Frenchman Pierre de Coubertin was embarrassed. He had just revived the Ancient Olympic Games on a global scale. But the 1900 Games in his hometown of Paris, France were a disaster. They were a sideshow at the World’s Fair! Many competitors weren’t even aware they were participating in the Olympics!

Next time around, Coubertin vowed to find a host nation that would appreciate the Olympics.

And that’s when a colleague suggested the United States should play host.  But which city? Unfortunately, making that selection was easier said than done. 

Boykoff, Jules. Power Games: A Political History of the Olympics. Verso, 2016.

Matthews, George R. America’s First Olympics: The St. Louis Games of 1904. University of Missouri Press, 2018.

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