American Men of Olympic Track and Field: Interviews with Athletes and Coaches

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.