Ken Henry, Class of 1942
Ken attended Ebinger Elementary School in Chicago. He began skating at age 9 and after graduating from Taft, went on to compete in three Olympics.
In 1948, Ken became the youngest member of the U.S. Olympic Speed Skating Team. He won a bronze medal in the 500 meter event. In 1949, Ken dominated mens’ speed skating winning many 500 and 1500 meter events throughout Norway and Sweden. Ken placed 4th in the World Championships in 1949 and 1950.
Ken won the gold medal in the 500 m at the 1952 Winter Olympics held in Oslo, Norway in front of 28,000 people in a time of 43.2 seconds. Two weeks later, he won the same title in the annual World Meet at Hamar, Norway. His 1952 Olympic Gold Medal time was one tenth of one second short of the record time set in 1948 by Finn Helgesen of Norway.
Ken hung up his skates in 1956, but only to conquer another sport. From 1956 to 1958 Ken could be seen as the Assistant Golf Pro at the Park Ridge Country Club. From 1959 to 1965, Ken was Head Pro at West Bend, Wisconsin Country Club. In 1965 he became Head Pro at Glen Flora in Waukegan.
He served as a coach on the American men's and women's Olympic speedskating team in the late 1960s and early 1970s. At the 1960 Winter Olympics in Squaw Valley, California, Ken was chosen to light the final torch at the opening ceremony during the first televised Olympics.
In 2001, Ken was inducted into the Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame. Ken married Taft graduate Roselle Johnson.
Henry competed in three Olympics. In 1948, he became fifth in the 500 m at the Winter Olympics of St. Moritz, Switzerland. The 1956 Winter Olympics were the third for the American in the 500 m event in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy. In between, Henry finished fourth overall in both the 1949 and 1950 World Allround Championships.
Henry has always lived in the Chicago area. He began skating when he was nine years old near Edison Park in Chicago. He later starred at Taft High School.
He won the Chicago Tribune newspaper sponsored, Silver Skates titles in 1946 and 1947, as well as the Intermediate National and North American Outdoor Championships when he was seventeen years of age.
At Northern Illinois University, he majored in physical education, and played on the golf team. He graduated in 1955. Henry became the golf club professional at Glen Flora Country Club in Waukegan, Illinois.
, and the outdoor ceremony was produced by Walt Disney. In Lausanne, Switzerland, where the International Olympic Committee has its headquarters, there is an exhibit displaying all the torches from each of the Olympic opening ceremonies. Henry is listed as the final torch bearer, along with some background information on the travel of the 1960 torch itself.
Henry served as a coach on the American men's and women's Olympic speedskating team in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
In 2001, Henry was inducted into the Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame.