Author: Neil Schoenherr

There is no campus watch section in this issue of the Record.

Photo by Joe Angeles / WUSTL PhotoWashington University Chancellor Mark S. Wrighton looks on as the Olympic torch is passed.When St. Louis philanthropist E. Desmond Lee carried the Olympic torch into Francis Field on June 17 as part of the 2004 Olympic Global Torch Relay, a 100-year journey was nearly complete. In 1904, St. Louis hosted the first Olympics in the Western Hemisphere, and the track and field events that year took place on Francis Field. Now, 100 years later, the Olympic flame again visited the historic playing field. Click here for complete information on all rededication and Torch events on campus.

Mary Butkus/WUSTL PhotoChancellor Mark S. Wrighton delivers opening remarks during the rededication ceremony of Francis Field.Washington University hosted a ceremony June 16 recognizing the 100th anniversary of the 1904 Olympics at the University and the Athens 2004 Olympic Torch Relay. Chancellor Mark S. Wrighton hosted a rededication of Francis Field, the site of the 1904 Olympic track and field events. From Aug. 29 to Sept. 3, 1904, Francis Field and Francis Gymnasium, now registered historical landmarks, were the site of the Olympic Games — the 3rd Olympiad of the modern era and the first held in the Western Hemisphere.

The Field House has a rich and storied past. It was the site of several NBA games and outstanding Missouri High School state championships, not to mention numerous Bears games with Illinois, Missouri, Princeton, Harvard, Purdue, Arkansas and others. The university has also been asked to host debates in 1992, 1996, 2000 and 2004 — an unprecedented record.

How much have the Olympics changed in 96 years? View a brief comparison between the two.

One hundred years ago, St. Louis was the first city in the Western Hemisphere to host the modern-era Olympic Games. The 1904 games, held on the campus of Washington University in St. Louis, had been revived in 1896. Although the III Olympiad was overshadowed on the world stage by the concurrent 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair (a.k.a. the Louisiana Purchase Exposition), the event, held from Aug. 29 until Sept. 3, was notable and takes a place in the history books.

Although the III Olympiad was overshadowed on the world stage by the concurrent 1904 World’s Fair (a.k.a. the Louisiana Purchase Exposition), also held in St. Louis, the event left lasting impressions in the St. Louis area. The official games were held Aug. 29 through Sept. 3, 1904, although numerous so-called “Olympic” events were held from May through November as part of the fair’s Department of Physical Culture.

Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) researchers have made the surprising discovery that people with Alzheimer’s disease retain the capability for a specific form of memory used for rote learning of skills, even though their memories of people and events are extinguished. The scientists’ discovery suggests new strategies to improve training and rehabilitative programs that may bolster the retained cognitive function of those with Alzheimer’s disease and healthy older people.

More than 2,500 graduates and 10,000 of their friends and family members gathered under a sweltering morning sun for Washington University’s 143rd Commencement May 21. A total of 2,589 degrees were conferred, along with six honorary degrees, and three-time Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Thomas L. Friedman delivered the Commencement address.

There is no Campus Watch section in this issue of the Record.