Darryl Taylor has provided some more photos from his private collection. Here's how he accounts for having those pictures.
George-here is what I remember. When I came to LBSC (Long Beach City College) in the 1961-62 school year the current school records were fair but nothing . exceptional. There was a LB Press-Telegram sports writer who covered LBSC T&F and after a couple of track meets he sensed that some very big changes were on the horizon. Don't ask me why but he picked me as a target for the Sunday edition of the sports page and I would wake up Sunday to find my photo in the paper. I must have gathered five or six photos from the paper that year. When I graduated in 1964 I went to his office in downtown Long Beach and asked if there was any way I could get a negative or 8x10 of the photos he had from those articles. He asked if I would care to have some others he had in his files and of course I jumped at the offer. I cannot tell you which ones were in that first bunch or which ones I obtained from the LBSC Forty-Niner school paper. These are a mixture of those two sources and just grabbing old programs and asking for copies here and there. The photos of Ullis Williams and Lindgren I got from Tom Jennings at some point in the past. Always looking to save things that were being tossed. I worked in the equipment cage for a while and one day when emptying the trash I found a set of brand new Wilson spikes that Rose had tossed that dated back to the opening of the school circa 1949. No telling the origin of any particular image but that pretty much covers it.
I am always interested in the past! Explains why my wife took me to a surprise visit to the Orange County Center for the Performing Arts last night to see JOHNNY MATHIS perform old songs and Christmas carols at the age of 87. He pulled it off if I must say. More historical stuff coming your way as the new year gets underway.
Darryl,
You probably have all the photos that got nixed by the photo editor at the paper. There must be incredible numbers of great pictures in old newspaper archives. One of those resources I've used in the past is the Wright State University Library in Dayton, OH. The old newspapers donated their files to the library. They have several people working at that collection who are very helpful at digging out old pictures and stories. To our readers, some of you may have a detective nature and be willing to go that route to find track history in your local libraries. George
Here are a few more photos for that special 5K Rose put together in an effort to get Bob Soth on the Olympic team. He had already finished 3rd in the trials but needed to meet the Oly standard: Darryl
George Young pacing Bob Soth in attempt to qualify for 5000 for 1960 Olympics
Jack Rose on sideline
He makes it. 13:38.8 3 Miles
This is the man who was widely featured collapsing in the heat in the 10,000 in the Russian
dual meet in Philadelphia in 1959.
He made it.
Mrs. Soth, "We're going to Rome"
Long Beach State Staff 1961
Bob Soth, Chuck Polizzi, Coach Jack Rose,
T&FN Don Potts, Ty Hadley
Beach Run Trophies, Bob Soth, Bill Tilney, Beach Run Queen Lee Miller
Recent Article on Bob link: BOB SOTH
The Near Tragedy in 1959
Grace Butcher Wrote About The Russian 10,000
I was there, trackside, being one of the two US women in the 800---a pitiful ten seconds behind in our race, novices compared to the experienced Soviet women. Soth's grotesque struggle to keep going in the heat and humidity was horrifying; they should have taken him off the track long before they did---he'd already fallen several times and was leaning over backwards as he staggered along. And the second Russian collapsing backwards into the arms of his teammate who'd left the infield and come up behind him at the finish line. And Truex being sent another almost impossible lap when he'd made what he thought was his finishing move.
We were all left shaken by it. None of us had ever seen anything like it. Tears in my eyes just remembering it. Thank God they were all OK later. Grace
Tom Pagani-I was the anonymous poster regarding the Philly fans and their comments in the 1959 dual meet between the USA and USSR.
I had checked the box with my email address and assumed my name would appear. No need to be anonymous. It was not one of the best moments for US track fans.
Grace Butcher's recollection:
No, I don't remember negative crowd reaction to the Russians in the 10k. May have been, but the focus on Soth and his struggle is my only image. I don't remember a lot of details about the whole thing tho have a number of photos, of course. Just being on the team was wonderful; running injured was awful. I was there alone (story of my life!), my coach came only for the meet; my parents kept my boys who were 5 & 7, brought them for the meet, drove back home together, I proudly wearing the simple wool skirt and jacket with the USA emblem on a steaming hot July day. G
1 comment:
I remember the Philly fans insulting comments directed toward the Russian athletes in the 10k. It was embarrassing and shameful.
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