Eddie Eagan

Athlete

• Born: April 26, 1897
• Birthplace: Denver, Colorado
• Died: June 14, 1967
• Place of death: Rye, New York

Sport: Boxing

Early Life

Edward Patrick Francis Eagan was born on April 26, 1897, in Denver, Colorado. Edward, who was called Eddie, was the son of John and Clara Eagan. His father was killed in a railroad accident when Eddie was just one year old. Eddie’s mother raised him and his four brothers. She spoke five languages and supported her children by teaching German and French. Eddie became interested in boxing while in high school. The family had moved to Longmont, Colorado, a cattle town. Eddie’s boxing coach, Abe Tobin, encouraged him to continue his education instead of seeking a career as a professional boxer.

The Road to Excellence

Eddie won a number of amateur boxing matches in tough competition in mining towns throughout Colorado. After his boxing tour, he enrolled at the University of Denver and spent one year there. He won the Western Amateur Middleweight title while a student. Eddie decided to enlist in the United States Army and was commissioned as an artillery lieutenant. After he was discharged, he entered Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. During his first year at Yale, he entered the 1919 Amateur Athletic Union boxing championships. He fought seven bouts in two days. Eddie lost a close decision in the light heavyweight class; however, he returned later that evening and won the heavyweight title.

Later in 1919, Eddie competed in the Inter-Allied Games in Paris, France, and won the middleweight championship. In 1920, Eddie tried out for the U.S. Olympic boxing team. He represented the United States at the 1920 Antwerp Olympics in the light heavyweight division. He defeated boxers from South Africa, Great Britain, and Norway to win the gold medal.

Eddie returned to the United States and graduated from Yale University. He enrolled in law school at Harvard University, but he dropped out to try out for the 1924 Olympic Games. He made the U.S. Olympic team again and sailed to Paris, but he was eliminated in the first round of the heavyweight division.

The Emerging Champion

Apparently, Eddie had been influenced by Coach Tobin’s encouragement to pursue an education rather than a professional boxing career. He was awarded a Rhodes scholarship and continued his studies at Oxford University in England. He competed on Oxford’s boxing team and participated in several exhibitions with the American heavyweight champion Jack Dempsey. After completing his studies at Oxford, Eddie toured the world, competing in numerous boxing matches. When Eddie returned to the United States, he helped Gene Tunney train for a rematch with Dempsey. Tunney had become the new heavyweight champion.

In 1932, Eddie tried out for the U.S. Olympic bobsled team. The 1932 Olympic Winter Games were held in Lake Placid, New York. Eddie made the four-person bobsled team. The finals of the four-person bobsled were delayed because of a severe winter storm. Despite poor weather conditions, a crowd of twenty thousand arrived for the competition and were disappointed when just two of the four runs could be completed. The snow was so deep that sleds slowed down and poor times were recorded. The competition had to be postponed until the following day.

The Olympic Games were actually over when the two bobsled heats were made up. Billy Fiske was the pilot of the team, Eddie was the number-two man, and Clifford Gray was the third man. Jay O’Brien was the brakeman. Very few people turned out in the bitter cold to view the last two runs. Eddie’s team had the best time for each of the first three runs and the best overall time and claimed the Olympic championship. Eddie and his teammates were each presented with a gold medal. Eddie became the first Olympic athlete to win gold medals in both the Winter and Summer Olympic Games. He distinguished himself as a true competitor in two sports at the international level.

In 1932, Eddie entered private law practice. He served as assistant attorney for five years. He joined the Army Air Force when World War II began. He was chief of special services in the Air Transport Command and visited nearly every part of the world where American planes were based. He retired from the Army as a lieutenant colonel.

Continuing the Story

When Eddie returned to civilian life in 1945, he was appointed head of the New York State Athletic Commission, which governed boxing. Because of his boxing background, Eddie was well suited for the job. Eddie served as head of the commission for six years. He made a major contribution by developing a scoring system for boxing that became the basis of the modern system. He also required strict physical examinations of boxers before and after their bouts. In 1956, President Dwight D. Eisenhower appointed Eddie chairperson of the People-to-People Sports Committee. Eddie also served as director of the sports program at the 1964 New York World’s Fair. He headed the Boys’ Athletic League of New York for two years.

Eddie’s involvement in sports organizations gave him many opportunities to express his belief that sports serve as a “common denominator” of all people. He viewed sports activities as a way to bring people of different backgrounds together. Eddie died of a heart attack on June 14, 1967, at Roosevelt Hospital in New York. He was survived by his wife, son, and daughter.

Summary

Eddie Eagan’s athletic ability and his educational background served him well. His interest in reading about a Yale University student introduced him to the school, and his involvement in boxing and bobsledding led him to international competition in the Olympic Games. He was the first athlete to win gold medals in both the Winter and Summer Olympic Games.

Bibliography

Blewett, Bert. The A to Z of World Boxing: An Authoritative and Entertaining Compendium of the Fight Game from Its Origins to the Present Day. Parkwest, N.Y.: Robson Books, 2002.

Conner, Floyd. The Olympics’ Most Wanted: The Top Ten Book of Gold Medal Gaffes, Improbable Triumphs, and Other Oddities. London: Brassey’s, 2002.

Herzog, Brad. “Modeled on a Myth.” Sports Illustrated 87, no. 26 (December 29, 1997): 6-7.

Wallechinsky, David, and Jaime Loucky. The Complete Book of the Olympics: 2008 Edition. London: Aurum Press, 2008.

‗‗‗‗‗‗‗. The Complete Book of the Winter Olympics. Wilmington, Del.: Sport Media, 2005.