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Guide to the Simon Brown Papers and Photographs 1924-1973

Repository
Heinz History Center
Title
Simon Brown Papers and Photographs
Creator
Brown, Simon 1901-1996
Collection Number
MSS 913
Extent
0.5 linear feet (1 box)
Date
1924-1973
Abstract
Simon Brown was a Pittsburgh native who was a member of the United States wrestling team at the 1924 Olympic Games in Paris, France. He won a gold medal despite tearing ligaments in his knee before his match. The Simon Brown Papers and Photographs contain newspaper clippings, Olympic pamphlets, a scrapbook, and photographs.
Language
The material in this collection is in English.
Author
The guide to this collection was written by Meghan Hall.
Sponsor
This collection has been made accessible as part of an NHPRC-funded Basic Processing grant.
Publisher
Heinz History Center
Address
1212 Smallman St.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15222
library@heinzhistorycenter.org
URL: https://www.heinzhistorycenter.org

History

Simon Brown was a Pittsburgh native who was a member of the United States wrestling team at the 1924 Olympic Games in Paris, France. He won a gold medal despite tearing ligaments in his knee before his match.

Simon "Si" Brown was born in Wilkinsburg, Pa on May 21, 1901. Brown started sports shortly after World War I when he became a member of the amateur track, boxing and wrestling teams sponsored by the Carnegie Steel Corporation. He won several YMCA tournaments and subsequently started to wrestle at Amateur Athletic Union meets. Due to his early success, Brown received a sponsorship to the Olympic wrestling tryouts at Carnegie Steel where he qualified in the lightweight class for the 1924 Olympic Games to be held in Paris, France.

At the Olympics, Brown was struck by a passing taxicab, tearing the ligaments in his knee. He recovered sufficiently to defeat the Olympic champion in a match arranged after the games, thus earning an Olympic diploma and gold medal. Brown then traveled to England to participate in the Wimbley Games where he defeated the English champion. After arriving back to the United States, he returned to work for U.S. Steel at the Edgar Thompson Works in Braddock, Pa. During the depression, Brown coached intra-mural wrestling at Carnegie Tech (now Carnegie Mellon University) and the University of Pittsburgh after he was temporarily laid off. He married Alys Laney and the couple had two children together. Brown continued to work for U.S. Steel until 1963 when he retired. Simon Brown died on March 24, 1996 at the age of 94 in Florida.

Scope and Content Notes

The Simon Brown Papers and Photographs consist of materials detailing his participation in the 1924 Olympic Games held in Paris, France. The materials include newspaper clippings, Olympic pamphlets, a scrapbook (c1924), and photographs of Brown throughout his wrestling career. The newspaper clippings are from the Pittsburgh region. The scrapbook follows Brown's journey to the Olympics. It starts in Pittsburgh and the Olympic trials. It continues until after the Olympics when Brown traveled to England to wrestle in another tournament. The scrapbook contains materials such as photographs of Brown and other Olympic athletes, ship tickets, dinner menus, Olympic Games pamphlets and programs and other mementos from Paris and England. The photographs depict Brown during practice and matches. Additional photographs in the scrapbook show other American Olympic athletes. There are also photographs of the wrestling and track and field teams of which Brown was a member in Pittsburgh.

Conditions Governing Access

None

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift from Dan and Joyce Brown in 2009.

Archives accession # 2009.0212

Preferred Citation

Simon Brown Papers and Photographs, 1924-1973, MSS 913, Library and Archives Division, Senator John Heinz History Center

Processing Information

Preliminary processing by Meghan Hall on 02/06/2013.

Conditions Governing Use

Property rights reside with the Senator John Heinz History Center. Literary rights are retained by the creators of the records and their heirs. For permission to reproduce or publish, please contact the Library and Archives of the Senator John Heinz History Center.

Subjects

    Corporate Names

    • Carnegie Steel Corporation (Pittsburgh, Pa.)
    • U.S. Steel Company (Pittsburgh, Pa.)

    Personal Names

    • Brown, Simon 1901-1996

    Geographic Names

    • Braddock (Pa.)
    • Swissvale (Pa.)
    • Wilkinsburg (Pa.)

    Other Subjects

    • Athletics--Pennsylvania--Pittsburgh.
    • Olympic Athletes.
    • Olympics Games (8th : 1924 : Paris, France)
    • Sports -- International -- Olympic – Athletes
    • Sports -- Wrestling -- Pennsylvania – Pittsburgh
    • Sports Clubs -- Pennsylvania -- Pittsburgh

Container List