The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1936-01-15
New Devices
Made to Pull
Olympic Cash
DAYS of Jimmie Connolly
Athletes Are Over,
Writer Fears.
BY C. z. PARKER
ys~s cxs.r NEwsaa~

BY c. Z. PARKER
Times Special Writer
NEW YORK, Jan. 15.-Becarse
there are too few Jimmy Connollys,
also a scarcity of Ma" Connollys
of certain type, as well as an in
adequate supply Of tramp steamers,
the American Olympic Committee Is
introducing an innovation or two III
its campaign for the $350,0o0 re-
CURED TO send a complete team to
the Berlin games.
The olympic button which was
used in the fund drives of 1923 and
1892 again is held out as an entice-
ment for small donations. But a
brand new contributors token in
the form of an automobile tag is be-
ing offered this year, while a still
mora recent development Is the for
nation of the American Olympic
Legion.
The tag, which bears the Olympic
shield and the lettering, American
Olympic Association" can be had by
showing So across the counter at al
most any olympic or A. A. u. Of
flee. BY attaching this tag to a
bumper or bracket on the family
chariot its purchaser can let it be
known to the world in general and
to hitch-hikers in particular that he
has done his part toward financing
Americas defense of an interna-
tional sports championship which
this country captured in 1896 and
never has surrendered.
The Olympic Legion idea calls for
a somewhat larger offering. Mem
bership is to be had through SIS
contribution, while $40 contribU-
ton is rewarded not only with a
membership card but with official
Olympic publications and reports.
"DUT what" you ask, about
ID Jimmie and Ma Connolly and
the tramp steamer"
I'm glad you brought that up at
this time. 1t assures Jimmie, Ma
and the tramp steamer the space
they merit in this brochure.
Some may wish to inquire, Which
Jimmie Connolly?" for there have
been two Olympic Jimmie Connol-
lys.
OF the more recent vintage is the
Jimmie Connolly of Georgetown,
who was an intercollegiate cham
pion some years ago and represent
ed America Iii the 1500-meter run at
the 1920 games in Antwerp. He's
not the one.
There was another Jimmie Con-
nolly-there still is. He signs him.
self James B. Connolly, and If you
are reader of sea stories that sig
nature is not unfamiliar.
Back in the waning years of the
nineteenth century this latter JIM
ME Connolly--a red-headed, free
kle-faced South Boston boy--Was an
amateur athlete.
TINE American response to the
l. 1896 Olympic invitation-the
games were held in Athens that
year-was a Boston rather than a
national response. 1t was a group
of Boston A. A. and Harvard Uni
versity athletic officials which un-
dertook the recruiting and financing
of the 11rst American Olympic
team.
Now Jimmy Connolly was neither
member of the Boston A. A. nor
an undergraduate of Harvard. A
year or two before he could have
acquired without cost an athletic
membership in the Boston A. A. So
capable an athlete was he that such
membership was offered him sew
eral times. The offer was again re-
newed in 1896 when the Boston A. A.
fcik learned that Jimmie had
Olympic ambitions.
Even when he refused the bid the
Boston A. A. officials expressed a
willingness to finance Jimmie'S way
to the games. Here again, how
ever, Jimmie saw a violation of his
amateurism, and he turned down
the offer.
BY doing odd jobs in his spare
time Jimmie acquired some ready
cash. BY working for his passage
on tramp steamer Jimmie arrived
at the Olympic scene. And before
he left South Boston the busy, cap
able fingers of Ma Connolly, his
proud mother, had fashioned for
him an athletic uniform.
And 1t was in his homemade
uniform and via a strictly Connolly
managed trip that Jimmie won his
event-the running hop, step and
jump-forty years ago.