1 00:00:01,320 --> 00:00:04,240 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff You Missed in History Class, a production 2 00:00:04,400 --> 00:00:13,960 Speaker 1: of iHeartRadio. Hello, and welcome to the podcast. I'm Holly 3 00:00:14,000 --> 00:00:19,799 Speaker 1: Frye and I'm Tracy ve Wilson. It's Olympics time once again. Yes, 4 00:00:21,880 --> 00:00:25,600 Speaker 1: we've discussed the Olympics many times on the podcast before, 5 00:00:26,320 --> 00:00:29,760 Speaker 1: but today we are going to focus on women who 6 00:00:29,800 --> 00:00:34,120 Speaker 1: participated in the early iterations of the modern Olympic Games, 7 00:00:34,880 --> 00:00:36,960 Speaker 1: or at least tried to. One of the people that 8 00:00:37,000 --> 00:00:40,920 Speaker 1: we're talking about today is technically not an Olympian. She 9 00:00:41,120 --> 00:00:43,800 Speaker 1: was not allowed to compete. She was also not a 10 00:00:43,840 --> 00:00:50,280 Speaker 1: woman but a teenage child, and we're juxtaposing their stories 11 00:00:51,159 --> 00:00:56,280 Speaker 1: against the famously problematic takes of Pierre de Coubertin when 12 00:00:56,280 --> 00:00:59,680 Speaker 1: it came to women in sports. So we're going to 13 00:00:59,720 --> 00:01:05,080 Speaker 1: talk about three sportswomen of the early nineteen hundreds and 14 00:01:05,200 --> 00:01:07,959 Speaker 1: the work that they did to be part of the 15 00:01:08,000 --> 00:01:12,120 Speaker 1: Olympic Games. I'm laughing because we've talked about Pierre to 16 00:01:12,200 --> 00:01:15,360 Speaker 1: Kuberta a number of times and I just sort of 17 00:01:15,400 --> 00:01:18,679 Speaker 1: forgot that layer, like I jettisoned it from my mind, 18 00:01:20,120 --> 00:01:25,680 Speaker 1: and now I've been reminded. He It's interesting because there 19 00:01:25,760 --> 00:01:28,800 Speaker 1: have as we are about to discuss ben some efforts 20 00:01:28,800 --> 00:01:33,640 Speaker 1: to kind of rehab his misogyny a little men, No, 21 00:01:33,640 --> 00:01:36,720 Speaker 1: no thanks. But then when I look back at his 22 00:01:36,959 --> 00:01:39,720 Speaker 1: actual writings, there's no way around it, which we will 23 00:01:39,760 --> 00:01:43,959 Speaker 1: talk about, yeah as we go on. Yeah. So the 24 00:01:44,120 --> 00:01:47,720 Speaker 1: nineteen hundred Olympic Games, those were the first ones in 25 00:01:47,720 --> 00:01:52,680 Speaker 1: which women were allowed to participate. And you might imagine, 26 00:01:52,720 --> 00:01:56,240 Speaker 1: based on what we just said, that's almost miraculous, given 27 00:01:56,280 --> 00:02:00,280 Speaker 1: that the recognized father of the modern Olympic movement, Year 28 00:02:00,400 --> 00:02:03,760 Speaker 1: de Kubertant, was just not a fan of women in sports. 29 00:02:04,360 --> 00:02:08,520 Speaker 1: He's known for saying inspiring things like quote, sport is 30 00:02:08,600 --> 00:02:12,600 Speaker 1: the birthright of all equally and to the same degree, 31 00:02:12,919 --> 00:02:18,360 Speaker 1: and nothing can replace it, but also saying quote as 32 00:02:18,400 --> 00:02:21,360 Speaker 1: to the admission of women to the Games, I remained 33 00:02:21,440 --> 00:02:24,720 Speaker 1: strongly against it. It was against my will that they 34 00:02:24,720 --> 00:02:29,320 Speaker 1: were admitted to a growing number of competitions. There's actually 35 00:02:29,320 --> 00:02:31,760 Speaker 1: a really interesting framing of all of this on the 36 00:02:31,800 --> 00:02:37,839 Speaker 1: International Olympic Committee website, where this problem and this problematic 37 00:02:37,919 --> 00:02:44,320 Speaker 1: ideology is framed as Kupeptain protecting women. The IOC shares 38 00:02:44,320 --> 00:02:47,280 Speaker 1: the Kupeptain quote from his writing in nineteen twenty eight, 39 00:02:47,440 --> 00:02:50,600 Speaker 1: which states if some women want to play football or 40 00:02:50,639 --> 00:02:55,160 Speaker 1: box let them provided that the event takes place without spectators, 41 00:02:55,280 --> 00:02:58,920 Speaker 1: because the spectators who flock to such competitions are not 42 00:02:59,080 --> 00:03:02,919 Speaker 1: there to watch a sport. So they're making the case 43 00:03:03,040 --> 00:03:07,960 Speaker 1: that he didn't want any lecherous lookielues being unchivalrous around 44 00:03:08,040 --> 00:03:11,040 Speaker 1: ladies in sport, which also kind of brings up the 45 00:03:11,080 --> 00:03:13,400 Speaker 1: issue of like, is that the only reason you can 46 00:03:13,440 --> 00:03:16,360 Speaker 1: think of that someone might want to watch women do 47 00:03:16,520 --> 00:03:20,640 Speaker 1: athletic things? Uh. The IOC does note that he left 48 00:03:20,639 --> 00:03:23,959 Speaker 1: the decision to the Olympic Committee and he didn't block 49 00:03:24,080 --> 00:03:28,799 Speaker 1: women from the games even though he was openly against it. Yeah. 50 00:03:28,840 --> 00:03:32,800 Speaker 1: The IOC is clear though that his opposition to women's 51 00:03:32,840 --> 00:03:36,640 Speaker 1: sports was ongoing even as he was touting the importance 52 00:03:36,720 --> 00:03:39,120 Speaker 1: of equality and education. So he was kind of a 53 00:03:39,200 --> 00:03:42,520 Speaker 1: mixed bag. As we will see, he had some very 54 00:03:42,640 --> 00:03:45,760 Speaker 1: choice words when women tried to take matters into their 55 00:03:45,760 --> 00:03:50,119 Speaker 1: own hands with this. So women were allowed to participate 56 00:03:50,200 --> 00:03:53,200 Speaker 1: in the nineteen hundred Olympic Games in Paris, but only 57 00:03:53,240 --> 00:03:59,040 Speaker 1: in five of the twenty categories, and those were croquet, equestrianism, golf, sailing, 58 00:03:59,160 --> 00:04:04,000 Speaker 1: and tennis. Comedically, the poster that became the most popular 59 00:04:04,040 --> 00:04:07,720 Speaker 1: for the Games and was adopted as the primary advertisement 60 00:04:07,760 --> 00:04:10,800 Speaker 1: for the nineteen hundred Olympic Games was one that depicted 61 00:04:10,800 --> 00:04:14,080 Speaker 1: a woman in fencing gear carrying a foil, a pay 62 00:04:14,160 --> 00:04:17,599 Speaker 1: and saber, despite the fact that women were still barred 63 00:04:17,640 --> 00:04:21,360 Speaker 1: from fencing in the Games. That poster was created by 64 00:04:21,440 --> 00:04:24,880 Speaker 1: Jean de Peliologu, who was a very popular poster artist 65 00:04:24,880 --> 00:04:28,560 Speaker 1: in Europe and the US at the time. It is 66 00:04:28,680 --> 00:04:31,719 Speaker 1: unclear why he depicted a woman fencer in it. I 67 00:04:31,800 --> 00:04:36,039 Speaker 1: never found any documentation of why he went that route. 68 00:04:36,480 --> 00:04:40,160 Speaker 1: That inclusion of sailing as a sport women could participate 69 00:04:40,200 --> 00:04:42,960 Speaker 1: in for the nineteen hundred Games did open the door 70 00:04:43,120 --> 00:04:47,640 Speaker 1: for our first notable woman from Olympic history. Ellenne de 71 00:04:47,800 --> 00:04:52,000 Speaker 1: Portales was born Helene Barbee in New York City on 72 00:04:52,040 --> 00:04:54,880 Speaker 1: April twenty eighth, eighteen sixty eight. But she was from 73 00:04:54,880 --> 00:04:58,400 Speaker 1: the beginning a child who really lived in two worlds. 