DENTON, William Thomas
Inducted: 1963
Tom Denton was a member of the first class of American gymnasts to medal in the Olympic Games. In 1932, the Olympics were for amateurs only, and that meant amateur! An athlete had to pay for his or her own transportation, lodging, meals, and any other expenses necessary to be eligible to compete in the Olympics. Denton probably sacrificed greatly to get to Los Angeles, considering it was the middle of the great depression. But his sacrifice truly counted for the U.S. He and George Gulack were to be the last Olympic gymnastic individual event medals to be won by an American for 44 years.
Olympic Games
Silver-SR, Los Angeles, CA-USA. George Gulack of the USA won the gold. Denton was a United States Military Academy graduate and furthered his gymnastics training under 1959 Hall of Fame Inductee Louis “Bud” Mang.
Eastern College Athletic Association (ECAA) Championships: Silver-FR, (1931); Gold-FR, (1932 & ’33).
Source: Jerry Wright, author of Gymnastics Who’s Who, 2005 courteously provided data and photo. Introduction and formatting by Dr. Larry Banner, Web Manager.