Gene Oberst won bronze in the Javelin at the 1924 Paris Olympics, and later enjoyed a 35-year career in athletics and teaching at JCU.
PARIS -- Exactly 100 years ago, a young American javelin thrower was making history and rubbing elbows with some of the world's most legendary athletes in Paris.Â
As you watch the Paris 2024 Olympics, you may not know the absolutely fascinating history of a long-since passed Blue Streak who once won a Bronze medal.Â
It's time you met Gene Oberst. His is a tale of a young man who was discovered by the legendary Knute Rockne, leading to a decorated football and track career at Notre Dame. The javelin carried him across the Atlantic to the 1924 Olympics, where he encountered a who's who of future movers and shakers.Â
But this story continues past youth, and into the Great Depression, as Oberst searches for a long-term job with Rockne's help. Fate calls Oberst and his young family to University Heights, a nascent town with a brand-new John Carroll University campus. World War II intervenes and changes the world and school, bringing the Navy V-12 program, with Oberst as athletic director. Oberst leads the Blue Streaks into a new postwar athletic age and watches stars such as Don Shula pass through. The classroom calls to him and a vocation is found. One of the Greatest Generation's greats ages gracefully as a late-blooming artist until his passing in 1991.Â
Gene Oberst is a fascinating All-American tale of a man who enjoyed a great athletic and coaching career. But more importantly, Oberst is a man who became a beloved piece of the John Carroll community, dedicating over three decades to educating college students.Â
And above all, this is the story of a life well lived.Â
Author's Note: Gene "Kentuck" Oberst: Olympian, All-American, Notre Dame Football Champion and Renaissance Olympian: Mentored by Rockne, Gene Oberst Becomes a Renowned Coach, Professor & Artist by Robert Oberst were the primary sources for information about Gene Oberst.
A Kentucky ColonelÂ
Eugene William Oberst was born on July 23, 1901 in Owensboro, Kentucky. He was the 11th child of Andrew and Mary Tennes Oberst. In this Ohio River town, the Oberst family enjoyed a middle-class lifestyle, as Gene wrote about the fresh fruit, vegetables, and flowers that grew around the home, "this made the family almost self-sufficient for life's sustenance, independent of most outside sources."
Before Gene began school, a spider bit him and much of his body became severely swollen, keeping him in bed for weeks. His condition improved, but his feet were still deformed, so running was painful and his gait was altered. At 14, "he traveled to his brother Bonaventure's Passionist monastery in St. Louis in hopes of healing his deformed feet." Doctors operated on his feet and fitted him with braces, which helped his condition somewhat.
After his time at St. Joseph's German Catholic School, Oberst enrolled in Owensboro High School. An avid reader since childhood, he accumulated a great library of books. The tallest in his class, he joined the Owensboro team as a lineman during his senior year. However, the Spanish Flu canceled the 1919 season midway through. Baseball also appealed to Oberst.
Oberst graduated from Owensboro in 1919, speaking at commencement. His older brother, Albert, had attended Notre Dame and graduated with a law degree in 1906, inspiring Gene to head to South Bend. But after sending many of his older siblings to college, money was short, with only enough money to pay for the first semester. Gene would have to earn the rest of his tuition himself.
Under Rockne's Wing
In the fall of 1919, Oberst took a train to Notre Dame and enrolled in law classes. He also joined Knute Rockne's football team, on which the freshmen essentially formed a practice squad. Rockne would have the highest winning percentage of any major college coach (.881). Many players acquired nicknames, and Gene became known as "Kentuck" for his Southern accent. While the 6'4" Oberst did not play as a freshman, he did get to watch George Gipp perform. Known as the "Gipper," he guided the Fighting Irish to undefeated 9-0 seasons in 1919 and 1920 before his untimely death.
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Gene Oberst in a football
uniform (Rob Oberst)
Oberst worked his way through college, including during summers back at home and as a coach for the Minims, a local grade school where Rockne's son attended. Oberst would be an excellent teacher for Knute's son, helping him mature. His youngsters enjoyed plenty of success, claiming an undefeated record in four sports over three years.Â
In the spring of 1921, Oberst happened across a track practice at Notre Dame. A javelin landed near him on an errant toss. With some emotion at a sharp javelin coming too close for comfort, Oberst hurled it over the offending athlete's head and went about his day. The next day at lunch, Rockne – also the track coach – approached "Kentuck" and encouraged him to come out for practice.
