‘This Flag Dips for No Earthly King’: The Mysterious Origins of an American Myth

Abstract

American tradition holds that the US team has never dipped the national flag at the Olympics. A powerful mythology dates this quadrennial display of nationalism to the 1908 London Olympics and claims an unbroken streak of unbowed flags at succeeding Olympic parades. The details of this collective memory, however, do not conform neatly to the historical record. At Olympian opening parades between 1908 and 1936 American teams sometimes dipped and at sometimes refused to dip their flags. Not until 1936, when the US Olympic team used the refusal to dip the Stars and Stripes as an opportunity to signal their discomfort with Adolf Hitler s Nazi regime, did the refusal to dip the flag become a permanent feature of American Olympic custom. The evolution of this flag mythology reveals a great deal about the complex strains of early twentieth-century American nationalism.

Notes

[1]Among the other ‘sacraments’ in American Olympic rituals are the long-standing national obsession with medal counts and other comparisons to rival nations as well as the common view that the US team reflects the nation's true identity. For the origin of these customs see Dyreson, Making the American Team. The flag itself fits neatly into the cult of American exceptionalism. Indeed some observers contend that American exceptionalism culminates in a truly exceptional level of flag worship in the United States. Leepson, Flag, 2005.

[2] Arthur J. Daley, ‘Sports of the Times: The Big Parade’, New York Times, 6 July 1952.

[3] When Daley won the Pulitzer in 1956 he was only the third sportswriter to have received that honour. Red Smith, ‘Arthur J. Daley, Sports Columnist, Dies’, New York Times, 4 Jan. 1974; Robert Lipsyte, ‘The Big Guy With the Clipboard’, New York Times, 4 Jan. 1974; ‘The Daley Touch’, New York Times, 5 Jan. 1974; ‘Notables Attend Rites for Daley’, New York Times, 6 Jan. 1974.

[4] For popular renditions see Weyand, The Olympic Pageant; Schaap, An Illustrated History of the Olympics; Johnson, All That Glitters Is Not Gold. For academic surveys see Lucas, The Modern Olympic Games; Guttmann, The Olympics; Senn, Power, Politics, and the Olympic Games. Curiously, in the popular account written first in 1936 by the veteran New York Times Olympic correspondent John Kieran and later co-authored by Kieran and Arthur Daley with a revised edition appearing after every new Olympic Games, the authors fail to mention the flag-dipping incident in their chapter on the 1908 games but do note the American refusal to dip to Dutch royalty in 1928 at Amsterdam. ‘The Stars and Stripes, adhering to custom, were not dipped, the United States slogan being that its flag should never be dipped before any foreigner for any purpose whatsoever’, reported first Kieran, then Kieran and Daley, and finally Kieran, Daly and Jordan. They made no comment in the many editions of their history as to the origins of this ‘custom’ at the 1908 games. Kieran, The Story of the Olympic Games, 171; Kieran and Daley, The Story of the Olympic Games, 118; Kieran et al., The Story of the Olympic Games, 118. Daley, however, spun many tales about American refusals to dip the flag in the New York Times.

[5] On the creation of collective memories in the US see Kammen, Mystic Chords of Memory and Rosenzweig, The Presence of the Past. For an example of the power of sport in shaping American memory see Nathan, Saying It's So and Schultz, ‘“Stuff from Which Legends Are Made”: Jack Trice Stadium and the Politics of Memory’.

[6] Arthur J. Daley, ‘Brundage, Back, Asks Princeton to Raise Olympic Fund at Meet’, New York Times, 26 Feb. 1936.

[7] Gallico argued that German frostiness towards the American squad developed not so much from the refusal to dip the flag as from the fact that the American team failed to give Hitler the Olympic salute – a stiff-armed wave that closely resembled the Nazi salute. Paul Gallico, ‘French Athletes Salute Hitler, Win Roars of Crowd’, Washington Post, 7 Feb. 1936. Even Daley admitted that the American team's ‘eyes right’ manoeuvre rather than offering the Nazi-like Olympic salute contributed as much to the chilly reception as the refusal to bow the flag. Daley, ‘Brundage, Back’.

[8]‘American Squad Won't Dip Flag, Nazis Are Told’, Washington Post, 31 July 1936; ‘American Colors Will Not Be Dipped Before Hitler in Big Parade’, Dallas Morning News, 31 July 1936.

[9] Frederick T. Birchall, ‘100,000 Hail Hitler; US Athletes Avoid Nazi Salute to Him’, New York Times, 2 Aug. 1936.

[10] Gayle Talbot, ‘Was It the “Razz” That American Squad Got’, Washington Post, 2 Aug. 1936.