74 00:04:58,920 --> 00:05:01,640 Speaker 1: The first, New York York was where her mother's family 75 00:05:01,720 --> 00:05:05,960 Speaker 1: was located, Mary Laurillard. Ellen's mother was an heiress to 76 00:05:06,080 --> 00:05:10,599 Speaker 1: the Laurillard Tobacco company fortune and then her father, Aunri 77 00:05:10,920 --> 00:05:14,120 Speaker 1: Isaac Barbee, was Swiss. He had made a lot of 78 00:05:14,160 --> 00:05:18,880 Speaker 1: money through US investments, including in railroads. This family had 79 00:05:18,920 --> 00:05:22,000 Speaker 1: homes in New York and in Switzerland, and they would 80 00:05:22,040 --> 00:05:24,800 Speaker 1: spend the autumn and winter in the US and then 81 00:05:24,880 --> 00:05:28,479 Speaker 1: go to Europe for the summer. When Elen, who was 82 00:05:28,640 --> 00:05:32,400 Speaker 1: the second of their seven children, was young, she stayed 83 00:05:32,400 --> 00:05:35,440 Speaker 1: on that schedule, but then while she was still a child, 84 00:05:35,560 --> 00:05:40,719 Speaker 1: Switzerland became her primary residence, presumably also the primary residence 85 00:05:40,760 --> 00:05:44,719 Speaker 1: of her siblings, because her parents became concerned that New 86 00:05:44,800 --> 00:05:48,599 Speaker 1: York was not good for the children with all the 87 00:05:48,680 --> 00:05:53,440 Speaker 1: crowds and pollution. So life in Geneva, Switzerland, for the 88 00:05:53,480 --> 00:05:57,120 Speaker 1: family was one of wealth and privilege. Among the many 89 00:05:57,200 --> 00:06:01,400 Speaker 1: luxuries they enjoyed were boats, which loved and he passed 90 00:06:01,400 --> 00:06:05,120 Speaker 1: that love on to his children. Boting was a huge 91 00:06:05,160 --> 00:06:08,680 Speaker 1: part of their family life on Lake Geneva. Are had 92 00:06:08,680 --> 00:06:11,520 Speaker 1: his own steam powered yacht there which he brought from 93 00:06:11,520 --> 00:06:14,960 Speaker 1: North America, and the family was close with other Geneva 94 00:06:15,000 --> 00:06:18,359 Speaker 1: families of wealth who shared their love of yachting. So 95 00:06:18,480 --> 00:06:20,720 Speaker 1: it makes sense that she married a man from one 96 00:06:20,760 --> 00:06:24,960 Speaker 1: of those families. That was Count Ermann Alexandre de Portalise, 97 00:06:25,320 --> 00:06:28,599 Speaker 1: who was her senior by twenty one years. They got 98 00:06:28,600 --> 00:06:32,400 Speaker 1: married in eighteen ninety one, when Ellen was twenty three. 99 00:06:32,520 --> 00:06:35,960 Speaker 1: Her husband's first wife had died three years before he 100 00:06:36,240 --> 00:06:38,880 Speaker 1: and Ellen got married, and then when they got married, 101 00:06:39,000 --> 00:06:45,000 Speaker 1: Ellen became the stepmother to four Portales children. Ellen's time 102 00:06:45,120 --> 00:06:47,839 Speaker 1: on the water continued as a wife, as she and 103 00:06:48,000 --> 00:06:51,680 Speaker 1: erman not only yachted and sailed together for enjoyment, they 104 00:06:51,800 --> 00:06:55,360 Speaker 1: also competed in regattas regularly, and they won quite a 105 00:06:55,440 --> 00:06:58,559 Speaker 1: few of them. So when the nineteen hundred Games opened 106 00:06:58,640 --> 00:07:01,320 Speaker 1: up its sailing entries, they had already been in a 107 00:07:01,360 --> 00:07:04,720 Speaker 1: constant state of training and winning. They were considered some 108 00:07:04,760 --> 00:07:07,640 Speaker 1: of the very best boaters in Europe at this point. 109 00:07:08,080 --> 00:07:11,600 Speaker 1: Elene and Ermann registered to compete with their sailboat Loverina, 110 00:07:11,720 --> 00:07:16,280 Speaker 1: representing Switzerland, with a crew consisting of themselves and Armand's 111 00:07:16,360 --> 00:07:21,840 Speaker 1: nephew Bernard Alexandre George Edmond de Portelais. During the qualifying 112 00:07:21,920 --> 00:07:25,240 Speaker 1: round on May twentieth, nineteen hundred, the Lorena, which was 113 00:07:25,280 --> 00:07:29,200 Speaker 1: in the twenty foot class both literally and figuratively, sailed 114 00:07:29,240 --> 00:07:34,120 Speaker 1: through the eleven kilometer course known as the concourd'naire. That 115 00:07:34,200 --> 00:07:39,000 Speaker 1: event took place at Moulon On Evelin just northwest of Paris, 116 00:07:39,800 --> 00:07:43,400 Speaker 1: Eleine and armand had manage through some conditions that did 117 00:07:43,400 --> 00:07:46,400 Speaker 1: not provide much wind at all for their sales, but 118 00:07:46,480 --> 00:07:49,200 Speaker 1: that was something they were already really good at, so 119 00:07:49,280 --> 00:07:52,280 Speaker 1: it did not pose a challenge for the two of them. 120 00:07:52,800 --> 00:07:56,320 Speaker 1: That was not the case for everybody, though, According to 121 00:07:56,360 --> 00:07:59,920 Speaker 1: Olympic historians, of the more than forty nine boats that 122 00:08:00,120 --> 00:08:03,560 Speaker 1: entered the qualifier, only seven of them finished within the 123 00:08:03,640 --> 00:08:07,480 Speaker 1: required time limit, and the finishing group got cut down 124 00:08:07,520 --> 00:08:12,000 Speaker 1: to only five because two of them were disqualified for cheating. 125 00:08:12,760 --> 00:08:16,680 Speaker 1: They had used some kind of propulsion that was more 126 00:08:16,720 --> 00:08:18,720 Speaker 1: than their sales to make up for this lack of 127 00:08:18,800 --> 00:08:22,800 Speaker 1: wind that day. Those numbers can be very confusing. We 128 00:08:22,920 --> 00:08:26,080 Speaker 1: will talk more about that. It's about to get real 129 00:08:26,120 --> 00:08:30,880 Speaker 1: weird with the numbers. So the first race for the 130 00:08:30,920 --> 00:08:34,360 Speaker 1: Portellas Switzerland team took place on the Seen on May 131 00:08:34,400 --> 00:08:37,400 Speaker 1: twenty second, and the Loreine sailed under the assigned number 132 00:08:37,720 --> 00:08:41,320 Speaker 1: twenty two in the one to two ton category. This 133 00:08:41,480 --> 00:08:44,120 Speaker 1: was a nineteen kilometer course that is a little more 134 00:08:44,160 --> 00:08:47,920 Speaker 1: than ten nautical miles you want standard miles, that's almost 135 00:08:47,960 --> 00:08:51,800 Speaker 1: twelve and it was a difficult course as nine or 136 00:08:51,880 --> 00:08:56,480 Speaker 1: perhaps sixty five competitors had qualified and there was a 137 00:08:56,480 --> 00:08:58,720 Speaker 1: lot of maneuvering to get from the start to the 138 00:08:58,760 --> 00:09:03,440 Speaker 1: finish to amud eate all of those yachts. Listen, that's 139 00:09:03,480 --> 00:09:05,360 Speaker 1: a big gap in number, so and it doesn't match 140 00:09:05,440 --> 00:09:07,719 Speaker 1: up with the numbers Tracy just said, And it is 141 00:09:07,800 --> 00:09:10,960 Speaker 1: one of the many problems with historical accounts in the 142 00:09:11,040 --> 00:09:16,559 Speaker 1: nineteen hundred Games. Sixty five participants is almost certainly wrong. 143 00:09:16,679 --> 00:09:19,960 Speaker 1: There were not anywhere near that many qualifiers or even 144 00:09:20,000 --> 00:09:25,040 Speaker 1: people who tried to qualify. There are only nine boats 145 00:09:25,120 --> 00:09:28,760 Speaker 1: listed in the official record, which contradicts that previous number 146 00:09:28,760 --> 00:09:33,080 Speaker 1: of seven qualifiers. But the journal Yachting World that was 147 00:09:33,160 --> 00:09:38,640 Speaker 1: on scene reported sixty five. That magazine also described the 148 00:09:38,760 --> 00:09:42,160 Speaker 1: confusion of the race due to the many participants. Quote, 149 00:09:42,400 --> 00:09:45,920 Speaker 1: the river was absolutely blocked with vessels of all shapes, 150 00:09:46,000 --> 00:09:49,640 Speaker 1: rigs and sizes, and it became exceedingly difficult to keep 151 00:09:49,679 --> 00:09:53,280 Speaker 1: clear of each other. The big vessels, which had started later, 152 00:09:53,480 --> 00:09:55,840 Speaker 1: brought up a breeze with them and ran right up 153 00:09:55,880 --> 00:09:58,800 Speaker 1: to the smaller craft, so that at the turning mark 154 00:09:59,000 --> 00:10:03,560 Speaker 1: every boat was up together. Because of the general confusion 155 00:10:03,679 --> 00:10:06,600 Speaker 1: about this event, it's possible that there were some non 156 00:10:06,760 --> 00:10:09,840 Speaker 1: qualified boats in the water, maybe people just running this 157 00:10:09,960 --> 00:10:13,840 Speaker 1: course for themselves, or maybe a journalist pumped up the 158 00:10:13,920 --> 00:10:17,280 Speaker 1: numbers for some reason, or maybe that journalist didn't do 159 00:10:17,320 --> 00:10:20,400 Speaker 1: it on purpose, they just didn't understand what was happening, 160 00:10:20,440 --> 00:10:23,160 Speaker 1: and they were counting boats that were not actually trying 161 00:10:23,200 --> 00:10:28,280 Speaker 1: to compete. It's all really unclear why the periodical yachting 162 00:10:28,480 --> 00:10:32,080 Speaker 1: world was just so far off the numbers compared to 163 00:10:32,120 --> 00:10:36,040 Speaker 1: everyone else. I'm willing to cut them some slack, though, because, 164 00:10:36,080 --> 00:10:38,360 Speaker 1: as we have talked about on the show before, there 165 00:10:38,440 --> 00:10:43,320 Speaker 1: was confusion about the Olympics being wrapped up with the 166 00:10:43,440 --> 00:10:46,680 Speaker 1: nineteen hundred Exposition, and some people that competed in the 167 00:10:46,679 --> 00:10:48,959 Speaker 1: Olympics didn't even know it was the Olympics. They just 168 00:10:49,000 --> 00:10:52,480 Speaker 1: thought they were doing like some sporting event for the Expo. 169 00:10:52,520 --> 00:10:55,680 Speaker 1: So it's possible that there were more boats in the 170 00:10:55,679 --> 00:10:58,320 Speaker 1: water because they thought they were doing an Expo regatta. 