With it being late in the season, there were no uniforms left, so Oberst wore one of Rockne's sweatshirts (which came down only to his belly button), baseball pants, and football shoes. Despite an unusual form, Oberst impressed immediately. After just two weeks of Rockne's mentoring, Oberst set an Indiana state record at a meet at Purdue University with a toss of 181 feet, 4 inches. He later broke a Michigan State record with a toss of 165'1".Â
Influenced by baseball and his childhood habit of throwing 5-foot horseweeds that blossomed near his home, Oberst's form was strange, though Rockne told him to keep it. "I sort of wound up, brought the spear down below my knees, then cocked my arm and let it go," Oberst recalled. "As far as I know, I was the only man who ever used that delivery. Somehow, it made me throw a little off course, the spear always going to the left. Since the rules called for the measurement to be made perpendicularly, I always lost between 15 and 20 feet on every throw."
Gene Oberst started at right tackle in 1923 (Rob Oberst)
As fate would have it, the NCAA chose to host its first track & field championship in the late spring of 1921. The famous Amos Alonzo Stagg helped to organize the NCAA's first championship in any sport. As the NCAA archives list, Oberst recorded a mark of 58.26 meters, good enough for fifth. While not announced then, Oberst can claim an All-American honor.Â
Oberst missed the 1921 football season with an ailing back, returning for track season in 1922. Despite solid work, he did not qualify for the NCAA Championships this time. The following fall, Oberst became the starter at right tackle due to an injury to Tom Lieb in the third game.
In the summers, Oberst trained heavily while holding down jobs to pay for college. His senior season would be particularly impactful. In the fall, the Fighting Irish enjoyed a stellar season, with an 8-1 record in 1923. That campaign set the foundation for the following season, when Grantland Rice dubbed the Notre Dame backfield, "The Four Horsemen." And so, Oberst could claim the distinction of blocking for one of the most renowned backfields in football history before they became famous. Henry L. Farrell of the New York Times and United Press Sports listed Oberst as a second team All-American.Â
In the spring of 1924, Oberst gained some more fame for himself.Â
A Surprise Olympian
Gene Oberst always held dreams of becoming an Olympian, reading up on the early Greek Olympiads.Â
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Gene Oberst at the Olympics
(Rob Oberst)
In the spring of his senior year, Oberst's throws improved significantly, setting the field record at DePauw on April 7 with a toss of 195'7". His success continued at the Kansas Relays on April 17, a key Olympic indicator. His mark of 197'6" set meet and field records. The Penn Relays, with 40,000 in attendance, brought another victory and record of 196'6". A good throw at the Western Conference meet at Michigan also helped.Â
Oberst concluded his ND career with his Bachelor of Commercial Science in Foreign Commerce, graduating Cum Laude. With a hearty handshake from Rockne, Oberst headed to the U.S. Olympic trials (after finishing first at the regional qualifier in Ann Arbor on May 30, 1924).Â
Alongside teammate and 1922 & 1923 NCAA Discus Champion Tom Lieb, Oberst headed to Harvard in beautiful Cambridge, Massachusetts on June 11. They arrived at 7:30 pm at the Lenox Hotel on June 12 after a lengthy train ride.Â
The preliminaries were held on June 13, with the finals following on June 14. His throws did not fare well in the rainy weather. The Notre Dame grad finished fifth with a top throw of 180'3". Knowing it was not his best effort, it was an anxious wait until the Olympic qualifiers would be announced at 10:30 pm. Thanks to his excellent work in the spring, the committee selected Oberst to travel to Paris for the 1924 Olympics. Lieb would also make the trip after winning the Discus.Â
The next day, Oberst toured Boston and sent a telegram to his family back home in Kentucky. On June 15, the new Olympians traveled to New York, where they prepared for a trip across the ocean.Â
Glory in Paris
On June 16, the S.S. America slipped anchor and steamed for Paris from Hoboken, New Jersey. Oberst kept a journal, first writing "I want to read this book in 1974." The first significant part of his journal focused on the journey, including a great sendoff from a throng of well-wishers on the pier.Â
The ship did not include accommodations that current athletes would enjoy, with four beds to a room for all of the U.S. Olympians. But Oberst called the setup "beautiful and comfortable."Â
The following morning, the track & field squad met the coaches and got the uniforms. Oberst's track pants were "6 sizes too small and as yet I can't get them exchanged." The ship included a gym, while the javelin throwers figured out a unique way to practice. As Oberst wrote, "We fixed a string about the end of a javelin in such a manner that we were able to throw it overboard. The end of the string we fastened to the railing. Each man took three throws. The javelin would go out into the air and fall into the water like a whaler's harpoon."
