Fire on the Track
Page 25
Chicago, the Windy City
Pierce, A History of Chicago, vol. 1; Historic City: The Settlement of Chicago; Miller, City of the Century.
Betty’s life versus that of her sisters and friends
Details of Betty’s life at home with her sisters and friends were provided by her son, Richard Schwartz, in extensive emails and phone conversations throughout 2015 and 2016.
Glenna Collett Vare and Gertrude Ederle
Information on early female athletes can be found in the Manuscript and Archives Collections of Yale University.
IWAC’s building
Miller, City of the Century; Jon C. Teaford, The Twentieth-Century American City: Problem, Promise, and Reality, 2d ed. (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1993).
Soldier Field
Robert Cromie, A Short History of Chicago (San Francisco: Lexicos, 1984); Teaford, The Twentieth-Century American City.
The DeVry family; Jim Rochfort
Information on this meeting was provided in a phone interview with Jean Rochfort in June 2015.
Chapter Six: OFF TO THE GAMES
Pierre de Coubertin and the first modern Olympics
See M. I. Finley and H. W. Pleket, The Olympic Games: The First Thousand Years (London: Chatto & Windus, 1976); E. Norman Gardiner, Greek Athletic Sports and Festivals (London: Macmillan, 1910); Allen Guttmann, The Olympics: A History of the Modern Games (Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1992); John A. Lucas, The Modern Olympic Games (New York: A. S. Barnes & Co., 1980); John MacAloon, This Great Symbol: Pierre de Coubertin and the Origins of the Modern Olympic Games (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1981); Burton Holmes, The Olympic Games in Athens, 1896: The First Modern Olympics (New York: Grove Press, 1984).
William Penny Brookes; Evangelis Zappas
Finley and Pleket, The Olympic Games; Gardiner, Greek Athletic Sports and Festivals; Guttmann, The Olympics.
Alice Milliat and Femina Sport
Finley and Pleket, The Olympic Games; Guttmann, Women’s Sports; Leigh and Bonin, “The Pioneering Role of Madame Alice Milliat.”
Women’s Olympics
Allen Guttmann, Women’s Sports: A History (New York: Columbia University Press, 1991); Mary Hanson Leigh and Thérèse M. Bonin, “The Pioneering Role of Madame Alice Milliat and the FSFI in Establishing International Track and Field Competition for Women,” Journal of Sport History 4, no. 1 (Spring 1977): 72.
Betty’s vacations at Stone Lake
Jean Rochfort provided details on the Stone Lake cabin and the summer vacations the family took there on June 20, 2015.
Learning about the Amsterdam Olympics
Paul Arblaster, A History of the Low Countries (New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2006); Fred Feddes, A Millennium of Amsterdam: Spatial History of a Marvelous City (Bussum: Thoth, 2012); Geert Mak, Amsterdam: A Brief Life of the City (Amsterdam: Olympus, 1994).
Newark Olympic tryouts
The Newark Evening News covered the Olympic trials in Newark. The articles from July 3, 1928 (the day before the tryouts), included “Olympic Try-On Tomorrow,” “Girl Athletes Are Ready for National Track Meet,” and “Snapped in Stadium as the Girls Fought for National Championship.”
Elta Cartwright and the northern California track-and-field team
Articles on the Newark trials and detailed information on each of the athletes are available in the Newark Public Library. The Newark Evening News dedicated quite a lot of space to the trials, including coverage on July 2, 3, 4, and 5, 1928.
Mel Sheppard
The life of Mel Sheppard was extensively detailed in articles published in the Newark Evening News on July 4, 5, and 6, 1928. His previous accomplishments, records, jobs, desires, and upcoming responsibilities were detailed there.
Betty comes in second
Betty’s finish was recorded in the Newark Evening News of July 4 and 5, 1928.
Stella Walsh
Stella Walsh’s life has always been somewhat of an enigma, her immediate family refusing to grant interviews for fear of misunderstandings. Still, information does exist. I engaged in email correspondence with John Pulaski, who knew the family, on June 25, 2015. Also, the Research Center Reference Division at the Western Reserve Historical Society Library in Cleveland, Ohio, holds material. Of particular interest is Box 1, folders 2, 6, 7, 10, 12, 14, 15, and 16.
Chapter Seven: THE SS PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT
The SS President Roosevelt
Historical Brochures/United States Lines/1920s Gjenvick-Gjønvik Archives made historical information on the SS President Roosevelt available.
Stella Walsh
Information on Stella Walsh can be found in the Research Center Reference Division at the Western Reserve Historical Society Library in Cleveland, Ohio. Of particular interest is Box 1, folders 2, 6, 7, 10, 14, 15, and 16.
Amelia Earhart
Medford Historical Society, Medford, Massachusetts; Medford Public Library, Medford, Massachusetts.
General Douglas MacArthur
The life of Douglas MacArthur is detailed in the MacArthur Papers in the Clements Library at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Athletes exercising
Report of the American Olympic Committee, Ninth Olympic Games, Amsterdam, 1928 (New York: American Olympic Committee, 1928).
