Dr. Thomas Waddell (SC Class 1959) was a doctor, a decathlon athlete who participated in the 1968 Olympics, and the founder of the Gay Games (1982). Born Thomas Flubacher on November 1, 1937, in Paterson, New Jersey, his birth parents separated when he was 15 and left him on his own. After his parents left him, Tom lived with, and was eventually adopted by, Gene and Hazel Waddell, former vaudeville acrobats. The Waddells encouraged Tom to pursue gymnastics and sport. Dr. Waddell attended Springfield College, graduating in 1959. After graduation, he attended New Jersey College of Medicine in pursuit of a medical degree. Dr. Waddell was drafted into the army in 1966. In the US Army, he became a preventative-medicine officer and paratrooper. Rather than going to the Vietnam War (which he did not support) he trained for the Olympics, becoming a US decathlete in the 1968 Olympics where he placed sixth. After Waddell’s discharge, he took up residencies at Georgetown University and Montefiore Medical Center before opening his private practice in San Francisco in 1974. He then served as medical director of the Whittaker Corporation, where he eventually became the physician for the Saudi Arabian Olympic team at the 1976 Montreal Olympics. In between all this, he began creating the Gay Games, an international event that promotes the acceptance of LGBTQ+ athletes and individuals. Tom was diagnosed with AIDs in 1985, passing from the disease on July 11, 1987. Tom left behind his daughter Jessica, whom he had with lesbian activist Sara Lewinstein.

Dr. Waddell excelled in athletics, originally brought to Springfield College as a track star and studying as a physical education major. While attending SC, he was also a member of the gymnastics and football teams. He eventually switched his major to pre-medicine after the sudden death of his best friend and co-captain of the gymnastics team, Don Marshman. Don died while practicing on the Flying Rings in 1958. This death greatly influenced the rest of Tom’s life as a doctor, athlete, and activist.

After joining a gay bowling league in San Francisco in 1972, Dr. Waddell was inspired to organize the Gay Games, a gay sporting event modeled after the Olympics. The first Gay Games were held in 1982 in San Francisco, with Tina Turner performing at the opening ceremonies. Since then, the Gay Games have hosted thousands of athletes every four years, with the 1994 Games participants outnumbering the 1992 and 1996 Olympics. This event promotes inclusivity in sports and life and is open to those regardless of sexual orientation or gender, even becoming a haven for those who may face death or jail time for being themselves in their home countries.

- Written by Emily Gentile in April 2021

Works used:

Tom Waddell, 04/07/2021

Gay Games, 04/08/2021

Waddell articles with collection, 04/12/2021