HomeMy WebLinkAbout02 PHMIH Feb 06
PROJECT HOLD MOMENT IN HISTORY Randy Matson, Olympic Medalist February 27, 2006 Dear Folks, Many of us have been watching the Winter Olympics for the last two weeks. I thought it apropos
to mention a local hero who won silver and gold medals in the Summer Olympics a few years back. James Randel "Randy" Matson was born March 5, 1945, in Kilgore, Texas. Randy won the Silver
Medal in the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan with a 20.20 shot put at the young age of nineteen. In 1968, Randy went on to win the Gold Medal in the Summer Olympics in Mexico City
with a 20.54 shot put. He was 23 years old, 6'6-1/2" tall and weighed 245 pounds. I remember watching Randy at the outdoor A&M pool on Wellborn Road (now a pedestrian tunnel under Wellborn
Road) one afternoon. He was dating a young student from A&M Consolidated High School who was barely over five feet tall. Randy was at one end of the pool with his massive arms hooked
through the diving platform. He was doing leg lifts in the water. Little Marcia was dog paddling madly trying to keep her head above the water as she chatted with Randy. It was a funny
sight. I also got to watch him play basketball for the Aggies. It was hard to believe that such a big guy could move so swiftly yet gracefully across the court. He was (and I suspect
still is) truly a gentle giant. Check out this 1967 photo of Randy on page 26 of the "Eagle Centennial" in Project HOLD (http://HOLD.cstx.gov). You'll find it in History Collections/Brazos
County/Eagle Centennial. And if you happen to see him next Sunday, wish him a very Happy 61st Birthday! Many thanks to Wanda (Luedke) McGill for bringing in the April 27, 1989, Centennial
Edition of "The Eagle" with Randy's picture. Ciao! Anne Hold on to what you've got, don't let go 'cause it means a lot! Anne Boykin Volunteer Coordinator Project HOLD Neighborhood Services
City of College Station 979.764.3491 aboykin@cstx.gov