Dolores “Dee” Boeckmann
Extensive information on Dee’s life can be found in the Helen Stephens Life and Times Collection, State Historical Society of Missouri, folders 20, 37, 63, 109, 112, 114–123, 127, 128, 183, 185, 229, 232–234, 236, 240, 245, 258, 261, 265, and 266.
Betty’s life on board
Betty enjoyed her life on board the SS President Roosevelt and took advantage of every opportunity afforded her, as described by Richard Schwartz in an email on June 16, 2015.
Parties on the ship
Parties were also very frequent on the ship, as detailed by Richard Schwartz in an email on June 16, 2015.
Johnny Weissmuller
Betty took a liking to Weissmuller from the very beginning, and he felt warmly toward her, too. Her liking for him remained for the rest of her life, as detailed by Richard Schwartz in an email on June 20, 2015.
Bud Houser; reports of Dutch lack of preparation; arriving in Amsterdam; description of Olympic stadium
See Report of the American Olympic Committee, Ninth Olympic Games, Amsterdam, 1928.
Difference between American and British athletes
The snide remarks between the teams were detailed in Report of the American Olympic Committee, Ninth Olympic Games, 1928.
Female athletes in Paris; opening ceremonies; and competition begins; men’s trouble on the track
Report of the American Olympic Committee, Ninth Olympic Games, 1928.
Chapter Eight: QUEEN OF THE TRACK
Women athletes; Canadians Fanny “Bobbie” Rosenfeld and Myrtle Cook; Betty’s win
Report of the American Olympic Committee, Ninth Olympic Games, 1928 (New York: American Olympic Committee, 1928).
Dee Boeckmann’s preparation for the 800 meters; newspapers’ response to the outcome of the race
State Historical Society of Missouri, folders 20, 37, 63, 112, 114–123, 125, 127, 128, 183, 229, 232–234, 236, 240, 245, 258, 261, 265, and 266.
Description of women’s bodies versus men’s
Michael A. Messner and Donald F. Saho, eds., Sport, Men and the Gender Order: Critical Feminist Perspectives (Champaign, IL: Humane Kinetics Books, 1990); Susan K. Cahn, Coming on Strong: Gender and Sexuality in Twentieth-Century Women’s Sport (New York: Free Press, 1994).
Chapter Nine: A NEW BABE IN TOWN
Beaumont, Texas
Babe Didrikson Zaharias Collection, Special Collection and University Archives, Mary and John Gray Library, Lamar University, Beaumont, Texas; see also Susan E. Cayleff, Babe: The Life and Legend of Babe Didrikson Zaharias (Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1995).
Babe Didrikson
Extensive and intima
te information on the life of Babe Didrikson can be found in
the Babe Didrikson Zaharias Collection, Special Collection and University Archives, Mary and John Gray Library, Lamar University, Beaumont, Texas; see also Jon Hendershott, Track’s Greatest Women (Los Altos, CA: Tafnews Press, 1987).
Ole Didriksen and Hannah Marie Olsen Didriksen; Colonel Melvirne Johnson McCombs
Babe Didrikson Zaharias Collection, Special Collection and University Archives, Mary and John Gray Library, Lamar University, Beaumont, Texas.
The Golden Cyclones
Information on Babe’s formative years and her life with the Golden Cyclones are available in the Babe Didrikson Zaharias Collection, Special Collection and University Archives, Mary and John Gray Library, Lamar University, Beaumont, Texas.
Introduction to track and field
See Cayleff, Babe; also see files in the Babe Didrikson Zaharias Collection, Special Collection and University Archives, Mary and John Gray Library, Lamar University, Beaumont, Texas.
The Los Angeles Games
Information on the Los Angeles Games is extensively reported in the The Games of the Xth Olympiad, Los Angeles, 1932: Official Report (Los Angeles: Xth Olympiade Committee, 1933).
Chapter Ten: WELCOME HOME
Return to New York from Amsterdam and MacArthur’s refusal to acknowledge defeat
See Report of the American Olympic Committee, Ninth Olympic Games, Amsterdam, 1928 (New York: American Olympic Committee, 1928).
Riverdale’s preparations for the parade; Betty’s arrival and participation in the parade
Historical files, Harvey Public Library, as well as the Riverdale Public Library. Additionally, the files in the State Historical Society of Missouri, folders 63, 109, 120–122, 128, and 184, were of assistance.
Betty’s very expensive gifts
In an email correspondence on July 13, 2015, Richard Schwartz, Betty’s son, wrote at length about the gifts she received after her return home and the parade.
Betty’s return to high school and normalcy
The Thornton Township High School yearbooks for 1928 and 1929 detail Betty’s classes, after-school programs, and extracurricular activities. Her son, Richard Schwartz, complemented these finds with extensive emails during 2015.
