Eddie Eagan

Edward Patrick Francis Eagan (April 26, 1897 – June 14, 1967) was an American boxer and bobsledder who is notable as being the only person to win a gold medal at both the Summer and Winter Olympic Games in different disciplines.[note 1] Eagan won his summer gold in boxing and his winter gold in four-man bobsled. Finally, Eagan is one of the few athletes who have competed in both the Summer and Winter Olympic games.[1][2]

For the New York City police detective, see Eddie Egan. For the American football player, see Ed Eagan.

Eddie Eagan
Eddie Eagan c. 1920
Personal information
BornApril 26, 1897
Denver, Colorado, U.S.
Died14 June 1967(1967-06-14) (aged 70)
New York City, U.S.
Alma materYale University, Harvard University, University of Oxford
Height5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
Sport
SportBoxing, bobsleigh
ClubYale Bulldogs, New Haven
Medal record
Representing the  United States
Boxing
Summer Olympics
1920 AntwerpLight-heavyweight
Bobsleigh
Winter Olympics
1932 Lake PlacidFour-man

Olympics
Eagan in London in 1923

Eagan was born into a modest family in Denver, Colorado. In 1920, he competed as a boxer at the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp, and won the gold medal in the light-heavyweight division. Eagan's other boxing awards include the 1919 AAU title and a British amateur title. He also competed at the 1924 Summer Olympics, but failed to medal, having lost in the first round to Arthur Clifton (see Boxing at the 1924 Summer Olympics - Men's heavyweight).[3]

Winter Olympics

Eagan returned to the Olympics eight years later, this time as a member of the bobsleigh crew of Billy Fiske, who steered to victory at the 1932 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid. Eagan became the first of five Olympians to medal in both Winter and Summer Games, followed by Jacob Tullin Thams (Norway), Christa Luding-Rothenburger (East Germany), Clara Hughes (Canada), and Lauryn Williams (United States). Eagan is one of two competitors to win gold in both Olympic seasons (the other being Gillis Grafström whose only summer gold was in figure skating).[4][5]




Personal life
The grave of Eddie Eagan in Greenwood Union Cemetery, Rye, New York

Eagan graduated Yale in 1921,[6] then studied law at Harvard University and later at the University of Oxford, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Oxford in 1928. In 1932, he was admitted to the U.S. Bar.

During World War II, he fought with U.S. Army on many fronts, reaching the rank of Colonel and earning numerous decorations.[2]

Eddie Eagan set a world record for the fastest circumnavigation of the globe by scheduled airlines on December 13th, 1948. He traveled 20,559 miles stopping at 18 different stations and beat the previous record by 20 hours and 15 minutes.[7]

Eddie Eagan was a guest on the television show "I've Got A Secret" as one of five former Olympic champions which aired October 13, 1954.

He died at age 70 in New York City and was interred at Greenwood Union Cemetery.[8][9]

See also

Notes
  1. Gillis Grafström won gold in both the Summer and Winter Olympic Games but it was in the same event. That is because in 1920, prior to the Winter Olympics, figure skating was part of the Summer Olympics.

References
  1. Gall, Jonnie (December 18, 2013). "Who's competed in the summer and winter Olympics?". GrindTV. Archived from the original on February 22, 2014. Retrieved February 18, 2014.
  2. Eddie Eagan. sports-reference.com
  3. "Eddie Eagan – Boxrec Boxing Encyclopaedia". Boxrec.com. Retrieved October 15, 2011.
  4. "This Day in Sports: Eddie Eagan Wins His "Other" Olympic Gold – SportsCenter.com". Espn.go.com. February 15, 2010. Retrieved October 15, 2011.
  5. "BOXERS WIN PLACES ON OLYMPIC TEAM; Eddie Eagan and Bill Spengler Qualify in Bouts at 69th Regiment Armory". The New York Times. July 14, 1920.
  6. "Eddie Eagan Obituary". New York Times. June 15, 1967. Retrieved February 23, 2020.
  7. "Page 4". digitalcollections.library.miami.edu. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
  8. "Eddie Eagan, Former Chairman Of Boxing Commission, Is Dead; 2-Sport Olympic Champion Held the U.S. Amateur Title as Heavyweight at Yale". The New York Times. June 15, 1967. Retrieved December 21, 2010. Eddie Eagan, former chairman of the New York State Athletic Commission and Olympic boxing champion, died of a heart attack at Roosevelt Hospital yesterday. He was 69 years old and lived on Forest Avenue in Rye, N.Y. ...
  9. "Edward Eagan – The official website of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games". En.beijing2008.cn. June 14, 1967. Archived from the original on June 23, 2011. Retrieved October 15, 2011.
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