Closing ceremony has spectacular setting at River Plate Athletic Club Stadium in Buenos Aires. 1st PAN AMERICAN GAMES BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA February 25 to March 8, 1951 321 PAN AMERICAN SPORTING COMMITTEE An organization formed in 1940 to conduct the Pan American Games at four-year intervals Permanent Commission President AVERY BRUNDAGE Vice-President of International Olympic Committee President of United States Olympic Association Vice-President RICARDO SANCHEZ d e BUSTAMENTE Member of Argentine Confederation of Sports Argentine Olympic Committee VOTERS Professor Miguel Angel Moenck Manuel E. Angosto Cayetano Canizares Mendoza Member of International Olympic Committee Member of International Sporting Committee Member of Olympic Committee of Colombia of Peru SECRETARY Professor Juan Snyder Laseter Member of Mexican Olympic Committee Honorary Members Argentina Horacio Bustos Moron Chile Enrique O. Barbosa Baeza Guatemala General Miguel Ydigoras Fuentes Brazil Arnaldo Guinle Cuba Dr. Miguel A. Moenck M exico Marte R. Gomez Dr. J. Ferreira Santos United States Avery Brundage Peru Alfredo Benavidas Antonio Prado, Jr. John Jewett Garland Uruguay Joaquin Serratosa Cibils Canada J. C. Patteson J. Brooks B. Parker A. Sidney Dawes Member Countries Argentina Colombia Ecuador Mexico San Salvador Bolivia Cuba French Guiana Nicaragua Trinidad Brazil Curazao Guatemala Panama United States British Guiana Chile Haita Paraguay Uruguay Canada Dominican Republic Honduras Peru Venezuela Costa Rica Dutch Guiana Jamaica Puerto Rico ARGENTINE ORGANIZING COMMITTEE (For the First Pan American Games) Honorary Presidents of the Games His Excellency, President of the Nation, MRS. EVA PERON GENERAL JUAN DOMINGO PERON President of "Eva Peron Foundation” Executive Board President Dr. Rodolfo G. Valenzuela First Vice-President Secretary Treasurer Dr. Domingo Peluffo Dr. Daniel R. J. Piscicelli Roberto I. R. Rosselli Second Vice-President Pro-Secretary Pro-Treasurer Jose Martin Dr. Eduardo Luis Albe Jose Victor Aubert Delegate of the Ministry of War Lieutenant Colonel Albina M. Aguero General Coordination Major of Gymnastics and Fencing: Alberto H. Lucchetti Jose J. Leidi 322 Large segment of Buenos Aires populace auaits competitive action within stadium of River Plate Athletic Club, in city’s magnificent President Peron Sporting Park. A LATE BUT SUCCESSFUL BEGINNING Postponed for nine years from their white flag. Following him came the the event’s significance. As the President originally planned incidence in 1942 by representatives of the competing nations, pronounced the Games open the Olym­ the effects of World War II, the First parading in alphabetical order with the pic flag was raised. Then John Ossitis, Pan American Games finally took place exception of the host country, Argen­ a Greek athlete, entered the stadium at Buenos Aires, Argentina, in February tina. The latter’s participants, 600 in carrying a torch lit from a flame that and March, 1951. This great sports number, were the last to enter. In all had been flown to the scene from Mount carnival was conducted in an Olympic there were 2,000 athletes from twenty Olympus. This flame was transferred in Games atmosphere, and its success prom­ nations of the Western Hemisphere in turn to the Pan American torch and was ises a noteworthy series of similar events the line of march. Jamaica’s lone athlete not extinguished until the closing cere­ at four-year intervals in the future. constituted the smallest delegation. mony on March 9. The protracted delay encountered in The appearance of the US team oc­ Another Greek athlete, Aristides the inauguration of the First Pan Am­ casioned a rousing ovation. At the head Rogvanis, presented a symbolic olive erican Games was not the only one of this group was its flag-bearer, Miguel wreath to President Peron. The Argen­ which came to bear upon them. The A. deCapriles, veteran fencer three-time tine team then repeated the Olympic opening ceremonies were held before Olympian. oath on behalf of all the competitors. 100,000 enthusiastic onlookers on the When the athletes and members of USOC President Avery Brundage, appointed date of February 25, but a the visiting delegations were lined up holder of a similar office in the Pan violent windstorm twenty-four hours behind their own flags, President Juan American Sporting Committee, made a earlier had inflicted so much damage D. Peron formally declared the games upon facilities and equipment that the statement in both Spanish and English open. The President, who had received scheduled start of competition was put praising the cooperation received from off from February 26 to February 27. a tremendous ovation when he entered Argentina in the holding of the Games. By that time the misadventures were with his wife Eva, greeted the assembled Mrs. Evelyne Hall, assistant manager of over, and the various contests then pro­ athletes as "brother sportsmen of Am­ the US team, presented a bouquet of red ceeded without further