Official Olympic historian to speak

"Athens 1896 to London 2012: A Perspective on the Olympic Games," by John A. Lucas will be presented from noon to 1 p.m. Wednesday, April 6, in the Mann Assembly Room, 103 Paterno Library on Penn State's University Park campus.

Lucas is professor emeritus of exercise and sport science in the College of Health and Human Development’s Department of Kinesiology. Since 1952, he has documented and researched the modern Olympic games, amassing a collection (162 cubic feet), unparalleled outside the official International Olympic Committee (IOC) holdings. In 2010, Lucas gave this collection to the Penn State University Archives.

Lucas, the author of four books, including "The Future of the Olympics" (1992) and "The Modern Olympic Games" (1980), as well as over 200 articles on the subject, was named the official North American historian for the Olympic games by President of the IOC Juan Antonio Samaranch. In 1991, Samaranch appointed Lucas the official Olympic lecturer. In that capacity, Lucas has delivered over 500 lectures in the U.S. and abroad. In 1996, Lucas received the IOC’s highest honor, the Olympic Order gold medal.

For more information, contact Jackie Esposito at jxe2@psu.edu or 814-863-3791.

Last Updated January 9, 2015