Winter Olympics Exhibit and Program

The winter Olympics are back! Special Collections is exhibiting a collection of winter Olympic memorabilia. The exhibit was enhanced with a kick-off program featuring two speakers: Tom Hammond and Jack Kelly.

Tom Hammond is a member of the UK Journalism Hall of Fame and sportscaster for nine Olympics. He has covered ice-skating for the last three winter Olympics, and spoke primarily of his experiences at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada. He considers ice-skating to be the heart of the games and recognize the athleticism and skill required for ice-skating. Tom related several stories about the competitors, including those who won and those who didn’t win but gave their all while facing special challenges.

Jack Kelly, owner of the winter Olympic memorabilia and CEO of two Olympic festivals, spoke about his collection and experiences at all the Olympics he has attended over the years. The collection includes two Olympic torches, posters, pins and medals, programs, tickets, and other items, some of which date back to 1928. Jack began collecting around 1988 and has amassed a varied and interesting collection. He finds the winter Olympics more collegial than the summer games because they are smaller and encourage greater attendance. He provided a selection of Olympic pins for attendees to take.

After the program, people had the opportunity to have their picture taken with the speakers and the Olympic torches.

The exhibit will be on display through the month of April.