difficulty until erica”. He asked that the Games be held roses to Mrs. Peron on behalf of the as­ all of the many champions had been in the spirit of the Ancient Greeks as a sembled athletes. determined. "competition of gentlemen” with win­ With the conclusion of the ceremon­ ners and losers taking their lot with true The open day festivities started when ies, the teams marched off the field to sportsmanship. Delfo Cabrera, Argentina’s 1948 Olym­ tunes played by a 500-piece military pic marathon winner, entered the vast Dr. Rodolfo Valenzuela, chief Argen­ band. stadium carrying his country’s blue and tine organizer of the Games, spoke on (Continued on page 345) 323 U. S. OFFICIAL PARTY AT BUENOS AIRES ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICIALS BOXING Avery Brundage, President, Chicago, 111. Francis X. Duffy, Manager and Co-Coach, Yeadon, Pa. Gustavus T. Kirby, Chef de Mission, Bedford Hills, N. Y. Capt. F. Don Miller, Co-Coach, Falls Church, Va. J. Lyman Bingham, General Manager, Chicago, 111. Harold C. Coles, Fort Dix, N. J. Herman J. Fischer, A ss’t M anager, Chicago, 111. Ned S. Doughty, Kansas City, Mo. Marion H. Miller, A ss’t. M anager, Kansas City, Mo. Louis A. Gage, San Francisco, Cal. Mrs. Evelyne R. Hall, A ss’t. M anager, Glendale, Cal. Willie F. Hunter, Fort Bragg, N. C. Lieut. Colonel D. F. Hull, Army Representative, W ashing­ Cortez Jackson, Philadelphia, Pa. ton, D. C. Norvel R. Lee, Washington, D. C. Dr. Harry Werbin, Team Trainer, Kansas City, Mo. Gilmore G. Slater, Covington, Va. John T. Stewart, Hamilton, Cal. USOC MEMBERS ATTENDING GAMES CYCLING Albert F. Wheltle, Executive Board, Baltimore, Md. Harry D. Henshel, Basketball Committee, New York, N. Y. Frank J. Small, Coach-Manager, Bayside, L. I., N. Y. Jay-Ehret Mahoney, Water Polo Committee, New York, Frank Peter Brilando, Chicago, 111. August R. Gatto, San Jose, Cal. N . Y . Robert M. Pfarr, Kenosha, Wise. BASEBALL FENCING Taylor Sanford, Coach-Manager, W ake Forest, N . C. Miguel A. de Capriles, Coach-Manager, Pleasantville, N. Y. Alton G. Brooks, Wilson, N. C. Byron L. Krieger, Detroit, Mich. Robert V. Coluni, Amsterdam, N. Y. Nathaniel Lubell, New York, N. Y. Max A. Eller, Statesville, N. C. Tibor A. Nyilas, Brooklyn, N. Y. Harron O. Floyd, Jr., Norfolk, Va. Edward T. Vebell, New York, N. Y. John S. Johnson, Greensboro, N. C. Albert Wolff, Louisville, Ky. John J. Liptak, Bridgeport, Conn. George V. Worth, Flushing, Long Island, N. Y. Richard F. McCleney, Chadbourn, N. C. Col. Frederick R. Weber, West Point, N. Y. Ellsworth K. Rogers, III, Hinton, W. Va. Jack T. Stallings, Durham, N. C. GYMNASTICS Wiley A. Warren, Roanoke Rapids, N. C. William Roetzheim, Jr., Tallahassee, Fla. Frank W. Wehner, College Point, N. Y. Donald E. Woodlief, Wake Forest, N. C. MODERN PENTATHLON Col. Frederick R. Weber, Coach-Manager, West Point, N. Y. James M. Thompson, Boise, Ida. BASKETBALL Guy K. Troy, St. Petersburg, Fla. Hal Fischer, Co-Coach-Manager, Emeryville, Cal. Gail F. Wilson, San Antonio, Tex. John L. Longfellow, Co-Coach-Manager, Terre Haute, Ind. Roger A. Adkins, Terre Haute, Ind. SHOOTING Richard E. Atha, Terre Haute, Ind. Emmet O. Swanson, Coach-Manager, Minneapolis, Minn. Richard G. Babcock, Alameda, Cal . Huelet L. Benner, Fort Knox, Ky. Don A. Barksdale, Berkeley, Cal. Arthur E. Cook, Washington, D. C. Richard W . Faszholz, Berkeley, Cal. Arthur C. Jackson, Brooklyn, N. Y. Robert E. Gilbert, Terre Haute, Ind. Harry W. Reeves, Detroit, Mich. Thomas J. Kern, Terre Haute, Ind. Harold E. Lambdin, Terre Haute, Ind. SWIMMING (MEN) Kenneth A. Leslie, San Francisco, Cal. Mike Peppe, Coach-Manager, Columbus, O. Edward E. Longfellow, Terre Haute, Ind. Miller A. Anderson, Columbus, O. Clifford A. Murray, Terre Haute, Ind. Richard F. Cleveland, Columbus, O. Charles M. O’Neill, Oakland, Cal. Ronald F. Gora, Chicago, III. Neil D. Turner, San Francisco, Cal. William W . Heusner, Jr., Evanston, III. James L. Powell, San Francisco, Cal. Burwell O. Jones, Pontiac, Mich. Samuel Lee, San Francisco, Cal. President Brundage and Chef de Mission Kirby are greeted upon Charles J. Moss, Ann Arbor, Mich. arrival in Buenos Aires by group of prominent Argentine officials. Ralph Sala, Stanford, Cal. Allen M. Stack, Hingham, Mass. Bowen D. Stassforth, Los Angeles, Cal. SWIMMING (WOMEN) Walter J. Schlueter, Coach-Manager, Chicago, III. Mary F. Cunningham, Lafayette, Ind. Sheila E. Donahue, Lafayette, Ind. Sharon Geary, Long Beach, Cal. Carolyn V. Green, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. Margaret Hulton, Philadelphia, Pa. Jacqueline C. La Vine, Chicago, III. Patricia K. McCormick, Los Angeles, Cal. Betty E. Mullen, Weissport, Pa. Maureen O’Brien, Red Bank, N. J. Carol J. Pence, West Lafayette, Ind. 324 PRIMEROS JUEGOS DEPORTIVOS PANAMERICANO S BUENOS AIRES 1951 . Diploma especially created for distribution among those participating in 1st Pan American Games. TRACK & FIELD (MEN) W A T E R P O L O Herman J. Fischer, Manager, Chicago, 111. Urho E. Saari, Coach-Manager, El Segundo, Cal. James D.