- Tom Waddell
Dr. Tom Waddell (
November 1 ,1937 -July 11 ,1987 ) was thegay American sportsman who founded the international sporting event called theGay Games , which was named such after the USOC sued Dr. Waddell for using the word "Olympic" in the original name "Gay Olympics".Tom was a football player and gymnast when he was in college at Springfield College, Massachusetts. He served as a military doctor afterward. He represented USA in
decathlon at the1968 Summer Olympics , in which he placed sixth.In his medical career, he received his MD from
Stanford University Medical School . During his life, Waddell had done research on viruses, as well as served the Saudi Royal family. This was followed by moving back to San Francisco where he was employed at a local clinic in the Civic Center area of San Francisco which to this day carries his name.Waddell had a daughter in 1983, Jessica Waddell Lewinstein, with fellow gay-activist
lesbian Sara Lewinstein who he had met while founding The Games. He died ofAIDS in 1987. His battle against HIV/AIDS is depicted in the award-winning documentary "".Waddell wrote an
autobiography titled "Gay Olympian" with fellow sports writerDick Schaap .External links
* [http://www.glbtq.com/arts/waddell_t.html Short biography]
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