Scarce TLS, on the reverse of a 5.5 x 3.25 postal card, postmarked in New York on February 12, 1952. Letter to Harry T. Smith, in full: "Your letter with enclosure has been forwarded to me. Thank. you very much. I am trying to regain my Olympic honors, and will deeply appreciate the help of my friends. A letter to your Congressman, and a letter or pention [sic] to the A.A.U. might help a lot. Thanks again." In fine condition, with some light toning, and a faint rusty paperclip impression to the top edge.
After winning two Olympic gold medals at the Stockholm 1912 Summer Olympics—one in classic pentathlon and the other in the decathlon—Thorpe was stripped of his Olympic titles when it was discovered that he had been paid for playing two seasons of semi-professional baseball before competing in the Olympics, thus violating the contemporary amateurism rules. In 1983, 30 years after his death, the International Olympic Committee restored his Olympic medals with replicas, after ruling that the decision to strip him of his medals fell outside of the required 30 days. Thorpe is to date listed as co-champion in both the decathlon and pentathlon events according to official IOC records.
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