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Oberst's 1924 Bronze medal
Fancy dinners, movies, skits, and Mass (impactful for Oberst, a devout Catholic) kept the team entertained, but rough seas made Oberst rejoice to see Cherbourg Harbor on June 24. Initial impressions of France were disappointing, but the city of Paris and country grew on him.
Oberst arrived at the stadium in Colombes to compete on July 6, 1924. While there were 40,000 fans in attendance, Oberst was not fazed, having competed on large stages before. But the rainy weather did have an impact on him. For the first time, he used track spikes, thinner to hopefully help get more traction in the sod.Â
His first throw sailed errantly and his second traveled 53m (173 feet), which wouldn't be enough to advance. With the pressure on, Oberst sailed a spectacular throw of 57.97m (190.2 feet), good enough to get him to the final.Â
The rain picked up as the finals got underway, leading to a muddy mess. Nearly all but eventual Gold medalist Jonni Myyra of Finland failed to improve on their throws. Now, if Oberst's throw was measured on the arc instead of the straightaway measurement, his top throw would be over 204 feet, good for Silver. But even despite this, Oberst walked away with the Bronze medal. It marked the first medal won by an American in Paris. There was no formal award ceremony, but the American flag flew over the stadium at the first Olympics in which three flags were raised.Â
"I was very satisfied with the result since we Americans were not expected to place in the javelin throw," Oberst wrote in his diary. "I had no idea that I would secure a place. I entered the meet in a care free way intending to throw the best I could."
Over the next few weeks, Oberst watched many future stars enjoy success. Oberst rubbed elbows with:Â
- Johnny Weissmuller, swimming's first superstar who won three Gold medals in swimming and a bronze in water polo before an acting career in which he famously played Tarzan
- Dr. Benjamin Spock, who won Gold in rowing before authoring "Baby and Child Care," a best-selling book that be used to raise the Baby Boomer generation
- DeHart Hubbard, the first Black individual gold medal winner
- Harold Abrahams, a British runner who Oberst watched win the 100 Meter dash, which would be famously depicted in the 1981 Oscar-winning movie "Chariots of Fire"Â
- Gertrude Ederle, who won three medals in swimming before becoming the first woman to swim the English Channel in 1926. Disney released "Young Woman and the Sea" about her story in May 2024
- Jack Kelly, who won Gold as a rower, and went on to a prominent political career in Philadelphia. His daughter, Grace Kelly, became one of the top female actors of her generation
- Duke Kahanamoku, a Silver medalist in swimming, who popularized the sport of surfing. The Hawaiian became the first person to be inducted into both the Swimming Hall of Fame and the Surfing Hall of Fame
- Tom Lieb, who won Bronze in the Discus, went on to become head football coach at Loyola University in Los Angeles and the University of Florida. Lieb was also the de facto head coach of Notre Dame's 1929 National Champs while Rockne battled illness
Note: Johnny Weismuller, Benjamin Spock and Oberst would later live in Cleveland Heights. DeHart Hubbard, who held numerous Big Ten, AAU, NCAA, US and World records and tied the 100-yard dash world record, would live nearby in Cleveland.
Returning onto the S.S. America on July 28, Oberst and his fellow Olympians arrived in New York on August 6 to a ticker tape parade up Broadway.Â
Finding a Home
Oberst arrived back home in Kentucky to much less fanfare. And with that, it was time to find a career.
