Eddie Eagan

Edward Patrick Francis Eagan (April 26, 1898 – June 14, 1967) was an American sportsman who is notable as being the only person to win a gold medal at both the Summer and Winter Olympic Games in different events. Gillis Grafström won gold in both the Summer and Winter Olympic Games but it was in the same event. That is because in 1920, prior to the Winter Olympics, figure skating was part of the Summer Olympics. Eagan won his summer gold in boxing and his winter gold in four-man bobsled. Finally, Eagan is one of the few athletes who have competed in both the Summer and Winter Olympic games.

Olympics
Eagan was born into a modest family in Denver, Colorado. In 1920, he competed as a boxer at the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp, and won the gold medal in the light-heavyweight division. Eagan's other boxing awards include the 1919 AAU title and a British amateur title. He also competed at the 1924 Summer Olympics, but failed to medal, having lost in the first round to Arthur Clifton (see Boxing at the 1924 Summer Olympics - Men's heavyweight).

Winter Olympics
Eagan returned to the Olympics eight years later, this time as a member of the bobsleigh crew of Billy Fiske, who steered to victory at the 1932 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid. Eagan became the second of six Olympians to medal in both Winter and Summer Games, followed by Jacob Tullin Thams (Norway), Christa Luding-Rothenburger (East Germany), Clara Hughes (Canada), and Lauryn Williams (United States). Eagan is one of two competitors to win gold in both Olympic seasons (the other being Gillis Grafström whose only summer gold was in figure skating).

Personal life
Eagan studied law at Harvard University and later at the University of Oxford, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Oxford in 1928. In 1932, he was admitted to the U.S. Bar.

During World War II, he fought with U.S. Army on many fronts, reaching the rank of Colonel and earning numerous decorations.

He died at age 69 in New York City and was interred at Greenwood Union Cemetery.