List of Illustrations Figure 1. Aerial view of Squaw Valley, circa 1954 ..................... 5 Figure 2. Squaw Valley location map ........................................... 6 Figure 3. Aerial view of Squaw Valley Ski Area in winter .......... 9 Figure 4. Cable car with Squaw Valley Ski Area and Lake Tahoe in the background ........................................................................ 10 Figure 5. Squaw Valley Ski Area base in the mid-1950s ........... 13 Figure 6. Alexander Cushing in 2004 ......................................... 14 Figure 7. Rendering prepared for the hosting bid shows modest and compact winter sports facilities ............................................ 16 Figure 8. Aerial view of Olympic Village and athlete center ..... 21 Figure 9. Alpine race courses shown on current ski area ............ 24 Figure 10. View of the jumping hill from the landing area and run out ............................................................................................... 25 Figure 11. Blyth Arena under construction during the winter of 1958-59 ....................................................................................... 26 Figure 12. Layout of Olympic facilities in Squaw Valley .......... 28 Figure 13. Aerial view of Blyth Arena and speed skating track . 29 Figure 14. Interior view of Blyth Arena during a U.S. versus Czechoslovakia match ................................................................ 30 Figure 15. Front exterior of Blyth Arena .................................... 31 Figure 16. Tribune of Honor with the Tower of Nations and Olympic flame cauldron ............................................................. 32 Figure 17. Disney inspired sculptures decorated the Avenue of Athletes ....................................................................................... 34 vii Figure 18. California Olympic Center served the needs of spectators .................................................................................... 35 Figure 19. Squaw Valley Chapel today ...................................... 37 Figure 20. Chief of Course Wendall Broomhall (l) and Chief of Race C. Allison Merrill ............................................................... 39 Figure 21. Map showing Olympic cross-country trails and shooting ranges at McKinney Creek cross-country venue .......... 40 Figure 22. Timing, communications and press building at the McKinney Creek cross-country venue ........................................ 41 Figure 23. Restored Tucker Sno-Cat used to groom McKinney Creek cross-country trails ........................................................... 41 Figure 24. View of McKinney Creek stadium toward the trail network ....................................................................................... 42 Figure 25. A biathlete shoots at the 200-meter range during the 1959 North American Championships on the McKinney Creek biathlon c ourse ............................................................................ 44 Figure 26. Aerial view of temporary parking lots in Squaw Valley meadow ....................................................................................... 49 Figure 27. Ticketing and entry gates with California Olympic Center i n background .................................................................. 50 Figure 28. U.S. Forest Service sign in Squaw Valley bearing VIII Olympic Winter Games logo ...................................................... 52 Figure 29. Award medal design for top three finishers in competition ................................................................................. 53 Figure 30. Elapsed time display at the McKinney Creek venue 55 Figure 31. IBM RAMAC 305 computer similar to type used to process competition results ......................................................... 56 Figure 32. Walt Disney (front right) confers with Willy Schaeffler on pageantry and decorations at Squaw Valley .......................... 61 Figure 33. The raging snowstorm temporarily abates as the opening c eremonies begin ........................................................... 62 Figure 34. The flags of the nations rise in unison during the opening ceremonies .................................................................... 63 Figure 35. Athletes and officials assemble in Blyth Arena for the opening ceremonies .................................................................... 64 Figure 36. Canadian athletes leave the arena following the opening ceremonies .................................................................... 65 viii Figure 37. The Marine Corps Band plays the "Star Spangled Banner" following the lighting of the Olympic flame ................ 66 Figure 38. Herald trumpets signal the imminent beginning of a medal awards ceremony .............................................................. 67 Figure 39. Spectators watch the finish of the women's slalom race .................................................................................................... 70 Figure 40. Silver medalist Penny Pitou (United States) aggressively attacks the women's downhill course ..................... 71 Figure 41. A competitor skis the women's giant slalom course .. 72 Figure 42. Spectators watch a competitor cross the finish line in the women's giant slalom ............................................................ 74 Figure 43. An Olympic official presents the women’s slalom gold medal to Anne Heggtveit of Canada as silver medalist Betsy Snite (l) of the United States and bronze medalist Barbara-Maria Henneberger (r) of Germany await their turn ............................. 75 Figure 44. A competitor attacks the men's giant slalom course .. 79 Figure 45. A competitor negotiates the middle section of the men's giant s lalom ....................................................................... 80 Figure 46. Start of the men’s downhill at the Palisades on Squaw Peak ............................................................................................. 82 Figure 47. A competitor approaches the finish of the men's downhill c ourse ........................................................................... 83 Figure 48. Willy Bogner of Germany surveys the men's slalom course .......................................................................................... 85 Figure 49. American Tommy Corcoran skis to a ninth place finish in the men's slalom ...................................................................... 86 Figure 50. Matthias Leitner of Austria on his silver medal run in the men’s slalom ......................................................................... 87 Figure 51. Charles Bozon (France) skis to a bronze medal in the men's s lalom ................................................................................ 88 Figure 52. Spectators gather to watch the finish of the men's slalom on KT-22 ......................................................................... 88 Figure 53. View from the top of the jumping hill in-run ............ 92 Figure 54. Nordic combined gold medalist Georg Thoma of Germany in December 1960 ....................................................... 94 Figure 55. Aerial view of McKinney Creek stadium, site of cross- country and biathlon competitions .............................................. 97 ix Figure 56. Time keepers used electronic and hand methods to record times as a skier passes through the stadium ..................... 98 Figure 57. A skier passes through the McKinney Creek stadium for a time check ......................................................................... 100 Figure 58. Sixten Jernberg of Sweden crosses the finish line to win the silver medal in the 15-kilometer cross-country race .... 101 Figure 59. Veikko Hakulinen of Finland surges across the finish to take the bronze medal in the 15-kilometer cross-country race .................................................................................................. 103 Figure 60. Competitors gather at the waxing hut to prepare their skis for the race ......................................................................... 103 Figure 61. In the stadium, Veikko Hakulinen (r) of Finland surges ahead of Hakon Brusveen of Norway to win the men’s 4x10km relay by 0.8-second ................................................................... 107 Figure 62. The 1960 United States Nordic and biathlon team poses in front of the McKinney Creek stadium scoreboard ...... 108 Figure 63. The Swedish women's Nordic team shown here includes the winners of the gold medal in the 3x5km relay ...... 112 Figure 64. The 20-kilometer biathlon course showing shooting ranges ........................................................................................ 115 Figure 65. Fifth place finisher Valentin Pchenitzin of the Soviet Union shoots at the 200-meter range ........................................ 117 Figure 66. Women figure skaters practice on the West Rink as spectators look on ..................................................................... 120 Figure 67. Silver medalist Sjoukje Dijkstra of the Netherlands completes her free skating program before an appreciative crowd in B lyth Arena ........................................................................... 121 Figure 68. Silver medalist Karol Divin of Czechoslovakia executes a spectacular jump during the free skating program .. 125 Figure 69. A pair team puts on an impromptu exhibition on the West Rink ................................................................................