In Short (2)

Were the great Jim Thorpe's 1912 Olympic gold medals taken from him because he had lost his amateur status or because he was an American Indian? The latter possibility has rankled over the years. It was good to have it laid to rest last week by the posthumous restoration of the medals by the International Olympic Committee. They had been held on grounds that Thorpe had once been paid for playing baseball. But evidently the offense was such a minor one that Thorpe did not realize it was a violation at the time. And the committee has in good conscience been able to restore his amateur status. Yeah, Jim!