College days at Thornton Township Junior College
Information on Betty’s college life, including the classes she was taking and the grades she received, comes from email correspondence with Richard Schwartz on April 23, 2016.
Moving to Northwestern University; Evanston, Illinois
Information on Betty being a sorority sister and on the sorority house itself comes from email correspondence with Richard Schwartz on July 21, 2015. Also, information on the university and the city itself was made available by the Evanston Historic Center, Evanston, Illinois.
Bert “Ball Hawk” Riel
Information on Bert Riel was made available through an email correspondence with Betty’s niece Carol Boatright on September 28, 2015.
The Los Angeles Games
See The Games of the Xth Olympiad, Los Angeles, 1932: Official Report (Los Angeles: Xth Olympiade Committee, 1933).
Coach Frank Hill
Betty’s relationship with Frank Hill is detailed in the files of the State Historical Society of Missouri, folders 63, 109, 120–122, 128, 184, 221, 234, 240, 242, 245–249, 254, and 263–267.
The 1930 Outdoor National Championships, Southern Methodist University
State Historical Society of Missouri, folders 120–122 and 128.
Tidye Pickett
Information on the life of Tidye Pickett comes from the Illinois State University Archives.
Louise Stokes
Information on Louise Stokes can be found in the Malden Public Library, Malden, Massachusetts.
Paul Gallico
See Paul Gallico, Farewell to Sport (New York: International Polygonics, 1990); Paul Gallico, The Golden People (New York: Doubleday, 1965).
Chapter Eleven: FLYING HIGH
President Hoover and the economy
David A. Shannon, ed., The Great Depression (Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1960).
Wilson Palmer
Wilson Palmer was one of Betty’s favorite cousins, and he felt just as warmly about her as she did about him. A mischievous boy, he was as gregarious as she was. Some of the information about his life comes from email correspondence with Harvey resident and historian Carl Durnavich on September 27, 2015. Information also comes from the Thornton High School yearbook for 1931, p. 83; also email correspondence with Richard Schwartz on July 5, 2015, and Harlyn Myek (cousin of Richard Schwartz) on July 21 and 22, 2015.
Harold Brown
Harold Brown spoke about his role in the plane, when he had bought a third of the plane, how he had managed it, and what he thought of the accident in extensive interviews published in The Harvey Tribune on July 3 and 10, 1931.
Plane accident
Some of the information about the accident comes from email correspondence with Harvey resident and historian Carl Durnavich on September 27, 2015. The Harvey Tribune of July 3 and 10, 1931, also covered the accident widely. Also, Richard Schwartz, Betty’s son, wrote at length about the accident in an email on July 13, 2015.
The aftermath and Jacob Minke
Betty’s accident and its repercussions, along with updates from her doctors, were detailed in The Harvey Tribune of July 3, 4, 5, and 10.
Wil’s leg troubles
The Harvey Tribune of November 20, 1931, wrote extensively of Wil’s issue with his leg and of the doctors’ desire to amputate.
Chapter Twelve: SUMMER WOES
Stella Walsh; the “Miss Stadium” competition; Pershing Stadium and accident on the track; “Queen of Cleveland”
Information on Stella Walsh can be found at the Research Center Reference Division, Western Reserve Historical Society Library, Cleveland, Ohio, Box 1, folders 2, 6, 7, 10, 12, 14, 15, 16, and at the State Historical Society of Missouri, folders 63, 77, 120, 124, 125, 190, 217, 233–236, 240–242, 253, 258–261, 263, 266, and 267,
Stella’s sexuality
Helen Lenskyj, Out of Bounds: Women, Sport and Sexuality (Toronto: Women’s Press, 1986); also, State Historical Society of Missouri, Sex-roles, folders 258, 266, and 267.
Betty awakens in Oak Forest Infirmary
Betty’s stay at the infirmary is detailed in email correspondence with Richard Schwartz on June 6, 2015.
Betty returns home
See T. R. Collingwood, “The Effects of Physical Training Upon Behavior and Self-Attitudes,” Journal of Clinical Psychology 28, no. 4 (October 1972): 583–585.
Betty and Jim’s runs
Detailed information on Jim comes from email correspondence with Richard Schwartz on July 4, 2015. See also Collingwood, “The Effects of Physical Training Upon Behavior and Self-Attitudes.”
Betty returns to Northwestern to train
Extensive conversations with Richard Schwartz throughout 2015 and 2016 highlighted the journey Betty took in returning to school.
Chapter Thirteen: CALIFORNIA DREAMING
AAU
See Robert Korsgaard, A History of the Amateur Athletic Union of the United States, EdD diss., Teacher’s College, Columbia University, 1953; The AAU Official Track and Field Handbook: Rules and Records (New York: Amateur Athletic Union, 1953).
1932 Los Angeles Olympics
“Official Program, Xth Olympiad, 30 July through 14 August 1932”; Mary Hanson Leigh, The Evolution of Women’s Participation in the Summer Olympic Games, 1900–1948, PhD diss., Ohio State University, 1974.