Inspired by Rockne and aided by the famed coach's recommendations, Oberst chose coaching as his vocation. Initially, like during his time with the Minims, the young coach found success. Notably, Oberst won Philadelphia Catholic League Championships with his Roman Catholic High School teams.Â
His coaching career led him to stops at Washington & Lee, DePaul, and Canisius, but for the first time, Oberst ran into failure. He was discouraged by poor results and the politics that often come with coaching, leading both schools to part ways with him. Two more tragedies soon befell Oberst and the country.
After years of Rockne's mentorship, Oberst lost his dear role model in 1931. Rockne died in a plane crash that prematurely ended one of the best coaching careers in college football history. It was a terrible loss that touched the hearts of the nation.Â
And in a plight that plunged the nation into massive unemployment, the Great Depression arrived with full force. Oberst was far from immune to the struggles caused by the national depression. With a growing family forming with his wife Catherine, he worked various jobs to stay afloat and keep food on the table.Â
In 1936, after applying for many jobs, Oberst received a lifeline. His former Roman Catholic captain and Notre Dame star, Tom Conley, offered him a job in Cleveland. Six years removed from captaining the 1936 National Champs, Conley needed a line coach and offered a job to his former mentor.Â
Oberst arrived in Cleveland during a fascinating time. The fifth largest city in the nation at that point, Cleveland was the second largest steel manufacturer after Pittsburgh and second largest auto manufacturer after Detroit. Oberst and his family settled into a duplex near Roxboro Elementary School, with Conley subletting a two-bedroom apartment on the third floor.Â
John Carroll University had just recently moved into its new East Side campus in 1935. Even when Conley arrived, construction was not completely finished on the nascent campus. But Oberst would grow alongside the campus.Â
Times of Transition
When Conley and Oberst arrived in September 1936, the football program was not positioned for success. The Ralph Vince era from 1927-33 provided some highlights, with a 31-23-11 record. Vince hired Thomas Yarr to succeed him, seeing success in 1934 before the wheels came off with a 1-8 record in 1935. Vince and Yarr departed in 1936, as Vince went on to a successful career in law and was later inducted into the JCU Athletic Hall of Fame.Â
The 1938 Carrillon featured Conley and Oberst
Conley, the athletic director in addition to head football coach, would need time to turn around the program. In the third year under his leadership, the Blue Streaks notched a winning record at 6-2-1 record and conquered the Ohio Athletic Conference Championship in 1938. One year later, John Carroll won the Big Four Championship, beating the Western Reserve Red Cats, 6-0, in front of 16,500 fans for the title.
Meanwhile, Oberst started working towards his Master's degree in political science, which he completed in 1940. Additionally, Oberst worked for the Works Progress Administration (WPA) as a sewer inspector when the government built Belvoir Boulevard.Â
The 1940 and 1941 seasons produced mediocre results, but the 1942 campaign portended promise with a 3-2-3 record. But of course, World War II upended the best laid plans of mice and men. At JCU, that meant shuttering the athletics programs.Â
During the war, Oberst became a machine operator, working nights first at Chase Brass and later Thompson Products on the production line making parts for airplane engines. In 1943, John Carroll fatefully welcomed the Navy's V12 program to campus, critically bringing in revenue and 787 Navy men from 1943-1945. As Donald Gavin wrote in A Century of Service, the program provided a "life-line for the university during the war period." Oberst served as the athletic director of the Navy V12 physical education program. Doing double duty often meant 80+ hour work weeks.Â
In 1944, Oberst advocated for the return of football, but athletics did not return in full at JCU until winter 1945. And while Oberst did make an outdoor rink on campus, hockey did not return as a varsity sport, though plenty others did.Â
Postwar AthleticsÂ
When Tom Conley and his wife, Mary, moved to Chicago, it left Oberst as the athletic director as well as the football and basketball coach.
