Olympic Gold medal won by Bobby Morrow at the 1956 Olympic Games

Olympic Gold medal won by Bobby Morrow at the 1956 Olympic Games

<< >>
Usage conditions apply
Downloads
Description (Brief)
Gold medal won by American sprinter Bobby Morrow (b. 1935) in the 1956 Olympic games held in Melbourne, Australia.
That year the native Texan was named as Sports Illustrated Magazine's "Athlete of the Year." He won three gold medals at the Melbourne games, individually in the 100 and 200 meter dashes and as part of the 4x100 meter relay team. He was the first man to win two individual gold medals for the U.S. since Jesse Owens in 1936.
The 1956 Summer Olympics Games, also known as the Games of the XVI Olympiad were held in Melbourne, Australia and included 72 countries, 2,939 men and 376 women athletes participating. Known as the ‘Friendly Games’, these were the first to be contested in the Southern Hemisphere and were held in November due to Australia’s seasonal differences. Many countries boycotted the Games due to various political situations throughout the globe although the East and West Germany teams competed as one. Australia dominated the swimming events while the US took the most gold in track and field with Bobby Morrow winning three golds. The Soviet Union won the medal count with 98 with the United States coming in second with 74.
Location
Currently not on view
Object Name
medal
medal, olympic
date made
1956
user
Morrow, Bobby
Physical Description
metal, gold (overall material)
Measurements
overall: 1/4 in x 2 in;.635 cm x 5.08 cm
ID Number
1979.0619.01
accession number
1979.0619
catalog number
1979.0619.01
Credit Line
Gift of Bobby Morrow
subject
Olympics
Sports
Track and Field
See more items in
Culture and the Arts: Sport and Leisure
Highlights from the Culture and the Arts Collection
Coins, Currency and Medals
Data Source
National Museum of American History
Nominate this object for photography.   

Our collection database is a work in progress. We may update this record based on further research and review. Learn more about our approach to sharing our collection online.

If you would like to know how you can use content on this page, see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use. If you need to request an image for publication or other use, please visit Rights and Reproductions.

Note: Comment submission is temporarily unavailable while we make improvements to the site. We apologize for the interruption. If you have a question relating to the museum's collections, please first check our Collections FAQ. If you require a personal response, please use our Contact page.