Towel
Object number2016.100.8
Manufacturer
Morgan-Jones
Date1964
MediumFabric/Cotton
Credit LineGift of Frederick W. Lenn, Jr.
DescriptionRectangular towel. Horizontal red, white, and blue fields with 1964 Tokyo Olympic emblem at each end on the white field. Emblem consists of gold torch with red flame at center flanked by two green laurel branches and gold text below. Ends are frayed by design.Dimensions25.5 x 0.063 x 46.625 in. (64.8 x 0.2 x 118.4 cm)InscriptionsText on front in gold "TOKYO 1964".
MarksWhite fabric maker's label on backside in one corner has blue embroidered text: in top left corner "SELECTED / FOR / THE", in the top right corner "1964 / U.S. OLYMPIC / TEAM", with emblem of torch and laurel branches at center; text along bottom "Morgan-Jones / 100% COTTON".
Historical NotesPart of a collection that documents the military boxing career of donor Frederick W. Lenn, Jr.'s father, Freddie Lenn. Lenn was born Frederick Walter Lenkoski on December 29th, 1914, in Pittsburgh's South Side neighborhood. He learned to box at the boxing program set-up by Father Cox, the famous social activist priest from Pittsburgh. He began to amateur box in 1930, at the Frawley Athletic Club. At age 17, he won the lightweight championship in the Golden Gloves. A year later he enlisted in the Marines. He spent 1934 to 1936 in Shanghai where he continued to box for the military. He won the "Light Heavyweight Champion of the Orient" at the All Asiatic match. He returned to Pittsburgh and went pro after signing with promoter Art Rooney. His last pro fight was in 1940. After Pearl Harbor he was called from the reserves and went on active duty in the South Pacific where he began his coaching career in the Marine Corps. He was a boxing trainer for the 1959-1960 Pan Am games where Cassius Clay participated. He was the first military trainer to become a head Olympic boxing coach for the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo. He retired from the Marines in 1968.
Previous owner
Fredrick Walter Lenn Sr.
(born 1914)
Related person
Father James Renshaw Cox
(1886 - 1951)
Related institution
Frawley Athletic Club
On View
Not on view
c. 2007
1941-1945
1964
1941-1945