171 00:10:58,360 --> 00:11:02,040 Speaker 1: And we don't know. We can't unravel this particular not 172 00:11:03,160 --> 00:11:05,920 Speaker 1: but what we do know is that Alen served as 173 00:11:05,960 --> 00:11:09,959 Speaker 1: the Loreene's skipper and she and her team won that race. 174 00:11:10,720 --> 00:11:15,280 Speaker 1: They were awarded the gold medal, and there is also 175 00:11:15,360 --> 00:11:18,120 Speaker 1: some confusion about whether or not they got an additional prize. 176 00:11:18,120 --> 00:11:19,920 Speaker 1: We're going to talk about that in a moment that 177 00:11:20,080 --> 00:11:22,680 Speaker 1: is also tied to those less than thorough or less 178 00:11:22,720 --> 00:11:25,719 Speaker 1: than clear accounts that we have of the event. There 179 00:11:25,800 --> 00:11:28,680 Speaker 1: was a second race on May twenty seventh on the 180 00:11:28,720 --> 00:11:31,200 Speaker 1: same course with the same boats, and in that one, 181 00:11:31,240 --> 00:11:34,760 Speaker 1: the Loreene took the silver while the German boat Aschenbrode 182 00:11:34,920 --> 00:11:39,160 Speaker 1: won the gold. Why were there two races that were 183 00:11:39,240 --> 00:11:42,560 Speaker 1: essentially identical, made up of the same competitors that didn't 184 00:11:42,679 --> 00:11:45,880 Speaker 1: end up with an aggregate score to determine an overall champion. 185 00:11:47,000 --> 00:11:52,600 Speaker 1: We don't know. Unclear for a long time, and you'll 186 00:11:52,640 --> 00:11:55,320 Speaker 1: still see it in a lot of places. Tennis player 187 00:11:55,640 --> 00:11:59,360 Speaker 1: Charlotte Reinigald Cooper was credited as being the first woman 188 00:11:59,440 --> 00:12:03,680 Speaker 1: to win Olympic gold medal. She did win in women's 189 00:12:03,679 --> 00:12:07,360 Speaker 1: singles tennis, but Cooper didn't receive her medal until later 190 00:12:07,440 --> 00:12:11,120 Speaker 1: on in the Games, on July eleventh. That was fifty 191 00:12:11,320 --> 00:12:14,680 Speaker 1: days later compared to when the Loreenes team went to 192 00:12:14,720 --> 00:12:18,760 Speaker 1: the gold. This oversight has also been because Cooper was 193 00:12:18,800 --> 00:12:23,199 Speaker 1: a solo competitor, whereas Elene de Portoreis was part of 194 00:12:23,240 --> 00:12:26,880 Speaker 1: a team. We actually made this distinction in our episode 195 00:12:26,920 --> 00:12:29,760 Speaker 1: about Charlotte Cooper came out a couple of years ago, 196 00:12:30,280 --> 00:12:33,319 Speaker 1: and because Elenne did not ever compete again, she just 197 00:12:33,480 --> 00:12:36,640 Speaker 1: wasn't somebody whose name stayed in the news. In addition 198 00:12:36,679 --> 00:12:39,400 Speaker 1: to all those factors, though, there's also the fact that 199 00:12:39,480 --> 00:12:43,800 Speaker 1: the entire yachting category at the nineteen hundred Games has 200 00:12:44,000 --> 00:12:48,360 Speaker 1: been a matter of debate among Olympic historians. Yeah, as 201 00:12:48,400 --> 00:12:51,360 Speaker 1: we've said, these specific games have come up on the 202 00:12:51,400 --> 00:12:55,000 Speaker 1: show before, in an episode dedicated to them by prior 203 00:12:55,040 --> 00:12:57,520 Speaker 1: host Sarah and Deblina, and by us when we did 204 00:12:57,520 --> 00:13:00,920 Speaker 1: a live show about Pierre de kubertin the Dallas Museum 205 00:13:00,920 --> 00:13:03,880 Speaker 1: of Art a number of years back. These games were 206 00:13:03,880 --> 00:13:06,440 Speaker 1: a mess. As I said a moment ago, these ran 207 00:13:06,520 --> 00:13:10,760 Speaker 1: in conjunction with the Paris Exposition. Many athletes were confused 208 00:13:10,760 --> 00:13:13,199 Speaker 1: about whether or not they were participating in the Olympics, 209 00:13:13,880 --> 00:13:16,000 Speaker 1: and as we've talked about, even the reporting of the 210 00:13:16,040 --> 00:13:20,840 Speaker 1: events was really confusing. And in addition to medals, the 211 00:13:20,880 --> 00:13:24,600 Speaker 1: winners in some of the categories in the yachting events 212 00:13:24,760 --> 00:13:28,240 Speaker 1: were given cash prizes, and that's led to arguments about 213 00:13:28,240 --> 00:13:32,040 Speaker 1: whether those can be considered Olympic events at all. But 214 00:13:32,200 --> 00:13:34,520 Speaker 1: if I understand correctly, after kind of going down a 215 00:13:34,559 --> 00:13:37,280 Speaker 1: rabbit hole and trying to suss out like tables of 216 00:13:37,320 --> 00:13:40,240 Speaker 1: events and who got what again, which may or may 217 00:13:40,679 --> 00:13:44,960 Speaker 1: all be accurate. Those cash prizes were not given for 218 00:13:45,040 --> 00:13:47,959 Speaker 1: the one to two ton class that Ellen and her 219 00:13:48,000 --> 00:13:51,199 Speaker 1: family participated in, So in spite of all the messy 220 00:13:51,440 --> 00:13:55,120 Speaker 1: and confused nature of the nineteen hundred Paris Games, for 221 00:13:55,280 --> 00:13:59,280 Speaker 1: a brief time, Ellen de Portalis enjoyed kind of a 222 00:13:59,320 --> 00:14:03,360 Speaker 1: spark of not at least among other yachting enthusiasts in 223 00:14:03,520 --> 00:14:09,040 Speaker 1: Europe's aristocracy. Her husband, Herman, died four years later, and 224 00:14:09,080 --> 00:14:11,880 Speaker 1: then she lived another forty one years without him. She 225 00:14:12,120 --> 00:14:16,120 Speaker 1: died in Geneva in nineteen forty five. Coming up, we 226 00:14:16,200 --> 00:14:19,040 Speaker 1: will talk about a very young athlete who wanted to 227 00:14:19,080 --> 00:14:22,880 Speaker 1: compete alongside men in the Olympic Games, and we'll hear 228 00:14:22,960 --> 00:14:26,280 Speaker 1: more about Kubertin's thoughts on the matter. But first we 229 00:14:26,320 --> 00:14:39,040 Speaker 1: will take a quick sponsor break. In nineteen twelve, Pierre 230 00:14:39,040 --> 00:14:43,560 Speaker 1: de Kubertin wrote an article titled Les femes jus Olympique 231 00:14:44,000 --> 00:14:47,480 Speaker 1: or Women in the Olympic Games, and in this article 232 00:14:47,520 --> 00:14:50,000 Speaker 1: he made it very clear where he stood on women 233 00:14:50,400 --> 00:14:53,040 Speaker 1: participating in the Olympics. We're actually going to read a 234 00:14:53,040 --> 00:14:56,160 Speaker 1: good bit from this, because while he himself claims that 235 00:14:56,480 --> 00:14:59,480 Speaker 1: chivalry is part of his logic and that his position 236 00:14:59,560 --> 00:15:01,560 Speaker 1: is for the best benefit of the women in the Games, 237 00:15:01,920 --> 00:15:06,080 Speaker 1: the things he wrote are undeniably sexist. One brief quote 238 00:15:06,080 --> 00:15:10,680 Speaker 1: from it, that women's athletics would be quote impractical, uninteresting, 239 00:15:10,840 --> 00:15:15,200 Speaker 1: unesthetic and improper circulates all the time, but it's out 240 00:15:15,240 --> 00:15:18,200 Speaker 1: of context. I think it's even worse in context. And 241 00:15:18,240 --> 00:15:21,040 Speaker 1: the rest is, in my opinion, far more damning, and 242 00:15:21,080 --> 00:15:24,760 Speaker 1: it really cannot be wrapped in any kind of revisionist bow. 243 00:15:25,280 --> 00:15:30,440 Speaker 1: So he opened by referencing a recent hopeful woman competitor quote. 