Eddie Eagan

Eddie Eagan

Eddie Eagan c. 1920
Personal information
Born	April 26, 1897 Denver, Colorado, United States
Died	June 14, 1967 (aged 70) New York City, United States
Alma mater	Harvard University, University of Oxford
Height	1.79 m (5 ft 10 in)
Sport
Sport	Boxing, bobsleigh
Club	Yale Bulldogs, New Haven
Medal record Boxing Representing the  United States Summer Olympics 1920 Antwerp Light-heavyweight Bobsleigh Winter Olympics 1932 Lake Placid Four-man

Edward "Eddie" Patrick Francis Eagan (April 26, 1897 – June 14, 1967) was an American sportsman who is notable as being the only person to win a gold medal at both the Summer and Winter Olympic Games in different events. 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. 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]

Olympics

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 second of five Olympians to medal in both Winter and Summer Games, followed by Jacob Tullin Thams (Norway), Christa Luding-Rothenburger (East Germany), and Clara Hughes (Canada). 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 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]

He died at age 70 in New York City and was interred at Greenwood Union Cemetery.^[6][7]

See also

• Adventurers' Club of New York
• List of Olympians who won medals in the Summer and Winter Games

References

1. Gall, Jonnie (18 December 2013). "Who's competed in the summer and winter Olympics?". GrindTV. Retrieved 18 February 2014.
2. Eddie Eagan. sports-reference.com
3. "Eddie Eagan – Boxrec Boxing Encyclopaedia". Boxrec.com. Retrieved 2011-10-15.
4. "This Day in Sports: Eddie Eagan Wins His "Other" Olympic Gold - SportsCenter.com". Espn.go.com. 2010-02-15. Retrieved 2011-10-15.
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, Former Chairman Of Boxing Commission, Is Dead; 2-Sport Olympic Champion Held the U.S. Amateur Title as Heavyweight at Yale". New York Times. June 15, 1967. Retrieved 2010-12-21. 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. ...
7. "Edward Eagan – The official website of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games". En.beijing2008.cn. 1967-06-14. Retrieved 2011-10-15.