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Beverly and James Hance have established a professorship in the John M. Olin School of Business, it was announced by Chancellor Mark S. Wrighton. The gift of $1.2 million will be combined with $300,000 from the University’s Sesquicentennial Endowed Professorship Challenge to create the James and Beverly Hance Professorship in Business.

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.

Courtesy of Missouri Historical SocietyWUSTL will rededicate Francis Field, site of the 1904 Olympic track & field events, at 5 p.m. on June 16.Washington University Chancellor Mark S. Wrighton will be joined by Charlie A. Dooley, St. Louis county executive; Jeff Rainford, chief of staff for St. Louis Mayor Francis G. Slay; John Schael, Washington University athletic director; Robert Marbut, chair of the U.S. Olympic Committee’s National Governing Bodies’ Council; and former Olympic athletes Craig Virgin and Wendy Williams for a 5 p.m. ceremony June 16 recognizing the 100th anniversary of the 1904 Olympics at WUSTL and the Athens 2004 Olympic Torch Relay. During the ceremony, which has been moved inside due to inclement weather, Wrighton will host a rededication of Francis Field, the site of the 1904 Olympic track and field events. The ceremony will be held in the Field House in WUSTL’s Athletic Complex.

An olive leaf served as the inspiration for the first Olympic Torch that will travel to all five continents, carrying the message of peace for the Olympic Games of 2004.Washington University in St. Louis will part of the Athens 2004 Olympic Torch Relay as part of the 100th anniversary of the 1904 Olympics held at the university, starting at approximately 7:45 p.m. Thursday, June 17. The torch will be carried into Washington University’s Francis Field, as well as up and down the steps of Brookings Hall, the main administration building. Torchbearers are St. Louis philanthropist E. Desmond Lee, former Washington University volleyball coach Teri Clemens, and Michael DeBaun, M.D., associate professor of pediatrics and of biostatistics at the Washington University School of Medicine. Click here for complete information on all Torch and rededication events on campus.

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.

Joyce and Howard Wood, both alumni of the John M. Olin School of Business, have created the Joyce and Howard Wood Distinguished Professorship in Business. Chancellor Mark S. Wrighton announced the gift of $1.7 million, which has been augmented with $300,000 from the University’s Sesquicentennial Endowed Professorship Challenge. William P. Bottom, Ph.D., will be formally installed as the first holder of this professorship at a later date.

The following is a transcript of Thomas L. Friedman’s Commencement address at WUSTL on May 21, 2004.