244 00:15:30,880 --> 00:15:34,760 Speaker 1: Not long ago, an application signed by a neo Amazon 245 00:15:34,880 --> 00:15:38,680 Speaker 1: who intended to compete and the modern pentathlon was received. 246 00:15:39,320 --> 00:15:42,440 Speaker 1: The Swedish committee, which was free to take its own position, 247 00:15:42,920 --> 00:15:46,800 Speaker 1: refused the agreement in the absence of any established legislation, 248 00:15:47,640 --> 00:15:51,640 Speaker 1: so it is clear that the debate remains open. The 249 00:15:51,680 --> 00:15:55,080 Speaker 1: woman he was referring to was Helen Priest. She was 250 00:15:55,120 --> 00:15:59,040 Speaker 1: a teenager from England. She did not wait for permission 251 00:15:59,200 --> 00:16:01,920 Speaker 1: for women to so compete. She just registered to be 252 00:16:02,000 --> 00:16:05,479 Speaker 1: in the Games, knowing that she would be competing alongside 253 00:16:05,480 --> 00:16:09,040 Speaker 1: male athletes, and despite her young age, she was an 254 00:16:09,080 --> 00:16:15,320 Speaker 1: accomplished equestrian competitor already. Dorothy Helen Priest, who went by Helen, 255 00:16:15,480 --> 00:16:18,640 Speaker 1: was born in London on November eleventh, eighteen ninety five, 256 00:16:19,280 --> 00:16:23,120 Speaker 1: and her parents were Ambrose Ernest Duncan and Edith Clay Priest, 257 00:16:23,240 --> 00:16:27,040 Speaker 1: and they ran a riding school. Helen was their first child, 258 00:16:27,080 --> 00:16:29,560 Speaker 1: and when she was six or seven, the Priests moved 259 00:16:29,560 --> 00:16:32,920 Speaker 1: from London to the suburb of Kingsbury, where the family 260 00:16:32,960 --> 00:16:36,680 Speaker 1: expanded their business into a much larger operation spread across 261 00:16:36,760 --> 00:16:41,080 Speaker 1: many acres. By the time the family made that move, Helen, 262 00:16:41,280 --> 00:16:43,840 Speaker 1: who had been riding since she was three, was already 263 00:16:43,880 --> 00:16:48,000 Speaker 1: competing in writing competitions and she was winning. But Helen 264 00:16:48,120 --> 00:16:52,400 Speaker 1: wasn't only interested in sports that involved horses. During her 265 00:16:52,480 --> 00:16:55,440 Speaker 1: time at Corn Collegiate School as a teen, she also 266 00:16:55,560 --> 00:16:59,720 Speaker 1: played lacrosse and other sports, but horses remained her primary 267 00:16:59,760 --> 00:17:02,520 Speaker 1: herea of competition, and she gained to following doing it. 268 00:17:02,600 --> 00:17:07,320 Speaker 1: She loved jumping in particular, and she was incredibly dynamic 269 00:17:07,359 --> 00:17:11,280 Speaker 1: as a competitor. Apparently anybody who was into horses in 270 00:17:11,359 --> 00:17:15,560 Speaker 1: England knew who she was, and even people who really 271 00:17:15,960 --> 00:17:19,720 Speaker 1: weren't into horses almost certainly saw her picture in the papers. 272 00:17:19,800 --> 00:17:23,000 Speaker 1: She appeared often in ride ups about horse shows and 273 00:17:23,119 --> 00:17:26,680 Speaker 1: horse riding. In the spring of nineteen ten, it seems 274 00:17:26,720 --> 00:17:29,760 Speaker 1: as though every paper in London and its suburbs, and 275 00:17:29,800 --> 00:17:32,760 Speaker 1: even some papers in the US ran a story about 276 00:17:32,840 --> 00:17:36,880 Speaker 1: Queen Alexandra giving Helen five pounds and telling her how 277 00:17:36,960 --> 00:17:39,879 Speaker 1: admirably she had performed after the young rider won a 278 00:17:39,960 --> 00:17:44,280 Speaker 1: jumping competition at a polo pony show. In some of 279 00:17:44,320 --> 00:17:49,080 Speaker 1: her competitions, she wrote against boys and often won. Sometimes 280 00:17:49,160 --> 00:17:52,760 Speaker 1: in those cases she was the only competitor riding side saddle. 281 00:17:53,520 --> 00:17:55,919 Speaker 1: In the autumn of the following year, she traveled to 282 00:17:55,960 --> 00:17:58,600 Speaker 1: New York City to compete in a co ed horse show, 283 00:17:58,640 --> 00:18:02,919 Speaker 1: and she won numerous events, writing against both boys and 284 00:18:03,040 --> 00:18:05,600 Speaker 1: men as well as adult women, and that led her 285 00:18:05,680 --> 00:18:07,600 Speaker 1: to be lauded as one of the best writers in 286 00:18:07,600 --> 00:18:11,600 Speaker 1: the world, and definitely the best female writer. Remember, she 287 00:18:11,720 --> 00:18:14,760 Speaker 1: was still a teenager of about sixteen at this point. 288 00:18:15,720 --> 00:18:19,800 Speaker 1: In July of nineteen twelve, articles appeared throughout Europe and 289 00:18:19,880 --> 00:18:23,560 Speaker 1: North America saying she was set to participate in the Games. 290 00:18:24,240 --> 00:18:26,719 Speaker 1: One that was written in England and then appeared in 291 00:18:26,760 --> 00:18:30,119 Speaker 1: the Democrat and Chronicle of Rochester, New York read quote, 292 00:18:30,160 --> 00:18:34,080 Speaker 1: Miss Priest, who will be the only female representative at 293 00:18:34,119 --> 00:18:37,399 Speaker 1: the Games, has won fame here as an expert horsewoman, 294 00:18:37,440 --> 00:18:40,960 Speaker 1: an athlete generally, and her abilities are not unknown in 295 00:18:41,000 --> 00:18:44,160 Speaker 1: the United States. The write up goes on to mention 296 00:18:44,280 --> 00:18:47,399 Speaker 1: her riding awards, her skills in swimming and fencing, and 297 00:18:47,480 --> 00:18:51,359 Speaker 1: her strength at cross country running. The article included a 298 00:18:51,440 --> 00:18:54,240 Speaker 1: quote from Helen about her hope to win the Pentathlon 299 00:18:54,800 --> 00:18:57,760 Speaker 1: and that she knew it was very ambitious, but had 300 00:18:57,760 --> 00:19:01,240 Speaker 1: been training with her father and friends and they believed 301 00:19:01,280 --> 00:19:04,320 Speaker 1: in her. She was ready to compete in the five 302 00:19:04,440 --> 00:19:09,720 Speaker 1: Pentathlon categories of fencing, pistol, shooting, swimming, cross country running, 303 00:19:09,720 --> 00:19:14,040 Speaker 1: and of course horseback riding that of course included jumps, 304 00:19:14,080 --> 00:19:18,360 Speaker 1: which she almost certainly could dominate. Because of her young age, 305 00:19:18,440 --> 00:19:20,399 Speaker 1: she had to get permission to take a leave of 306 00:19:20,440 --> 00:19:25,080 Speaker 1: absence from school, and it seems that Helen didn't realize 307 00:19:25,080 --> 00:19:28,040 Speaker 1: that her involvement in the Olympic Games in this way 308 00:19:28,160 --> 00:19:31,720 Speaker 1: could be controversial. In later writing about it, it seemed 309 00:19:31,760 --> 00:19:33,639 Speaker 1: that she didn't have a full sense of what the 310 00:19:33,640 --> 00:19:37,840 Speaker 1: event even was. She knew there were multiple competitions, across 311 00:19:37,880 --> 00:19:41,040 Speaker 1: different sports, but she did not appear to have any 312 00:19:41,080 --> 00:19:44,359 Speaker 1: knowledge that it was supposed to be men only. The 313 00:19:44,359 --> 00:19:47,480 Speaker 1: official description that the Olympic Committee had prepared did not 314 00:19:47,720 --> 00:19:50,320 Speaker 1: specify as such that was going to be the first 315 00:19:50,400 --> 00:19:54,080 Speaker 1: year that the pentathlon even happened, and because there wasn't 316 00:19:54,119 --> 00:19:57,000 Speaker 1: a pentathlon national committee in Great Britain at the time, 317 00:19:57,119 --> 00:20:01,160 Speaker 1: athletes were allowed to submit applications cold without going through 318 00:20:01,200 --> 00:20:04,000 Speaker 1: the same level of red tape and qualifiers as other 319 00:20:04,040 --> 00:20:08,760 Speaker 1: events would have required. Her father apparently did know that 320 00:20:08,840 --> 00:20:11,760 Speaker 1: this was supposed to be men only. It seems that 321 00:20:11,840 --> 00:20:15,760 Speaker 1: he actually contacted the British Olympic Association and asked about it. 322 00:20:16,200 --> 00:20:18,760 Speaker 1: But even after he got told that it was for men, 323 00:20:19,040 --> 00:20:22,119 Speaker 1: the priests pressed on and they actually hired a press 324 00:20:22,119 --> 00:20:26,200 Speaker 1: agent to talk about Helen's Olympic plans. When the British 325 00:20:26,200 --> 00:20:30,679 Speaker 1: Olympic Association received Helen's completed paperwork, they've reached out to 326 00:20:30,760 --> 00:20:34,680 Speaker 1: the Swedish Olympic Committee, who were hosting the nineteen twelve Games, 327 00:20:34,760 --> 00:20:39,520 Speaker 1: asking for their guidance about this lady applicant. They consulted 328 00:20:39,600 --> 00:20:43,200 Speaker 1: kober Tabit. He said it was the committee's decision. All 329 00:20:43,240 --> 00:20:46,040 Speaker 1: of Helen's training and planning were for naught because the 330 00:20:46,119 --> 00:20:50,720 Speaker 1: Olympic Committee barred her from competing after a vote. There's 331 00:20:50,760 --> 00:20:54,800 Speaker 1: some uncertainty about how much she understood the situation, because 332 00:20:54,880 --> 00:20:57,440 Speaker 1: later in her life she said that her age had 333 00:20:57,440 --> 00:21:00,880 Speaker 1: been the problem. It is also oh a little bit 334 00:21:01,000 --> 00:21:04,800 Speaker 1: unclear if Helen had intended to enter the nineteen sixteen 335 00:21:04,840 --> 00:21:08,640 Speaker 1: Games in Berlin. Her father had made some inquiries about 336 00:21:08,680 --> 00:21:10,920 Speaker 1: it to the British Olympic Committee, but the start of 337 00:21:10,960 --> 00:21:15,919 Speaker 1: World War One eclipsed any such thoughts. Helen and her father, Ambrose, 338 00:21:15,960 --> 00:21:18,000 Speaker 1: moved to the United States with a number of their 339 00:21:18,000 --> 00:21:22,480 Speaker 1: horses when the war began, and on March twentieth, nineteen fifteen, 340 00:21:22,760 --> 00:21:27,040 Speaker 1: Helen married George Chipchase, a horseman and stable manager who 341 00:21:27,040 --> 00:21:30,119 Speaker 1: had supported her career and had arranged pairing her with 342 00:21:30,240 --> 00:21:34,000 Speaker 1: various horses owned by himself and others for competitions. So 343 00:21:34,040 --> 00:21:36,280 Speaker 1: they had known each other for quite a while when 344 00:21:36,320 --> 00:21:41,000 Speaker 1: she was still a teenager, which is weird. This marriage 345 00:21:41,080 --> 00:21:45,200 Speaker 1: led to some drama. George's first wife sued Helen just 346 00:21:45,280 --> 00:21:47,919 Speaker 1: a few months after the wedding, claiming that she and 347 00:21:47,960 --> 00:21:51,760 Speaker 1: George had never gotten divorced, and so the marriage wasn't legal, 348 00:21:51,840 --> 00:21:55,080 Speaker 1: and that Helen was not entitled to use the Chipchase name. 349 00:21:55,920 --> 00:21:58,320 Speaker 1: There's a funny thing here where the write up suggests 350 00:21:58,320 --> 00:22:00,480 Speaker 1: that the wife thinks that Helen is going to use 351 00:22:01,080 --> 00:22:03,760 Speaker 1: this name to bolster her image, and I'm like, she 352 00:22:03,920 --> 00:22:07,520 Speaker 1: was already famous with her maiden name. I'm not sure 353 00:22:07,560 --> 00:22:11,000 Speaker 1: what was going on there. Despite all of that drama, 354 00:22:11,080 --> 00:22:14,160 Speaker 1: Helen stayed with George until they divorced in nineteen twenty eight. 355 00:22:14,920 --> 00:22:18,840 Speaker 1: She married riding instructor John Leslie Smith in nineteen thirty four. 356 00:22:19,200 --> 00:22:21,320 Speaker 1: They did not stay married more than a few years, 357 00:22:22,080 --> 00:22:25,359 Speaker 1: and throughout all of this Helen remained very busy in 358 00:22:25,400 --> 00:22:28,200 Speaker 1: the horse world. She was running a riding school. At 359 00:22:28,200 --> 00:22:31,000 Speaker 1: that point. She had moved to Aiken, South Carolina, and 360 00:22:31,040 --> 00:22:33,440 Speaker 1: she married for a third time in nineteen forty two 361 00:22:33,600 --> 00:22:36,439 Speaker 1: to a man named Nelson Lewis. That seems to have 362 00:22:36,440 --> 00:22:39,000 Speaker 1: been a very good match. They stayed together for forty three 363 00:22:39,080 --> 00:22:43,280 Speaker 1: years until Nelson's death in nineteen eighty six. Helen died 364 00:22:43,320 --> 00:22:46,159 Speaker 1: at the age of ninety four on July second, nineteen 365 00:22:46,280 --> 00:22:51,040 Speaker 1: ninety Helen's attempt to participate in the nineteen twelve Pentathlon 366 00:22:51,119 --> 00:22:54,800 Speaker 1: stirred up a lot of public opinion, and of course 367 00:22:55,040 --> 00:22:59,880 Speaker 1: Kubert had big feelings. He continued in the nineteen twelve essay, 368 00:23:00,160 --> 00:23:04,240 Speaker 1: quoted from earlier quote, I feel that the Olympic Games 369 00:23:04,320 --> 00:23:08,800 Speaker 1: must be reserved for men first, an application to the 370 00:23:08,800 --> 00:23:12,680 Speaker 1: well known proverb adoor must be either open or closed. 371 00:23:13,280 --> 00:23:17,199 Speaker 1: Can we allow women to access all Olympic events? No? 372 00:23:17,800 --> 00:23:20,360 Speaker 1: Then why should some sports be opened to them while 373 00:23:20,359 --> 00:23:24,120 Speaker 1: the rest are not? Above all, what basis can one 374 00:23:24,240 --> 00:23:26,760 Speaker 1: use to place the barrier between the events that are 375 00:23:26,800 --> 00:23:30,040 Speaker 1: permitted and those that are not. There are not just 376 00:23:30,240 --> 00:23:34,960 Speaker 1: women tennis players and swimmers. There are women fencers, women riders, 377 00:23:35,080 --> 00:23:38,800 Speaker 1: and in America, women rowers. In the future where there 378 00:23:38,880 --> 00:23:43,560 Speaker 1: be perhaps women runners or even women football players, would 379 00:23:43,560 --> 00:23:47,119 Speaker 1: such sports played by women constitute a site to be 380 00:23:47,280 --> 00:23:51,960 Speaker 1: recommenced before the crowds that gather for an Olympiad. I 381 00:23:52,119 --> 00:23:54,720 Speaker 1: do not think that any such claim can be made. 382 00:23:55,480 --> 00:23:58,240 Speaker 1: Kumet Dan goes on to talk about what he feels 383 00:23:58,320 --> 00:24:01,160 Speaker 1: is the more practical problem of the idea of women 384 00:24:01,200 --> 00:24:05,320 Speaker 1: in Olympic sports, and it honestly starts to sound really comedic, 385 00:24:05,560 --> 00:24:08,840 Speaker 1: like he's just making excuses. He thinks the question of 386 00:24:08,880 --> 00:24:12,240 Speaker 1: whether women should compete separately or alongside men in the 387 00:24:12,280 --> 00:24:16,359 Speaker 1: same competitions is simply too hard to figure out. And 388 00:24:16,400 --> 00:24:20,359 Speaker 1: then he notes that women are just not good athletes, stating, quote, 389 00:24:20,760 --> 00:24:23,479 Speaker 1: let us not forget that the Olympic Games are not 390 00:24:23,720 --> 00:24:27,480 Speaker 1: parades of physical exercises, but aim to raise or at 391 00:24:27,560 --> 00:24:34,159 Speaker 1: least maintain records sidius altius, fortius, faster, higher, stronger. He 392 00:24:34,240 --> 00:24:37,440 Speaker 1: stated that, quote, whatever the athletic ambitions of women may be, 393 00:24:38,240 --> 00:24:40,520 Speaker 1: they will never be as good as sports as men, apparently, 394 00:24:40,680 --> 00:24:44,080 Speaker 1: and quote to bring the principle of the theoretical equality 395 00:24:44,080 --> 00:24:47,080 Speaker 1: of the sexes into play here would be to indulge 396 00:24:47,080 --> 00:24:51,920 Speaker 1: in a pointless demonstration, bereft of meaning or impact. His 397 00:24:52,080 --> 00:24:56,480 Speaker 1: next argument, which somehow is even more condescending than all 398 00:24:56,520 --> 00:24:59,320 Speaker 1: of his earlier ones, is that it would just be 399 00:24:59,560 --> 00:25:03,520 Speaker 1: two hard to have these events just for women, and 400 00:25:03,680 --> 