Vinton Wolf, senior research engineer for the Atlanta Gas Light Co., worked with the team, and James Hogan, a consultant, worked with the actual prototype construction and assembly along with the mechanical engineering machine shop at Georgia Tech. In ancient Greece, a truce was called so the Olympic Games could take place. In reviving the custom for the 1936 Olympic Games, organizers incorporated a torch lit in Olympia by the rays of the sun to connect the ancient heritage to the modern Olympic Games. At 32 inches high, this is the tallest torch for a Summer Olympic Games. Its diameter varies from 2.25 inches at the bottom to 3.5 inches at the top.
Reeds are aluminum, hardwood is either pecan or hickory, two gold-plated brass bands.
Small tank in the base of torch for fuel. Flame will burn 30 to 40 minutes per torch. Begins in Olympia with traditional ceremony during which a parabolic mirror is used to light the torch with the rays of the sun. Relay through Greece. Arrives in Los Angeles on April 27, 1996.