[11] Alan Gould, ‘Hitler Opens Berlin Games; US Stars Get Cool Greeting’, Washington Post, 2 Aug. 1936.

[12] Talbot, ‘Was It the “Razz”’, 1; Gould, ‘Hitler Opens Berlin Games’, 1, 4. That version was supported by an eyewitness from the Universal Press Service. Royal Brougham, ‘Hitler Makes Shortest Speech of Career in Opening Olympics’, Gazette (Charleston, WV), 2 Aug. 1936.

[13] Birchall, ‘100,000 Hail Hitler’.

[14] Gould, ‘Hitler Opens Berlin Games’.

[15] Simms, ‘The Opening Ceremonies’, 93.

[16]‘IV Olympic Winter Games, Garmisch Partenkirchen, Germany, Feb. 6–16, 1936’, in AOC, Report of the American Olympic Committee, 1936, 309.

[17] Frederick W. Rubien, American Olympic Committee, to Cordell Hull, US Secretary of State, 5 Nov. 1936, State Department Records Division, Record Group 59, National Archives and Record Administration II, College Park, Maryland (hereafter RG 59, NACP).

[18] Note from Charles Lee Cooke, Division of Protocol and Conferences, State Department to Colonel Robert L. Collins, Adjutant General's Office, War Department, 7 Nov. 1936, RG 59, NACP.

[19] Memorandum from Colonel Robert L. Collins, Adjutant General's Office, War Department, to Charles Lee Cooke, Division of Protocol and Conferences, State Department, 9 Nov. 1936; RG 59, NACP. Collins sent copies of Army Regulations 600–25, ‘Salutes and Ceremonies’, Army Regulation 600–30, ‘Honors to Persons’ and Training Regulations 420–20, ‘Dismounted Ceremonies’, as well as the War Department's ‘Flag Circular’ to Collins.

[20] J.C. Holmes, Acting Chief, Division of Protocol and Conferences, State Department, to Frederick W. Rubien, American Olympic Committee, 13 Nov. 1936; RG 59, NACP.

[21] Frederick W. Rubien, American Olympic Committee, to J.C. Holmes, Acting Chief, Division of Protocol and Conferences, State Department, 16 Nov. 1936, RG 59, NACP.

[22] Letter from Frederick J. Rubien, Secretary of the American Olympic Committee, to Avery Brundage, President of the American Olympic Committee, 5 Nov. 1936; Letter from Frederick J. Rubien, Secretary of the American Olympic Committee, to Avery Brundage, President of the American Olympic Committee, 14 Nov. 1936; Letter from J.C. Holmes, Acting Chief, Division of Protocol and Conferences, US Department of State, to Frederick J. Rubien, Secretary of the American Olympic Committee, 13 Nov. 1936; all in Folder ‘Games of the XI Olympiad – Berlin, Germany, 1936, Flag Salute’, Box 152, Reel 86, Avery Brundage Collection, Special Collections Microfilm, Paterno Library, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania. Avery Brundage Collection originals at University of Illinois Archives, Champaign, Illinois. (hereafter ABC).

[23] Letter from Gustavus T. Kirby, Treasurer of the American Olympic Committee, to Frederick J. Rubien, Secretary of the American Olympic Committee, 24 Nov. 1936, Folder ‘Games of the XI Olympiad – Berlin, Germany, 1936, Flag Salute’, ABC.

[24] Letter from Brigadier General Guy V. Henry, Commandant of the Cavalry School, Fort Riley, Kansas, to Frederick J. Rubien, Secretary of the American Olympic Committee, 28 Nov. 1936; Letter from Brigadier General Guy V. Henry, Commandant of the Cavalry School, Fort Riley, Kansas, to Frederick J. Rubien, Secretary of the American Olympic Committee, 2 Dec. 1936; all in Folder ‘Games of the XI Olympiad – Berlin, Germany, 1936, ABC.

[25] Letter from Frederick J. Rubien, Secretary of the American Olympic Committee, to Brigadier General Guy V. Henry, Commandant of the Cavalry School, Fort Riley, Kansas, 2 December 1936, Folder ‘Games of the XI Olympiad – Berlin, Germany, 1936, Flag Salute’, ABC.

[26] Guttmann, The Games Must Go On.

[27] Mandell, The Nazi Olympics; Krüger and Murray, The Nazi Olympics. For a new interpretation of the ‘Nazi Olympics’, see Pitsula, ‘The Nazi Olympics’.

[28] Kitroeff, Wrestling With the Ancients, 53–76.

[29]‘Athletic Teams Ready for the Olympic Games’, New York Times, 22 April 1908; ‘Olympic Games Begin’, New York Times, 23 April 1906; Mallon, The 1906 Olympic Games, 8–10; Mallon and Buchanan, ‘To No Earthly King’, 27.