00:25:08,879 Speaker 1: ladies should just be enthusiastic observers. Quote. There remains the 401 00:25:08,920 --> 00:25:13,879 Speaker 1: other possibility that of adding women's competition alongside men's competitions, 402 00:25:13,880 --> 00:25:17,400 Speaker 1: and the sports declared open to women, a little female 403 00:25:17,400 --> 00:25:22,520 Speaker 1: Olympiad alongside the great Male Olympiad. What is the appeal 404 00:25:22,560 --> 00:25:27,439 Speaker 1: of that organizers are already overworked deadlines are already too short, 405 00:25:27,600 --> 00:25:31,720 Speaker 1: the problems posed by housing and ranking are already formidable, 406 00:25:32,240 --> 00:25:35,760 Speaker 1: Costs are already excessive, and all that would have to 407 00:25:35,800 --> 00:25:38,600 Speaker 1: be doubled. Who would want to take all that on? 408 00:25:39,520 --> 00:25:46,640 Speaker 1: In our view, this feminine semi Olympiad is impractical, uninteresting, ungainly, 409 00:25:47,119 --> 00:25:51,239 Speaker 1: and I do not hesitate to add improper. It is 410 00:25:51,280 --> 00:25:54,320 Speaker 1: not in keeping with my concept of the Olympic Games, 411 00:25:54,359 --> 00:25:57,640 Speaker 1: in which I believe that we have tried and must 412 00:25:57,680 --> 00:26:01,720 Speaker 1: continue to try to put the following express ran into practice, 413 00:26:02,640 --> 00:26:08,639 Speaker 1: the solemn and periodic exaltation of male athleticism based on 414 00:26:08,800 --> 00:26:13,199 Speaker 1: internationalism by means of fairness in an artistic setting, with 415 00:26:13,280 --> 00:26:18,560 Speaker 1: the applause of women as a reward. This combination of 416 00:26:18,600 --> 00:26:22,800 Speaker 1: the ancient ideal and the traditions of chivalry is the 417 00:26:22,840 --> 00:26:27,639 Speaker 1: only healthful and satisfactory one. It will impose itself on 418 00:26:27,760 --> 00:26:33,000 Speaker 1: public opinion through its own strength. As Kubertina was spinning 419 00:26:33,040 --> 00:26:37,840 Speaker 1: his wheels about women sullying the Olympic Games, Alise Milia 420 00:26:38,240 --> 00:26:40,879 Speaker 1: was seeking reforms. And we're going to talk about her 421 00:26:41,359 --> 00:26:43,480 Speaker 1: right after we hear from the sponsors that keep the 422 00:26:43,520 --> 00:26:57,080 Speaker 1: show going. Alis Josephine Marimillon was born on May fifth, 423 00:26:57,119 --> 00:27:01,000 Speaker 1: eighteen eighty four, in Lante, France, went to her working class. 424 00:27:01,119 --> 00:27:03,160 Speaker 1: They ran a shop for a while and then they 425 00:27:03,160 --> 00:27:05,760 Speaker 1: closed it and got jobs elsewhere. We don't have a 426 00:27:05,800 --> 00:27:08,560 Speaker 1: ton of information about her life as a child, but 427 00:27:08,600 --> 00:27:11,080 Speaker 1: what we know is that when she was twenty, she 428 00:27:11,240 --> 00:27:15,320 Speaker 1: moved to London looking for work. Alis did find work 429 00:27:15,359 --> 00:27:18,199 Speaker 1: as a tutor, and she also found a husband. In 430 00:27:18,280 --> 00:27:20,800 Speaker 1: nineteen oh four, she married a man who was also 431 00:27:21,000 --> 00:27:25,120 Speaker 1: from Nant, Joseph Miat. Sadly, the two of them were 432 00:27:25,160 --> 00:27:28,520 Speaker 1: only married for four years because he died suddenly in 433 00:27:28,600 --> 00:27:32,159 Speaker 1: nineteen oh eight. Alis stayed in London for a couple 434 00:27:32,160 --> 00:27:35,360 Speaker 1: more years, but ultimately decided to go back to France. 435 00:27:36,160 --> 00:27:38,320 Speaker 1: By that time, she had been on trips to the 436 00:27:38,440 --> 00:27:41,439 Speaker 1: US and around Europe and had become multi lingual, so 437 00:27:41,480 --> 00:27:45,800 Speaker 1: she started working as a translator. During the time between 438 00:27:45,840 --> 00:27:49,720 Speaker 1: losing her husband and returning to France, Alise had also 439 00:27:49,840 --> 00:27:53,919 Speaker 1: picked up a passionate love of sports. She played field 440 00:27:53,960 --> 00:27:57,080 Speaker 1: hockey and other track and field sports, and she loved swimming, 441 00:27:57,600 --> 00:28:01,480 Speaker 1: but her true love was rowing. She looked for and 442 00:28:01,680 --> 00:28:04,359 Speaker 1: found other women who loved to do all these things. 443 00:28:05,280 --> 00:28:07,840 Speaker 1: That was with a group called Femina Spor, which was 444 00:28:07,880 --> 00:28:11,639 Speaker 1: founded in nineteen eleven by Pierre Pezi to promote dance 445 00:28:11,720 --> 00:28:15,080 Speaker 1: and athletics. By the time Alise was back in France, 446 00:28:15,160 --> 00:28:18,200 Speaker 1: this group had started sponsoring soccer and rugby games for 447 00:28:18,280 --> 00:28:21,920 Speaker 1: women players, as well as cycling events. This was all 448 00:28:21,960 --> 00:28:26,240 Speaker 1: considered sort of outlandish at best and scandalous at worst, 449 00:28:26,320 --> 00:28:30,280 Speaker 1: but the participants loved it, and they did have supporters, 450 00:28:30,880 --> 00:28:34,640 Speaker 1: and there was at its core a growing feminist movement 451 00:28:34,720 --> 00:28:39,040 Speaker 1: that wanted equality. Biatt was a natural leader in this 452 00:28:39,200 --> 00:28:42,880 Speaker 1: space and became an organizer of groups designed to promote 453 00:28:42,920 --> 00:28:46,640 Speaker 1: women's sports. Just a few years later, in nineteen seventeen, 454 00:28:46,680 --> 00:28:51,040 Speaker 1: she was instrumental in launching the Federation of Women's Sports Societies. 455 00:28:51,880 --> 00:28:55,960 Speaker 1: This and Feminist sport were not surprisingly founded by women, 456 00:28:56,120 --> 00:28:58,880 Speaker 1: but women were part of the leadership from the beginning. 457 00:28:59,400 --> 00:29:02,960 Speaker 1: Alise was the first treasurer and then became secretary a 458 00:29:03,040 --> 00:29:06,200 Speaker 1: year later, and in nineteen nineteen she became its president 459 00:29:07,040 --> 00:29:10,200 Speaker 1: a year later. The entirety of the club's leadership was 460 00:29:10,240 --> 00:29:13,080 Speaker 1: made up of women. She would later write in a 461 00:29:13,120 --> 00:29:16,680 Speaker 1: magazine article that she thought it was abnormal for men 462 00:29:16,800 --> 00:29:21,440 Speaker 1: to be at the helm of women's sports organizations. The 463 00:29:21,480 --> 00:29:25,200 Speaker 1: group's goal was to get their efforts beyond France and 464 00:29:25,320 --> 00:29:29,280 Speaker 1: to get women's sports recognized at the international level. While 465 00:29:29,320 --> 00:29:32,320 Speaker 1: Pierre de Coubertin was complaining that women should be relegated 466 00:29:32,360 --> 00:29:35,200 Speaker 1: to cheering from the stands and stop trying to get involved, 467 00:29:35,640 --> 00:29:38,959 Speaker 1: Elise and her colleagues were launching the first multi country 468 00:29:39,000 --> 00:29:43,040 Speaker 1: women's soccer matches between France and England, and then an 469 00:29:43,040 --> 00:29:45,760 Speaker 1: event in Monte Carlo in nineteen twenty one in which 470 00:29:45,760 --> 00:29:51,080 Speaker 1: women from France, England, Italy, Norway and Sweden participated. And 471 00:29:51,120 --> 00:29:56,440 Speaker 1: then Alise started planning something bigger, a women's Olympics. In 472 00:29:56,480 --> 00:29:59,280 Speaker 1: the autumn of nineteen twenty one, she founded the Federation 473 00:29:59,640 --> 00:30:05,680 Speaker 1: s de Feminine Internacionelle that is also abbreviated generally as FSFI. 474 00:30:06,520 --> 00:30:08,920 Speaker 1: There had been back and forth over the years as 475 00:30:09,000 --> 00:30:12,800 Speaker 1: advocates made their cases to Olympic organizers to have women 476 00:30:12,920 --> 00:30:15,640 Speaker 1: included in more sports, and they had been met with 477 00:30:15,800 --> 00:30:18,840 Speaker 1: no cooperation, so they decided to just plan their own 478 00:30:18,960 --> 00:30:22,600 Speaker 1: similar events, and the first of these games, called the 479 00:30:22,840 --> 00:30:27,120 Speaker 1: Jous Olympiques Feminine, was held in Paris in nineteen twenty two. 480 00:30:28,120 --> 00:30:30,840 Speaker 1: This was only a single day with eleven track and 481 00:30:30,960 --> 00:30:34,200 Speaker 1: field events, and a crowd of twenty thousand people watched. 