THERE'S A GREAT DEAL MORE TO ELIZABETH ROBINSON'S GOLD MEDAL SPRINT VICTORY AT THE 1928 OLYMPIC GAMES by John A. Lucas Finish of the 100 m final: Robinson (879) wins, Fanny Rosenfeld (677) is second; Ethel Smith third The Games of the IXth Olympiad took place in envisioning women as part of "his" games. In the Amsterdam in the summer of 1928, an most begrudging manner did women participate "unsettled" European period, and this in spite of during his years (1894-1925) as president of the the fact that Germany was once again "allowed" International Olympic Committee (IOC). None (by the International Olympic Committee) to participated in Athens 1896, and twenty-two participate in the games. They had been absent ladies made cameo appearances at the Games nd 2 since 1912. As the American Olympic team of the II Olympiad in Paris 1900. On crossed the sea on the "S. S. Roosevelt", the September 20, 1904, at the St. Louis Olympic world military powers eagerly signed the Kellogg- Games, six women competed in an "archery Briand Pact to "forever outlaw war."1 The athletes double Columbia round" and the same paltry were probably focused on themselves and their number at the 1906 Greek-orchestrated Amsterdam competitions. Probably, sixteen year Olympian Games.3 Forty-two women competed old Elizabeth ROBINSON from the Chicago suburb in yachting, figure skating, archery and grass of Riverdale, had no idea of the diplomatic lawn tennis at London's 1908 Olympic Games.4 players Frank B. KELLOGG (USA) and France's According to medical doctor-Olympic Games Aristide BRIAND. super statistician, Bill MALLON and his co-author, Baron Pierre de COUBERTIN (1863-1937), Ture WIDLUND, Ph.D., there were 53 women founder of the international version of the modern competitors at the 1912 Olympic Games in Olympic Games, was a conservative, traditional Stockholm (diving; swimming; tennis and "multi- and aristocratic Frenchman, utterly incapable of sport" yachting).5 1 "Peace forever" was a serious matter for discussion in these post-war years. See LANGER, William L., An Encyclopedia of World History, Boston 1948; first published 1940, p. 960. "There was almost immediate and universal acceptance of the Pact" 2 Meticulous research by Bill MALLON revealed women as competitors in croquet (3); equestrian events (1); golf (10); lawn- tennis (7), and yachting (1), a total of twenty-two women. See MALLON, Bill, The 1900 Olympic Games, Jefferson, North Carolina 1998, pp. 26-27. 3 MALLON, Bill, The 1904 Olympic Games 1999, pp. 46-47, and his The 1906 Olympic Games (1999), p. 34 (lawn-tennis). 4 See British Olympic Council (ed.), The Fourth Olympiad 1908 Official Report, London 1908, pp. 100-103; 209, 215, 219; 284-286; 339-340. 5 MALLON, Bill, The 1912 Olympic Games, Jefferson, North Carolina 2002, p. 57. 16 JOURNAL OF OLYMPIC HISTORY 13(January 2005)1 After the so-called "Great War," American female for "two false starts" (Canada's Myrtle COOK and swimmers, a total of 38, participated in the 1920 SCHMIDT). COOK cried, while SCHMIDT, "tougher and 1924 Olympic summer games, plus "Miss than the Canadian [...] shook her fist at the starter Theresa Weld of Boston competed in figure and swore revenge"11 An eye-witness to all this skating"6 Female track and field athletes had a and the 100-meter final, was the famous war most difficult struggle for Olympic Games entry, correspondent of the Chicago Tribune, William L. an absence of thirty-two years. Women prevailed, SHIRER. He wrote about the youngster from the joining the men at the 1928 Games of the IXth Chicago neighborhood: Olympiad in Amsterdam. The prime mover of this "An unheralded pretty, blue-eyed, blond small "revolution" was Madame Alice MILLIAT. Her young woman from Chicago, Elizabeth twelve years of persistence (1917-1928) finally Robinson, became the darling of the convinced the skeptical men of the IOC that spectators when she flew down the cinder women could run, jump and throw.7 Modern path, her golden locks flying, to win...in world- Olympic historian, David MILLER, put it differently. record time [...] The Tribune transferred my "The misogyny of de Couhertin and some of his account of her victory from the sports page to contemporaries was gradually being dissolved" the front page and badgered me for more 8 thanks primarily to the French lady MILLIAT. copy until I had practically written a biography Thanks to her, Elizabeth ROBINSON and a team of of this attractive, unassuming young 12 talented American girls and women track and woman" field stars made an impact in Amsterdam, all eighteen of them.9 The overwhelming percentage Another eye-witness, John T. MCGOVERN, of young women around the world knew nothing watched ROBINSON defeat ROSENFELD by inches in about the invitation to come compete in a 12 1/5 sec. final, with Ethel SMITH (Canada) and Amsterdam. Even the