Coach Cox, Tom Waddell and Jack Savoia on a sports field

Item Information

Title:
Coach Cox, Tom Waddell and Jack Savoia on a sports field
Description:
A photograph of Coach Vernon W. Cox, Thomas Waddell, and Jack Savoia on a sports field. Both Mr. Waddell and Mr. Savoia were part of the class of 1959 of Springfield College. All men appear smiling in the photograph.
Date:
[1956?–1959?]
Format:
Photographs
Location:
Springfield College Archives and Special Collections
Collection (local):
College Archives Digital Collections
Series:
Faculty Files
Subjects:
Springfield College
Springfield College--Faculty
Springfield College--Sports
Springfield College--Sports--men
Springfield College--Track and Field
Springfield College--Track and Field--Men
Cox, Vernon W.
Waddell, Tom, 1937-1987
Savoia, John R.
Track athletics
Athletic fields
Coaches
Coaches (Athletics)
Places:
Massachusetts > Hampden (county) > Springfield
Link to Item:
https://cdm16122.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p15370coll2/id/16292
Terms of Use:
Text and images are owned, held, or licensed by Springfield College and are available for personal, non-commercial, and educational use, provided that ownership is properly cited. A credit line is required and should read: Courtesy of Springfield College, Babson Library, Archives and Special Collections. Any commercial use without written permission from Springfield College is strictly prohibited. Other individuals or entities other than, and in addition to, Springfield College may also own copyrights and other propriety rights. The publishing, exhibiting, or broadcasting party assumes all responsibility for clearing reproduction rights and for any infringement of United States copyright law.
Contact host institution for more information.
Publisher:
Springfield College
Language:
English
Notes:
Thomas Waddell was a gay American sportsman and competitor at the 1968 Summer Olympics who founded the Gay Olympics in 1982 in San Francisco. At Springfield College he studied pre-medicine and was a star gymnast and football player. In 1960, he enrolled at New Jersey College of Medicine. In the early 1960’s, he participated in the African-American civil rights demonstrations in Alabama.In 1966, Mr. Wadell joined the Army and served as a medical doctor. Two years later, he competed in the Olympics, placing sixth in the decathlon. Because of a knee injury, he retired from athletics. After the Army, Waddell completed a graduate fellowship at Stanford University. Waddell is best known as the founder of the Gay Games, started in 1982 and held every four years since. The Gay Games welcomes more than 8,000 athletes—regardless of sexual orientation, race, gender identity, religion, sex, ethnic origin, athletic ability, or political beliefs—from 47 countries to compete in an inclusive environment. He was inducted into the Springfield College Athletic Hall of Fame in 1990. Vernon Cox graduated from Springfield College in 1944 and immediately joined the Army Air Corp, where he fought in the Pacific Theater. In 1947, he joined the Springfield College faculty as a physical education instructor, where he coached soccer, basketball, tennis, lacrosse, cross country and track and field. In 1977, Cox became the college’s alumni director. He passed away in 1991, after forty-four years of serving the college community.
Identifier:
cox-vern-savoia-jack-waddell-tom