teachers, coaches, radio and television sports commentators, consultants, congressmen, actors, businessmen, military officers, social workers and ministers. Many continued in athletics long after their days as Olympians.
The Olympic track and field athletes include Glenn Cunningham (middle distances), Lee Calhoun (high hurdles), Ken Doherty (decathlon), Dick Fosbury (high jump), Bruce Jenner (decathlon), Abel Kiviat (middle distances), Bob Mathias (decathlon), Al Oerter (discus throw), Bob Richards (pole vault), Wes Santee (middle distances), Jackson Scholz (sprints), Bill Toomey (decathlon), Forrest Towns (high hurdles), Craig Virgin (long distances), Archie Williams (long sprints), John Woodruff (middle distances), and Olympic coaches Payton Jordan and Berny Wagner. They talk about the influences in their lives that helped them develop their values, their first memories of competition and participation in their sport, their educational experiences, the problems they faced when they were active competitors, the problems athletes today face, and many other topics.

Don Holst was an Olympic training coach for the decathlon in 1968, National Coach for Blind Track Athletes, and a Masters Track All-American. He is professor Emeritus of McKendree College, Lebanon, Illinois and a historical conservationist, responsible for preserving the Olympic oaks presented to athletes at the 1936 Olympics.
Marcia S. Popp was a college professor and chair of the Division of Education and Physical Education at McKendree College. She is the author of two college level textbooks.

Don Holst and Marcia S. Popp
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 216
Bibliographic Info: photos, appendices, index
Copyright Date: 2005
pISBN: 978-0-7864-1930-2
Imprint: McFarland

Preface      (Don Holst)      1
Preface      (Marcia Popp)      3

1. Lee Quency Calhoun
High Hurdles      5
2. Glenn Cunningham
Middle Distances      19
3. John Kenneth “Ken” Doherty
Decathlon      35
4. Richard Douglas “Dick” Fosbury
High Jump      46
5. William Bruce Jenner
Decathlon      53
6. Payton “Payt” Jordan
Coach      63
7. Abel R. Kiviat
Middle Distances      72
8. Robert Bruce “Bob” Mathias
Decathlon      83
9. Alfred “Al” Oerter
Discus Throw      92
10. Robert Eugene “Bob” Richards
Pole Vault      100
11. David Wesley “Wes” Santee
Middle Distances      107
12. Jackson Volney Scholz
Sprints      119
13. William Anthony “Bill” Toomey
Decathlon      128
14. Forrest “Spec”’ Towns
High Hurdles      137
15. Craig Virgin
Long Distance Running      147
16. Carl B. “Berny” Wagner
Coach      161
17. Archie Franklin Williams
Long Sprints      172
18. John Woodruff
Middle Distances      182

Appendix A: Athletes and Coaches Listed by Date of Birth      193
Appendix B: Descriptions of the Olympic Events      194
Appendix C: Historical List of the Modern Olympic Games      203
Index      205