sports-minded British Germany's Ema STEIBERG in close attendance. Women's Athletic Association declined the MCGOVERN noticed ROBINSON: invitation, "preferring to wait for the Women's "[...] slim, pretty, altogether delightful [...] the Olympiad scheduled for Czechoslovakia in youngest and most fragile of all the 1930."10 competitors [...] and always smiling, even as Watching closely inside the main Olympic she crossed the finish line. Next to Lord stadium in Amsterdam was the President of the Burghley she received the greatest ovation 13 American Olympic Committee, Major General up to this time" Douglas MACARTHUR (1880-1964). He saw the formidable 23-year old Canadian, Fanny General MACARTHUR watched ROBINSON'S victory 14 ROSENFELD, edge "Betty" ROBINSON in the seventh and "soared almost out of contral" and even in of nine early "heats" (12 4/5 sec). ROSENFELD his final report to his Olympic committee wrote of won her semi-final race (12 2/5 sec), as did "that sparkling combination of speed and grace ROBINSON, in the same time, with Germany's Leni by Elizabeth Robinson which might have rivaled SCHMIDT (12 4/5 sec.) winning the third race. Six even Artemis herself on the heights of 15 women started the final, but two were disqualified Olympus." The Canadian women were even 6 See Spaldings Athletic Library, Vllth Olympic Games Antwerp 1920, New York 1920, p. 25. Also American Olympic Association (ed.), Report on VIII Olympiad Paris, France 1924, New York 1924, p. 17 and "Miss Weld" on p. 27. 7 See Chapter 6 "Americans enter track and field" in: WELCH, Paula Dee, The Emergence of American Women in the Summer Olympic Games 1900-1972, Dissertation, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, 1975. 8 MILLER, David, Athens to Athens. The Official History of the Olympic Games and the IOC, 1894-2004, Edinburgh/ London 2003, p. 84. Mary Henson LEIGH called Alice MILLIAT "the strong-willed French woman." See The Evolution of Women's Participation in the Summer Olympic Games, 1900-1948, Ph.D. dissertation, The Ohio State University, 1974, p. 156. Roberto L. QUERCETANI called MILLIAT "a fervent suffragettee." See Athletics. A History of Modern Track and Field Athletics (1860-1990), Men and Women, Milan 1990, p. 253. Lastly, in a long list of helpful history is Chapter 8, "A Century of Olympic Competition," in: COSTA, D. Margaret / GUTHRIE, Sharon R., Women and Sport. Interdisciplinary Perspectives, Champaign, Illinois 1994. 9 See pp. 154-161 in Report of the American Olympic Committee, Amsterdam and St. Moritz 1928 (hereafter 1928 Report). 10 PARK, Roberta J., "American Reactions to the 1928 Olympic Games: Social, Political and Gender Considerations,"in: 13th HISPA Congress, 1989, Proceedings, pp. 280-297. 11 SHAAP, Dick Shaap, An Illustrated History of the Olympics, New York 1975, p. 178. 12 SHIRER, The Start 1904-1930. Volume I of Twentieth-Century Journey A Memoir of a Life and the Times, New York 1974, p. 376. 13 See MCGOVERN'S "The Story of the Ninth Olympiad,"in: The Sportsman 4 (September, 1928, p. 96. 14 William O. JOHNSON'S phrase, in: All That Glitters is not Gold. The Olympic Games, New York 1972, pp. 153-154. 15 1928 Report, p. 1. ARTEMIS was, to the lively ancient Greeks, the goddess of the chase. JOURNAL OF OLYMPIC HISTORY 13(January 2005)1 17 down New York's Broadway to City Hall featured an open car and Olympic gold medalists Raymond BARBUTI (400 meters) and "Liz" ROBINSON. The famous Chicago Tribune essayist, Westbrook PEGLER, noted that the local girl "took a running leap and climbed all over her Pa, Harry, [...] and then whirled her mother."17 A certain Kathleen MCLAUGHLIN was awed by the gifts given by local Illinois fans [...] "gifts and more gifts: diamond rings, wrist watches, pins, pendants [...] and a slick new roadster her parents purchased for her."18 Also, in Chicago at that time, was the unsmiling Avery BRUNDAGE, unrequited defender of "Simon-pure amateur sport." Extant documents of the American Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) and of the American Olympic Association/American Olympic Committee (AOC) find no reprimand, let alone sanction against the "lass from Thornton Township High School"19 ROBINSON entered Chicago's Northwestern University in the fall of 1929 and was eligible as a Robinson sophomore for track and field competition as an wearing the "Open AAU" runner in the summer of 1930. She official won the Central AAU championships with an Uniform of the US unofficial 11.0 seconds one hundred yard dash, Olympic traveled to Dallas for the national championships. Team At 100 yards, she ran brilliantly, lost by inches to better than the U.S. team in the 4x100-meter Stella WALSH in 11.1 seconds, "beating the old relay final, but ROBINSON returned home with AAU record of 11.2 held by Robinson."20 There another Olympic medal, this time a silver.