As could be expected, the return to athletics proved to be a rocky one. Oberst's 1945-46 basketball team started out with a 48-46 victory over Case Tech in front of a large crowd at Cathedral Latin. But the rest of the season did not go as well, with the Blue Streaks finishing at 4-11.Â
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Oberst featured in the 1948 Carrillon
On the gridiron, the Blue Streaks did not fare well, either. Oberst's team stumbled to a 1-7 record in 1946. However, five of the seven defeats were decided by fewer than 10 points. Meanwhile, track & field started up in 1947.Â
Despite this, the John Carroll leadership opted for a change. The University hired Herb Eisele, a very successful coach for Cathedral Latin, to lead the football program. Oberst would stay on as athletic director.Â
While Oberst was very disappointed at the change, Eisele led a quick turnaround, notching a 6-3 record in his initial season. The coach soon became a legend at John Carroll, mentoring the Blue Streaks to the famous victory over Syracuse and the Great Lakes Bowl in 1950. The Eisele Era produced stars such as Don Shula '51 and Carl Taseff '51.Â
Oberst presided over this successful era of football, but basketball could not find its footing. And due to the ascent of Eisele, the popular coach whose name now graces the Blue Gold Room, he displaced Oberst as athletic director. And so, Oberst's career in athletics came to a close.Â
Popular Professor
As the old saying goes, when one door closes, another door opens.Â
That was certainly the case for Oberst. As his time in coaching and athletics ended, his time as a professor was just beginning. In 1946, Oberst had introduced the Physical Education department, and he had taught classes previously. In 1951, he would become a full-time professor.Â
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The 1962 Carrillon dedication to Gene Oberst
Oberst took to the classroom perfectly. He became Associate Professor of Political Science in 1951, holding the post until 1963. At that point, Oberst took the title of Associate Professor of History, which he held through 1971. To supplement his salary, he also sold real estate.Â
Oberst garnered a reputation as quite the professor. His students loved him, as is clear in the 1962 Carrillon. The 1962 yearbook was dedicated in his honor. As the dedication spread reads, "he contributes immeasurably a forceful energy and knowledge to his students. The desire to continue teaching after he retires lies in the satisfaction he experiences in knowing and working with the faculty and student body." The editors also called Oberst a "man of integrity and understanding."Â
So beloved was Oberst that his students helped to lengthen his career. In 1966, the University informed Oberst that he would be retired since he had turned 65 years old. Without Oberst's knowledge, his students authored a petition that gathered over 740 signatures. Eventually, the University relented and allowed Oberst to keep teaching through age 70.
Oberst found a love for teaching and his students. In a Plain Dealer article, Oberst reflected, "I feel my 30 years in athletics was a waste of time … the connection with the players is what I really enjoyed. These recent years as a full-time teacher have been the happiest of my life. I can truly say I am really enjoying my job now as a history professor with its close associates with the young men of Carroll."
Amongst the young men he taught at John Carroll were his children. Two of his sons – Al '56 and Gene '57, '68G – graduated from John Carroll. His daughter, Pat, attended night school in the early 1950's and his daughter Joan was military ball queen in 1954. His son, Robert, attended for three years before acquiring his degree from Miami University (OH). His granddaughter, Mary Pat, later graduated in 1978.Â
Enduring Legacy
After retiring from his role as professor at John Carroll, Oberst enjoyed retirement. In particular, he became an artist, painting plenty of works, including some featuring his Olympic travels.
Gene Oberst with his Olympic memorabilia featured in the 1984 Plain Dealer
On May 20, 1991, Oberst had a heart attack and passed away at age 89. Upon his death, he was recognized by the NCAA and christened as a Kentucky colonel. Before his passing, he was inducted into the JCU Athletic Hall of Fame in 1970 and the Greater Cleveland Sports Hall of Fame in 1976, as well as posthumously to the Owensboro, Kentucky Hall of Fame in 1999.
Even after his passing, Oberst will still have a connection with this edition of the Paris Olympics. Mary TePas Wagner, the oldest grandchild, will send her daughters Sarah and Michelle, along with her husband Peter (who is from the United Kingdom) to Paris to represent the family.
They will be retracing and sharing his steps there, as well as attending the javelin competition, the sprint finals, and other competitions in the same Columbus stadium where Gene earned Bronze in the fateful 1924 Olympics.
A century later, his accomplishments stand the test of time. A Bronze medal, All-American honors in two sports, three Hall of Fame inductions. A 35-year career at the same school mentoring countless young students. And most importantly, 5 children, 14 grandchildren, 28 great-grandchildren, and over a dozen great, great grandchildren.
A life well-lived indeed.