482 00:30:34,880 --> 00:30:37,720 Speaker 1: The games opened with at least announcing over a loud 483 00:30:37,760 --> 00:30:41,719 Speaker 1: speaker quote, I declare open the first Women's Olympic Games 484 00:30:41,920 --> 00:30:46,800 Speaker 1: in the world. Unsurprisingly, this event was not met with 485 00:30:47,040 --> 00:30:51,320 Speaker 1: enthusiasm from the International Olympic Committee. There was a feeling 486 00:30:51,440 --> 00:30:54,880 Speaker 1: that the whole thing was feminist propaganda and that the 487 00:30:54,920 --> 00:30:58,640 Speaker 1: governing body of the Olympics SYS, the International Amateur Athletic 488 00:30:58,760 --> 00:31:03,120 Speaker 1: Federation that's i AAF, should just take it over. This 489 00:31:03,240 --> 00:31:06,560 Speaker 1: led to so much arguing and then negotiating back and forth, 490 00:31:06,600 --> 00:31:09,040 Speaker 1: and it was not only these two entities that were 491 00:31:09,120 --> 00:31:12,560 Speaker 1: vying for control of the situation. A couple of things 492 00:31:12,680 --> 00:31:16,600 Speaker 1: came out of the negotiations after two years of contentious meetings. 493 00:31:17,320 --> 00:31:21,360 Speaker 1: Milia's FSFI could continue to have its own games, but 494 00:31:21,440 --> 00:31:24,760 Speaker 1: it could not use the word Olympic or any variation 495 00:31:24,880 --> 00:31:28,320 Speaker 1: of it in the name. The FSFI agreed to the 496 00:31:28,520 --> 00:31:32,840 Speaker 1: general rules of international competition that the IAAF had developed, 497 00:31:33,040 --> 00:31:36,640 Speaker 1: but they were still enabled to modify those rules at 498 00:31:36,680 --> 00:31:41,680 Speaker 1: the event level as negotiations continued. In nineteen twenty six, 499 00:31:41,840 --> 00:31:46,360 Speaker 1: Milias organization held the second International Ladies' Games in Sweden, 500 00:31:46,800 --> 00:31:50,400 Speaker 1: it's also been called the Women's World Games, and the 501 00:31:50,440 --> 00:31:53,760 Speaker 1: IOC made an offer to try to appease Milia and 502 00:31:53,760 --> 00:31:57,640 Speaker 1: her team and get their competing events to stop. They 503 00:31:57,680 --> 00:32:00,280 Speaker 1: said they would add women's track and field events to 504 00:32:00,320 --> 00:32:04,600 Speaker 1: the nineteen twenty eight Games. Initially this seemed like a win, 505 00:32:05,000 --> 00:32:08,960 Speaker 1: but then the IAAF retracted the promise of a full 506 00:32:09,040 --> 00:32:12,920 Speaker 1: schedule of events and agreed to only five events on 507 00:32:13,000 --> 00:32:17,280 Speaker 1: an experimental basis. At least was furious and wanted to 508 00:32:17,320 --> 00:32:21,680 Speaker 1: shut the negotiations down completely, but the larger group at 509 00:32:21,760 --> 00:32:25,200 Speaker 1: FSFI saw this as still being a win and they 510 00:32:25,280 --> 00:32:29,960 Speaker 1: voted to accept the IOC's plan. One country, which was England, 511 00:32:30,200 --> 00:32:33,760 Speaker 1: was as irate as MIAT was about it, so much 512 00:32:33,800 --> 00:32:37,600 Speaker 1: so that they boycotted the games entirely. Yeah, that was 513 00:32:37,640 --> 00:32:39,960 Speaker 1: actually a big deal because they were favored to win 514 00:32:40,080 --> 00:32:45,360 Speaker 1: that year, so they were basically walking away from their opportunity. Meanwhile, 515 00:32:45,800 --> 00:32:49,200 Speaker 1: the Women's World Games continued with the nineteen thirty Games 516 00:32:49,240 --> 00:32:52,120 Speaker 1: being held in Prague, and that was also a success. 517 00:32:52,240 --> 00:32:55,840 Speaker 1: Fifteen thousand spectators came out to watch women from seventeen 518 00:32:55,880 --> 00:33:00,680 Speaker 1: countries compete. In nineteen thirty four, another Women's World Games 519 00:33:00,760 --> 00:33:04,000 Speaker 1: was held in London, and throughout all of this time 520 00:33:04,120 --> 00:33:07,520 Speaker 1: that these games were going on, the FSFI was pressuring 521 00:33:07,600 --> 00:33:12,600 Speaker 1: the IAAF to fully integrate the Olympics with women, but 522 00:33:12,720 --> 00:33:16,160 Speaker 1: things seemed to be going backwards. There were fewer women 523 00:33:16,560 --> 00:33:19,240 Speaker 1: allowed in the various games and fewer events that they 524 00:33:19,240 --> 00:33:21,880 Speaker 1: could participate in, and so the bickering between these two 525 00:33:22,000 --> 00:33:27,000 Speaker 1: entities continued. In nineteen thirty five, a very frustrated Milia 526 00:33:27,280 --> 00:33:31,200 Speaker 1: asked the IOC to just exclude women completely so that 527 00:33:31,240 --> 00:33:33,080 Speaker 1: they could just go do their own thing and not 528 00:33:33,160 --> 00:33:35,880 Speaker 1: have to negotiate with an organization that clearly did not 529 00:33:36,120 --> 00:33:39,880 Speaker 1: want any kind of cooperation. This letter that she wrote 530 00:33:39,920 --> 00:33:42,480 Speaker 1: asking them to say, fine, just write us out completely 531 00:33:42,880 --> 00:33:45,480 Speaker 1: was incendiary, which she knew it would be, and it 532 00:33:45,560 --> 00:33:49,240 Speaker 1: set off another round of tense negotiating. But this resulted 533 00:33:49,280 --> 00:33:52,840 Speaker 1: in the Olympic Committee and the IAAF agreeing to a 534 00:33:52,960 --> 00:33:57,320 Speaker 1: complete program of women's sports in the Games and the 535 00:33:57,400 --> 00:34:00,040 Speaker 1: recognition of world records that had been set at the 536 00:33:59,840 --> 00:34:04,360 Speaker 1: Women's Games, which was another sticking point. While another women's 537 00:34:04,360 --> 00:34:07,200 Speaker 1: Games had been planned for nineteen thirty eight in Vienna. 538 00:34:07,600 --> 00:34:11,320 Speaker 1: The IAAF insisted that if everybody agreed to these terms, 539 00:34:11,320 --> 00:34:14,080 Speaker 1: that those games could not happen, and this was the 540 00:34:14,120 --> 00:34:18,160 Speaker 1: agreement that was finally struck. Through grint, perseverance, and a 541 00:34:18,239 --> 00:34:21,520 Speaker 1: willingness to toe up to the largest athletic organizations in 542 00:34:21,560 --> 00:34:24,680 Speaker 1: the world. Alis Milia had led the charge to get 543 00:34:24,719 --> 00:34:29,240 Speaker 1: women's sports fully integrated into the Olympics. Miya had spent 544 00:34:29,280 --> 00:34:32,799 Speaker 1: the years fighting this fight, doing so not just in 545 00:34:32,880 --> 00:34:37,080 Speaker 1: meetings with athletics committees, she had also been very publicly 546 00:34:37,200 --> 00:34:41,560 Speaker 1: touting the importance of equality in sports. She wrote numerous 547 00:34:41,680 --> 00:34:45,600 Speaker 1: articles for various magazines and newspapers about why it was 548 00:34:45,680 --> 00:34:48,560 Speaker 1: not at all scandalous for a woman to be an athlete. 549 00:34:49,120 --> 00:34:52,439 Speaker 1: She was very frank and sharing her frustrations over having 550 00:34:52,480 --> 00:34:56,000 Speaker 1: to fight so hard for the right to play sports. 551 00:34:56,880 --> 00:35:00,280 Speaker 1: Miyat represents the push in France and the worl world 552 00:35:00,360 --> 00:35:03,600 Speaker 1: in the early twentieth century for women to have opportunities 553 00:35:03,600 --> 00:35:06,920 Speaker 1: in sports, but also for women to have more social 554 00:35:06,960 --> 00:35:12,040 Speaker 1: and political equality. She recognized that the two were inextricably connected, 555 00:35:12,120 --> 00:35:15,239 Speaker 1: and in nineteen thirty four she told an interviewer for 556 00:35:15,400 --> 00:35:19,759 Speaker 1: Independent Women quote, women's sports of all kinds are handicapped 557 00:35:20,040 --> 00:35:23,879 Speaker 1: in my country by the lack of playing space. As 558 00:35:23,920 --> 00:35:26,719 Speaker 1: we have no vote, we cannot make our needs publicly 559 00:35:26,800 --> 00:35:30,400 Speaker 1: felt or bring pressure to bear in the right quarters. 