Alumnus Donates Silver Medal

It is not entirely uncommon to hear a story of alumni giving back to Harvard financially as a way to show their gratitude for the opportunities and life changing experiences they were able to have as students. But what is uncommon is the one-in-a-kind gift that Harvard men’s swimming and diving alumnus Francis X. Gorman ’59 bestowed onto his old team. By doing so, Gorman gave back to Harvard in one of the most unique ways in recent memory.

On Nov. 19, during a reception that marked the 80th anniversary of the men’s swimming and diving team, Gorman stunned alumni and current students alike by announcing that he was donating his Olympic silver medal to Harvard.

Gorman’s climb to the podium at the 1964 Tokyo Games for the three-meter springboard diving event was only the culmination of an illustrious athletic career. During his time at Harvard, Gorman earned All-American honors in both one- and three-meter boards in addition to securing victories on both boards during the Eastern Intercollegiate Diving Championships of 1959 and 1960.

Gorman’s plan was something that had been in the works for some time. At the time of ceremony, the gift was accepted by men’s swimming and diving coach Keith Miller, who had been in correspondence with Gorman for much of the summer and helped to coordinate Gorman’s plan.

“He called me this summer and said, ‘I had this idea that I’ve been thinking about for a little while and I wanted to see what you thought,’” Miller said. “And when he explained it to me, of course I was elated. As he explained to me, oftentimes [when] people win these medals and awards… they just end up going into drawers and closets or stuffed away. But he thought that his medal was something that we could make use of.”

In the coming weeks, the task that awaits Miller and other members of the swimming and diving team is to secure a proper and safe location where Gorman’s medal can be proudly displayed as a testament to athletic achievement and altruism.

“I’ve never heard of something like this happening before,” Miller said. “Certainly athletes contribute in various ways and help support the team, but I have never heard of an athlete giving an Olympic medal. What Frank hopes is that [his gift] spurs others to do similar things. It is a great thought that brings about more togetherness in the Harvard community.”