2014 Hall of Fame Inductee
Thomas Edmund Burke was the first American to become a two-time Olympic gold medalist, reeling in the double at the first modern Olympic Games in 1896, in Athens, Greece. At age 21, he blew away fields in both the 100 and 400 meters to earn the gold medal with times of 12.0 and 54.2 respectively. Prior to competing in the Olympic Games, Burke won the 1895 AAU 440-yard title and captured the crown again in both 1896 and 1897. Burke is a three-time IC4A Champion, including twice at 440 yards. Having competed for the New York Athletic Club, Burke spent his later life in Boston, where he founded a law practice and wrote for both the Boston Journal and Boston Post. Burke later became a lawyer, but was also an athletics coach and a part-time journalist, writing for The Boston Journal and the Boston Post. Burke served in the US Army during World War I. Later in life, he wrote for the Boston Post and the Boston Journal and established his own private law practice. He died at age 53 on February 14, 1929. 1896: Gold medalist in 100m and 400m in first modern Olympic Games