560 00:35:31,000 --> 00:35:33,399 Speaker 1: I always tell my girls that the vote is one 561 00:35:33,440 --> 00:35:35,759 Speaker 1: of the things they will have to work for if 562 00:35:35,800 --> 00:35:38,880 Speaker 1: France is to keep its place with the other nations 563 00:35:38,960 --> 00:35:42,640 Speaker 1: in the realm of feminine sport. And after all of 564 00:35:42,680 --> 00:35:46,840 Speaker 1: this work and finally getting the Olympics integrated, Alice opted 565 00:35:46,880 --> 00:35:49,719 Speaker 1: to step out of the spotlight and mostly retired as 566 00:35:49,719 --> 00:35:53,239 Speaker 1: the mouthpiece for women in sports. She continued to live 567 00:35:53,239 --> 00:35:56,680 Speaker 1: in Paris until her death on May nineteenth, nineteen fifty seven. 568 00:35:57,520 --> 00:36:01,520 Speaker 1: Although she was characterized very negat by a lot of 569 00:36:01,560 --> 00:36:04,439 Speaker 1: people in her lifetime, Alise has come to be seen 570 00:36:04,560 --> 00:36:07,920 Speaker 1: as a trailblazer and a vital force for women's athletics. 571 00:36:08,640 --> 00:36:12,880 Speaker 1: In twenty sixteen, the Elise Milia Association was formed with 572 00:36:13,000 --> 00:36:16,280 Speaker 1: the mission that it quote advocates for gender equality in sport, 573 00:36:16,800 --> 00:36:22,239 Speaker 1: promotes better representation of female athletes, coaches and leaders, values diversity, 574 00:36:22,560 --> 00:36:25,840 Speaker 1: and fights against all forms of discrimination and violence, both 575 00:36:25,880 --> 00:36:28,960 Speaker 1: on and off the field of sports. At the twenty 576 00:36:29,000 --> 00:36:32,240 Speaker 1: twenty four Olympic Games in France, an actor was present 577 00:36:32,280 --> 00:36:35,160 Speaker 1: throughout the games dressed as Elise, and there was also 578 00:36:35,200 --> 00:36:37,719 Speaker 1: a plaza at the Olympic Village that was named for her. 579 00:36:38,280 --> 00:36:40,719 Speaker 1: If you watch the opening ceremony, which I know not 580 00:36:40,760 --> 00:36:44,400 Speaker 1: everybody loved. I thought it was spectacular. And you recall 581 00:36:44,480 --> 00:36:47,279 Speaker 1: the ten gold statues of women that appeared along the 582 00:36:47,360 --> 00:36:51,120 Speaker 1: sein during the festivities. One of those was Elise. Those 583 00:36:51,160 --> 00:36:55,000 Speaker 1: statues actually went into storage for a while, but then 584 00:36:55,040 --> 00:36:57,719 Speaker 1: in June of twenty twenty five they were installed along 585 00:36:57,760 --> 00:37:00,600 Speaker 1: the Rue de la Chapelle in the eighteenth hour deisment 586 00:37:00,880 --> 00:37:06,480 Speaker 1: as a permanent public exhibit. And those are some women 587 00:37:06,520 --> 00:37:11,520 Speaker 1: that made it possible for women to be involved in sports. Yeah, d' 588 00:37:11,560 --> 00:37:15,520 Speaker 1: alse have some listener mail I do. This listener mail 589 00:37:15,640 --> 00:37:19,200 Speaker 1: is from our listener, Miranda. It is in response to 590 00:37:19,320 --> 00:37:24,600 Speaker 1: our Embroidery podcast, specifically Embroidery Part one. Without knowing it, Miranda, 591 00:37:24,920 --> 00:37:27,759 Speaker 1: reference is something that comes up I think in part 592 00:37:27,760 --> 00:37:31,359 Speaker 1: two writing Dear Holly and Tracy. Imagine my amusement when 593 00:37:31,400 --> 00:37:34,800 Speaker 1: I started the latest podcast without really looking at its subject. 594 00:37:34,880 --> 00:37:38,160 Speaker 1: While I worked on my latest cross stitch, I started cackling. 595 00:37:38,640 --> 00:37:42,400 Speaker 1: I love the various dives into handicrafts, especially textile and 596 00:37:42,480 --> 00:37:44,920 Speaker 1: fiber arts. In the last year or so, with paper 597 00:37:44,960 --> 00:37:47,799 Speaker 1: patterns and now embroidery. It's nice to see them get 598 00:37:47,800 --> 00:37:50,680 Speaker 1: the same kind of attention as other art. Listen, we 599 00:37:50,760 --> 00:37:53,200 Speaker 1: know I love these arts for anyone who might be 600 00:37:53,200 --> 00:37:56,040 Speaker 1: getting into the hobby. DMC has free cross stitch and 601 00:37:56,040 --> 00:37:59,600 Speaker 1: embroidery patterns on their website that you can filter by difficulty. 602 00:38:00,840 --> 00:38:04,640 Speaker 1: I also use Antique Patternlibrary dot org for vintage and 603 00:38:04,680 --> 00:38:07,439 Speaker 1: antique patterns. That's pretty cool. I didn't know about that one, 604 00:38:08,080 --> 00:38:10,320 Speaker 1: and we talked about DMC, I think in the second 605 00:38:10,320 --> 00:38:14,120 Speaker 1: part of that two parter, so they gotta shout out 606 00:38:14,440 --> 00:38:17,040 Speaker 1: as pat tax. I'm including my eleven year old lady 607 00:38:17,160 --> 00:38:19,799 Speaker 1: Scottie or Scattie, I'm not sure how it's pronounced. She 608 00:38:19,920 --> 00:38:23,040 Speaker 1: is a calico, very deliberately not looking at the cheese 609 00:38:23,040 --> 00:38:25,600 Speaker 1: she wanted to steal. And my one year old Apollo 610 00:38:25,680 --> 00:38:28,480 Speaker 1: thirteen the void, who looks like an Edward Gory drawing 611 00:38:28,560 --> 00:38:33,120 Speaker 1: of a cat. These babies are so sweet, Listen. I 612 00:38:33,239 --> 00:38:36,480 Speaker 1: have a cat. I am normally a don't feed cats 613 00:38:36,640 --> 00:38:39,920 Speaker 1: any food off your plate person, but we have one 614 00:38:40,000 --> 00:38:42,400 Speaker 1: who is a sweet, gentle little lady, and I can't 615 00:38:42,440 --> 00:38:44,319 Speaker 1: resist sneak in her a little snack now and again, 616 00:38:45,280 --> 00:38:50,440 Speaker 1: and we all love voids. We know that also because 617 00:38:50,480 --> 00:38:53,480 Speaker 1: this email mentions Edward Gory. There are only a few 618 00:38:53,520 --> 00:38:56,080 Speaker 1: days left if you're listening to this episode the day 619 00:38:56,120 --> 00:38:58,880 Speaker 1: it comes out. But if you are in Manhattan, the 620 00:38:58,960 --> 00:39:03,279 Speaker 1: Society of Illustration has a lovely Edward Gorey exhibit going on. 621 00:39:04,160 --> 00:39:08,280 Speaker 1: I highly recommend it, like pieces from his entire career 622 00:39:08,719 --> 00:39:11,680 Speaker 1: in life, and it's amazing. These two kiddies are so 623 00:39:11,840 --> 00:39:13,960 Speaker 1: cute and should get all of the cheese and all 624 00:39:14,000 --> 00:39:18,560 Speaker 1: of the kisses. And man Paul thirteen is really an 625 00:39:18,600 --> 00:39:21,560 Speaker 1: extra gorgeous black cat. He looks like a little panther baby. 626 00:39:21,600 --> 00:39:24,279 Speaker 1: I love it. I love it. Thank you so much 627 00:39:24,320 --> 00:39:27,279 Speaker 1: for this listen. I want to talk about handicrafts all 628 00:39:27,280 --> 00:39:30,120 Speaker 1: the time. Let's talk about sewing forever. I'll do it. 629 00:39:30,800 --> 00:39:32,840 Speaker 1: But if you would like to write to us and 630 00:39:32,960 --> 00:39:38,400 Speaker 1: share your projects or your pictures of your pets or 631 00:39:38,480 --> 00:39:40,560 Speaker 1: anything else you want, or you don't want to send 632 00:39:40,560 --> 00:39:42,920 Speaker 1: a picture, that's cool too. You can do that at 633 00:39:43,000 --> 00:39:46,759 Speaker 1: History podcast at iHeartRadio dot com. You can also listen 634 00:39:46,800 --> 00:39:49,279 Speaker 1: to the podcast on the iHeartRadio app or anywhere you 635 00:39:49,320 --> 00:39:57,560 Speaker 1: listen to your favorite shows and subscribe there. Stuff you 636 00:39:57,600 --> 00:40:00,320 Speaker 1: missed in History Class is a production of iheartm Radio. 637 00:40:00,640 --> 00:40:05,239 Speaker 1: For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, 638 00:40:05,360 --> 00:40:07,400 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.