Olympic artifacts from the estate of Canadian speed skater Frank Stack and his involvement at the St. Moritz 1948 Winter Olympics, which include Stack’s bronze participation medal, his competitor’s pin badge, and two official diplomas awarded to Stack for the 500-meter and 1,500-meter skating events. The items are as follows:
Participation medal from the St. Moritz 1948 Winter Olympics. Bronze, 40 mm, 26 gm, by Emil Wiederkehr. The front depicts a symbolic figure of the goddess Victory against a mountain backdrop; the reverse features the Olympic rings above text, "Vmes Jeux Olympiques d'Hiver, St. Moritz, 1948," against a snowflake background.
Competitor’s pin badge from the St. Moritz 1948 Winter Olympics. Minted by Huguenin and designed by Walter Herdeg, the pin weighs 10 gm, measures 32 mm, and features the Olympic rings in colorful enamel against a silver-tone St. Moritz sun, which is encircled by a blue enamel border with legend text: “V. Jeux Olympiques D’Hiver, St. Moritz 1948, Concurrent.”
Two official partly printed diplomas from the “Ves Jeux Olympiques D’Hiver, St. Moritz 1948,” both 11.75 x 16.5, awarded to “Frank Stack” for “Patinage,” in the events “Vitesse 500 m” and “Vitesse 1500 m.” Both diplomas are signed below in ink by IOC president Sigfrid Edström and the president of the Organizing Committee. In overall very good to fine condition, with creases and short edge tears to the diplomas.
Frank Stack (1906–1987) was one of Canada’s most accomplished speed skaters, having competed in the 1932, 1948, and 1952 Olympics; he won the bronze medal at Lake Placid in the 10,000-meter event. He began skating at 13, became Western Canadian Junior Champion (1919–23) and Senior Champion (1924–29), and won North American Indoor titles in 1931, 1932, and 1938. After semi-retiring in 1954, he returned in 1966 at age 60 and earned five podiums at the Canadian Indoor Championships. Stack also coached, preparing Canada’s teams for the 1952 and 1960 Olympics. He was inducted into the Canadian Speed Skating Hall of Fame (1965), Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame (1974), and the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame (1981). Stack Street in Winnipeg is named in his honor.
