Friday, December 27, 2013

1964 Olympic Team in Town Square



If you've never visited the online digital archives of UCLA, you should. There are a treasure trove of vintage images, like this September 27, 1964 shot of the U.S. Olympic Team in Town Square.

This detailed view allows us to identify one of the team members thanks to her name being on her pocketbook. The girl in heels and sunglasses, carrying an extra pair of shoes is Willye Brown White, the first American track and field athlete to compete in five Olympics: the 1956 Summer Olympics, the 1960 Summer Olympics, the 1964 Summer Olympics, the 1968 Summer Olympics and the 1972 Olympics. She won her second silver medal in 1964 as a member of the 400-meter relay team in Tokyo, Japan (along with Wyomia Tyus, Marilyn White and Edith McGuire). I found this quote online which is attributed to White:

"A dream without a plan is just a wish."

I'll bet she had a great time in the park!



I like this detailed view because of the gent in the center, who appears to be bowing his head in reverence. Either there was a flag ceremony going on at the time or he was just giving thanks to be at Disneyland!



Last detailed shot shows guests and other cast members watching the goings-on, taking photos and attempting to catch a glimpse of the Olympic Team.



See more vintage & current Town Square photos on my Town Square web page.

1 comment:

  1. Not to rain on the parade but I don't think the guy is bowing his head in reverence. It looks like there's a guy standing straight in front of him looking down at the ground and there's a blond gentleman to the left of that also looking down at the floor. Perhaps they dropped a guidebook on the floor or maybe they've found a pressed penny?

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