The Olympic & Paralympic Torch Award is presented to an individual in recognition of outstanding service to the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic movements.
Now an annual honor, the award was first established in 1965. The recipient has made a positive impact on the Olympic and Paralympic movements in the United States and has made many contributions to promoting the Olympic and Paralympic ideals throughout the country.
Criteria
- Honors an individual
- Recognizes meaningful impact on U.S. Olympic and Paralympic movements
- Does not need to be awarded in same year of contributions
Recipients
1965 Avery Brundage, USOC President (1928-53)
1966 Kenneth L. Wilson, USOC President (1953-65)
1966 Asa S. Bushnell, USOC Officer
1966 R. Max Ritter, USOC Officer
1969 Douglas F. Roby, USOC President (1965-69)
1969 T. Nelson Metcalf, USOC Executive Board
1973 Clifford H. Buck, USOC President (1970-73)
1974 William E. Simon, USOC President (1981-85)
1977 Gerald Ford, U.S. President
1977 Philip O. Krumm, USOC President (1973-77)
1981 Robert J. Kane, USOC President (1977-81)
1985 Col. F. Don Miller, USOC Executive Director (1973-85)
1989 Edward J. Derwinski, Secretary-designate of Veterans Affairs
1990 Baaron Pittenger, USOC Executive Director
1996 Bonnie Blair, U.S. Olympic speedskating champion (1988, '92, '94)
2000 Bud Greenspan, Olympic filmmaker
2000 Dr. Evie G. Dennis, USOC Officer
2010 George E. Killian, USOC Board of Directors (1967-2003)
2011 Christy Halbert, Boxing Coach
2012 Micki King, vice president of the U.S. Olympians Association
2013 Dr. Evie Dennis, former vice president of the USOC and Amateur Athletic Union
2014 Willie Banks, former president and vice president of the USOPA
2015 Anne Warner Cribbs, former president and vice president of the USOPA
2016 Jim Easton, former IOC and USOC board member (1994-2015), and IOC Vice President (2002-06)
2017 Michael Lenard, former USOC vice president and 1984 Olympian (team handball)
2018 Michael Stephens, Lakeshore Foundation*
2019 Donna de Varona
2020 1980 U.S. Olympic Team
2022 Andras (Andy) Toro, four-time Olympian (canoe)
*Awarded posthumously