Photograph by Phil Bath

"The amateur's only reward—and his gift to the world—is simply the knowledge of excellence. Bobby Morrow is one of the rare ones who achieved—and gave—a little more: a distillation of excellence, in his case as pure and heady an essence as the Olympic Games have ever known."

Text by Paul O'Neil
Issue Date: January 7, 1957

At the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, Australia, runner Bobby Morrow became the first U.S. man in 20 years to win gold in both the 100 and 200 meter races. Morrow, a 20-year-old native of Texas, also ran the anchor lap for the gold-medal-winning 400 meter relay team.