What do libraries and the Olympics have in common? For the Mississippi State Libraries, the answer is easy – a 1924 Olympics warmup suit worn by MSU alum and long-time track coach W.O. Spencer during the 1924 Paris Olympics. Today, 100 years later, nine MSU student-athletes follow in Spencer’s footsteps as they embark on their Olympic dreams – once again in the City of Lights.
Spencer, a native of Okolona, attended MSU from 1920-1924. He returned to Starkville as the Mississippi State track coach, leading the teams from 1936 to 1947, with the exception of four years while serving on active duty. On Nov. 13, 1982, the university dedicated the W.O. Spencer Track Stadium, named after the two-time Olympian and former Mississippi State track and field athlete. Spencer’s generous contributions to the university gave the track program a grandstand that seats 3,500.
During the 1924 Paris Olympics, Spencer was a semifinalist in the Men’s 1500m, placing 7th overall and 3rd in the second heat. He represented the United States again in the 1928 Olympics in Amsterdam, finishing as a semifinalist (final position not known), placing 3rd in the second heat (according to MSU Athletics).
W.O. Spencer donated the warmup suit to Mississippi State University, and the Libraries' Archives and Special Collections took ownership of it in the early 1970s. The suit will be on display in the Special Collections room during the 2024 Olympics.
Best of luck to our Bulldogs competing this year – Navasky Anderson (Track & Field), Marco Arop (Track & Field), Nuno Borges (Tennis), Lee Eppie (Track & Field), Ilana Izquierdo (Soccer), Catalina Perez (Soccer), Anderson Peters (Track & Field), Curtis Thompson (Track & Field), and Chris Woods (Track & Field).
You can visit the Libraries' Archives and Special Collections online at library.msstate.edu/specialcollections, and about our digital at www.library.msstate.edu/specialcollections/collections. Learn more about W.O. Spencer at hailstate.com/sports/olympic-games/roster/william%20o.-spencer/11111, and about this year’s MSU Olympians at hailstate.com/sports/2024/6/18/state-to-paris-2024.
