Margaret Abbott
Encyclopedia
Margaret Ives Abbott (June 15, 1876 – June 10, 1955) was the first American woman to take first place in an Olympic event; she won the women's golf tournament, consisting of nine holes, with a score of 47 at the 1900 Paris games
. These games were apparently so poorly organized that many competitors, including Abbott, did not realize that the events they entered were part of the Olympics. Historical research did not establish that the game was on the Olympic program until after her death, so she herself never knew it. Abbott had traveled to Paris to study art under Edgar Degas
and Auguste Rodin
. Her mother, Mary Perkins Ives Abbot (a novelist and Chicago Tribune book reviewer), also competed in the event, finishing tied for seventh, making it the first (and still only) Olympic event in which a mother and daughter competed at the same time.
Born in Calcutta, India in 1876, in 1902, Abbott married writer Finley Peter Dunne
.
1900 Summer Olympics
The 1900 Summer Olympics, today officially known as the Games of the II Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1900 in Paris, France. No opening or closing ceremonies were held; competitions began on May 14 and ended on October 28. The Games were held as part of...
. These games were apparently so poorly organized that many competitors, including Abbott, did not realize that the events they entered were part of the Olympics. Historical research did not establish that the game was on the Olympic program until after her death, so she herself never knew it. Abbott had traveled to Paris to study art under Edgar Degas
Edgar Degas
Edgar Degas[p] , born Hilaire-Germain-Edgar De Gas, was a French artist famous for his work in painting, sculpture, printmaking and drawing. He is regarded as one of the founders of Impressionism although he rejected the term, and preferred to be called a realist...
and Auguste Rodin
Auguste Rodin
François-Auguste-René Rodin , known as Auguste Rodin , was a French sculptor. Although Rodin is generally considered the progenitor of modern sculpture, he did not set out to rebel against the past...
. Her mother, Mary Perkins Ives Abbot (a novelist and Chicago Tribune book reviewer), also competed in the event, finishing tied for seventh, making it the first (and still only) Olympic event in which a mother and daughter competed at the same time.
Born in Calcutta, India in 1876, in 1902, Abbott married writer Finley Peter Dunne
Finley Peter Dunne
Finley Peter Dunne was a Chicago-based U.S. author, writer and humorist. He published Mr. Dooley in Peace and War, a collection of his nationally syndicated Mr. Dooley sketches, in 1898. The fictional Mr...
.