[30]‘Victory for Americans in Olympic Games’, New York Times, 1 May 1906; ‘Lightbody Earns Fame at Olympics’, Chicago Tribune, 1 May 1906; ‘Canadian Wins Marathon Race’, Chicago Tribune, 2 May 1906; Krüger, ‘The Origins of Pierre de Coubertin's Religio Athletae’, 96; Guiney, ‘The Olympic Council of Ireland’; Mallon, The 1906 Olympics, 52–3.

[31] Bill Mallon and Ian Buchanan, the Olympic historians who have most thoroughly researched the subject, note that the legend has its roots in London in 1908, ‘but the facts relating to this incident, and the legend, are difficult to ascertain with the certainty often ascribed to it by today's Olympic media, who never fail to discuss this American tradition’. They insist that ‘Perhaps more apocrypha has been written about this incident than any single Olympic controversy’. Mallon and Buchanan, ‘To No Earthly King’.

[32] Ibid., 26. Most of the contemporary sources had Rose as the flag-bearer but a few identified Garrells of the Chicago Athletic Association holding the Stars and Stripes. ‘Olympics Open’, Colorado Springs Gazette, 14 July 1908; ‘King Edward Opens Olympic Games’, Philadelphia Inquirer, 14 July 1908. Curiously, in a later story the Philadelphia newspaper reversed course and admitted that ‘the giant Californian’ Rose had borne the flag and that Rose had most likely not dipped it. ‘Americans Had to Jump Many Hurdles to Win at the Olympic Games’, Philadelphia Inquirer, 27 July 1908.

[33] Mallon and Buchanan, ‘To No Earthly King’, 26.

[34]‘Americans Had to Jump Many Hurdles’. For details of the Anglo-American rancour in the 1908 games, see Dyreson, Making the American Team, 134–53.

[35]‘Chronicle and Comment: The Olympic Muddle’, The Bookman 28 (Oct. 1908), 104–5.

[36] J. Ed Grillo, ‘Sporting Comment’, Washington Post, 26 July 1908.

[37] Ibid.

[38] Ibid.

[39]‘Sporting Sidelights’, Washington Post, 1 Nov. 1908.

[40]‘Honor to the Flags’, Letter to the Editor, New York Times, 26 Aug. 1909.

[41]‘Ralph Rose, Olympic Star, A Victim of Typhoid Fever’, Washington Post, 17 Oct. 1913.

[42] Davis Edwards, ‘Col. Thompson Praises America's Olympic Athletes’, New York Times, 25 Aug. 1912.

[43]‘Americans Win Many Races’, Oakland Tribune, 6 July 1912; ‘Yankee Athletes Win in Trials at Olympics’, Washington Post, 7 July 1912.

[44]‘Americans Well Placed,’New York Times, 10 July 1912.

[45] Dyreson, ‘Selling American Civilization’.

[46]‘Olympic Team at Peace With Committee; Ready for First Day of Meet’, Syracuse Herald (New York), 15 Aug., 1920; ‘King Albert Opens Olympic Stadium’, Washington Post, 15 Aug. 1920; ‘Ted Meredith Looks 'Em Over in Olympic Parade’, Oakland Tribune, 15 Aug. 1920; ‘Nations Start in the Olympics’, Atlanta Constitution, 15 Aug. 1920. Secondary sources agree the Americans did not dip the flag. Renson, The Games Reborn, 31; Mallon and Buchanan, ‘To No Earthly King’, 26.

[47] AOC, Report of the American Olympic Committee, 1920, 212.

[48] Daley, ‘Sports of the Times: The Big Parade’.

[49] Guttmann, The Olympics, 38.

[50] Guenter, The American Flag, 175–84.

[51]‘Ceremonies Held Opening Olympics’, Atlanta Constitution, 6 July 1924; Henry T. Farrell, ‘Eighth Modern Olympiad Is Formally Inaugurated at Paris’, Pittsburgh Press, 5 July 1924; Wilbur Forrest, ‘25,000 See Opening Fete of Olympics’, New York Herald Tribune, 6 July 1924; ‘2000 Star Athletes in Olympic Parade, New York Times, 6 July 1924; ‘Olympic Games Open with Parade Today’, Fresno Bee (CA), 5 July 1924.

[52]‘Ceremonies Held Opening Olympics’.

[53] In Arthur Daley's version of the legend McGrath grumbled: ‘We can't permit our flag to dip’. Then McGrath pounded his ‘brawny fist’ on the pub table ‘until the pewter mugs danced’. Daley, ‘Sports of the Times: The Big Parade’.

[54] Farrell, ‘Eighth Modern Olympiad’.

[55] Ibid.

