(Born August 9, 1941) Jack Elder is an Olympian with some very big ideas. 1984 was not the first time he asked the questions “what if” or “why not”. But it was when he joined Winter Olympics Oregon (or WOO) with its purpose of bidding to host the Winter Olympic Games. It hasn’t happened yet, but jack Elder can be a very persistent man.

His first success in sport was when he earned his Judo Blackbelt at age 17. During a stint in the Army he picked up the sport of Luge and pursued that opportunity all the way to the 1972 Olympic Games in Portland’s sister city Sapporo, Japan. After the Games it was a career in radio broadcasting for more than a decade.

Jack has always believed that athletes, especially Olympians, should give back, to their sport, to their country and to their community. In 1989, he launched Oregon Sports Action to raise awareness for under recognized sports and to expand interest in hosting athletic events in Oregon. While an Olympic bid never materialized for WOO, a conversation was started. Jack is good about starting conversations.

In a casual conversation at a 1988 Olympic committee meeting, Jack learned that an Olympic qualifying basketball tournament might have to be moved. In 1992 The Dream Team and the Tournament of the Americas was held in Portland, a result of that casual conversation.

Jack’s next conversation was about a sports commission to pursue events for Oregon. From that conversation came the Oregon Sports Authority.

Oregon Sports Action with Jack at it’s helm, is dedicated to continuing the development of all manners of sport in Oregon. Oregon sports Action has quietly donated well over one million dollars to sports organizations and the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame, the repository of Oregon Sports history.

Jack Elder continues to ask the question, “What can Olympians do to give back?” He gives back with his passion for celebrating the athlete in all of us.

Bill Schonely & Jack Elder