[56]Jornal do Commercio, 6 July 1924. My thanks to my colleague Dr Cesar R. Torres of the State University of New York, Brockport, for uncovering and translating this source.

[57] Long-time AOC official Gustavus Kirby wrote AOC leader Avery Brundage a letter on 7 November 1930, in which he claimed that MacArthur had been sold on the idea of assuming the AOC presidency by William Garland during a trip from the Philippines to Washington, DC. The basic selling point was that a stint as AOC leader would strengthen MacArthur's designs to someday run for the presidency of the United States. Kirby noted that ‘it can be taken for granted that MacArthur is clever, astute, and a keen politician’. Kirby also revealed that ‘personally, I believe that he would make a brilliant but incapable President’. Folder ‘Kirby’, Box 29, Reel 17, ABC.

[58] Guenter. The American Flag, 154–81.

[59] MacArthur's decision came, according to long-time AOC official Frederick W. Rubien, after ‘careful thought’ and consultation with other military officials involved in the 1928 Amsterdam expedition. Rubien to Hull, 5 Nov. 1936, RG 59, NACP. The flag-bearer in 1928, American shot-putter and discus-thrower Clarence ‘Bud’ Houser, recalled that as the parade was beginning and he witnessed other nations dipping their flags, he asked MacArthur what he should do. Houser remembered telling MacArthur that he wanted to keep the flag aloft. Houser recollected MacArthur responding: ‘You keep it straight up, and if you get in any trouble, I'll be right with you.’ Carlson and Fogarty, Tales of Gold, 54.

[60] Wythe Williams, ‘Athletes of 46 Nations In Line As Olympics Open; French Team Is Absent’, New York Times, 29 July 1928; Alan J. Gould, ‘Holland Apologizes To Insulted French In Olympic Dispute’, Atlanta Constitution, 29 July 1928; J.P. Abramson, ‘40,000 See Olympic Opening Pageant, With 75,000 Turned Away’, New York Herald Tribune, 29 July 1928.

[61] Williams, ‘Athletes of 46 Nations In Line As Olympics Open’.

[62]‘The ‘Friendly’ Olympics’, The Nation 127 (15 Aug. 1928), 151.

[63] Herbert Reed, ‘Olympic Aces and Deuces’. The Outlook 149 (15 Aug. 1928), 625.

[64] L.H., ‘The Ninth Olympiad’, Winged Foot 39 (Sept. 1928), 46.

[65] Guttmann, The Games Must Go On, 25, 54.

[66] Letter from Avery Brundage to William May Garland, President of the Xth Olympiade Committee of the Games of Los Angeles, 18 May 1932, Folder ‘Games of the XI Olympiad – Berlin, Germany, 1936, Flag Salute’, ABC.

[67] Ibid.

[68] Letter from Avery Brundage to Comte Henri de Baillet-Latour, 19 May 1932, Folder ‘Games of the XI Olympiad – Berlin, Germany, 1936, Flag Salute’, ABC.

[69] Letter from William May Garland, President of the Xth Olympiade Committee of the Games of Los Angeles, to Avery Brundage, President of the American Olympic Committee, 23 May 1932, Folder ‘Games of the XI Olympiad – Berlin, Germany, 1936, Flag Salute’, ABC.

[70] Letter from Comte Henri de Baillet-Latour, Chairman, Comité International Olympique, to Avery Brundage, President of the American Olympic Committee, 29 May 1932, Folder ‘Games of the XI Olympiad – Berlin, Germany, 1936, Flag Salute’, ABC.

[71] AOC, Official Report: III Olympic Winter Games, Lake Placid, 1932, 168–79; Harry Cross, ‘United States Wins Both Speed-Skating Races Opening Olympic Winter Games’, New York Herald Tribune, 5 Feb. 1932.

[72] Jean Bosquet, ‘Throng of 105,000 Roars Welcome to Olympics’, Los Angeles Times, 31 July 1932.

[73] Ibid.

[74] Paul Lowry, ‘Jim Thorpe Denied One Little Ticket; Weeps as Huge Parade Passes’, Los Angeles Times, 31 July 1932.

[75] Allison Danzig, ‘Curtis Proclaims the Olympics Open as 100,000 Look On’, New York Times, 31 July 1932.

[76]‘Elaborate Ceremonies Open Tenth Modern Olympic Games’, Dallas Morning News, 31 July 1932; ‘Olympic Flashes’, Dallas Morning News, 31 July 1932.

[77] Stuart Cameron, ‘Olympic Games Opened as 105,000 See Colorful Parade of Athletes’, Oakland Tribune, 31 July 1932.

[78] Arthur J. Daley, ‘Opening Ceremony Thrills the Crowd’, New York Times, 31 July 1932.