{"691358":{"#nid":"691358","#data":{"type":"event","title":"Passing the Torch: Georgia Tech and the Enduring Legacy of the Centennial Olympic Games","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJoin the Georgia Tech Library in the Scholars Event Theater on the first floor of Price Gilbert on Thursday, Sept. 17, from 6 \u2013 7:30 p.m. for \u003Cem\u003EPassing the Torch: Georgia Tech and the Enduring Legacy of the Centennial Olympic Games\u003C\/em\u003E, a panel discussion featuring members of the Georgia Tech community who experienced the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games firsthand.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPanelists include Olympian Matthew Ryan (\u002796, handball); Paralympic gold medalist and former vice chairman of the 1996 Paralympic Organizing Committee Al Mead (\u002788, \u002792, para track and field); Dr. Mindy Millard-Stafford, director of Georgia Tech\u0027s Exercise Physiology Laboratory; and Public Engagement Librarian Charlie Bennett, who was a Georgia Tech student during the Games.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETogether, they will share personal stories, behind-the-scenes perspectives, and reflections on this historic moment in Atlanta\u0027s history.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe program will conclude with a special lighting of the 1996 Olympic torch in honor of former Georgia Tech mechanical engineering professor Sam Shelton, whose engineering expertise contributed to one of the most recognizable symbols of the Centennial Olympic Games.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbout \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECentennial Summer: Georgia Tech\u0027s Olympic Legacy\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThirty years ago, Atlanta welcomed the world for the Centennial Olympic Games, a 17-day event that transformed both the city and the Georgia Tech campus. The Games spurred significant urban renewal and infrastructure projects, elevating Atlanta\u0027s profile on the global stage.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt the heart of that transformation was Georgia Tech. Serving as the Olympic Village and host to several competition venues, the Institute renovated Alexander Memorial Coliseum and added seven residence halls, North Avenue Apartments, the Campanile, and a new pool that later became part of the Campus Recreation Center, shaping the student experience for generations.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Tech community is invited to revisit these Olympic memories and explore their legacy through the Library\u0027s newest exhibit, \u003Cem\u003ECentennial Summer: Georgia Tech\u0027s Olympic Legacy\u003C\/em\u003E. The exhibit examines the lasting impact of the 1996 Games through photographs, artifacts, and personal stories.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003ECentennial Summer: Georgia Tech\u0027s Olympic Legacy\u003C\/em\u003E is on display through mid-November in the Library Exhibit Gallery on the first floor of Price Gilbert. Gallery hours are 9 a.m. \u2013 6 p.m. daily.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJoin the Georgia Tech Library in the Scholars Event Theater on the first floor of Price Gilbert on Thursday, Sept. 17, from 6 \u2013 7:30 p.m. for \u003Cem\u003EPassing the Torch: Georgia Tech and the Enduring Legacy of the Centennial Olympic Games\u003C\/em\u003E, a panel discussion featuring members of the Georgia Tech community who experienced the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games firsthand.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Join the Georgia Tech Library in the Scholars Event Theater on the first floor of Price Gilbert on Thursday, Sept. 17, from 6 \u2013 7:30 p.m. for Passing the Torch: Georgia Tech and the Enduring Legacy of the Centennial Olympic Games."}],"uid":"28817","created_gmt":"2026-07-30 16:58:35","changed_gmt":"2026-07-30 17:09:26","author":"Jason Wright","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","field_event_time":{"event_time_start":"2026-09-17T18:00:00-04:00","event_time_end":"2026-09-17T19:30:00-04:00","event_time_end_last":"2026-09-17T19:30:00-04:00","gmt_time_start":"2026-09-17 22:00:00","gmt_time_end":"2026-09-17 23:30:00","gmt_time_end_last":"2026-09-17 23:30:00","rrule":null,"timezone":"America\/New_York"},"location":"Scholars Event Theater, first floor of Price Gilbert","extras":[],"hg_media":{"680728":{"id":"680728","type":"image","title":"passing-the-torch.png","body":null,"created":"1785431311","gmt_created":"2026-07-30 17:08:31","changed":"1785431311","gmt_changed":"2026-07-30 17:08:31","alt":"Digital Signage for Passing the Torch, including archival images of Georgia Tech during the games. ","file":{"fid":"265034","name":"passing-the-torch.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/30\/passing-the-torch.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/30\/passing-the-torch.png","mime":"image\/png","size":946340,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/30\/passing-the-torch.png?itok=fdhs4iaL"}}},"media_ids":["680728"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/libcal.library.gatech.edu\/event\/17222353","title":"Register Now"}],"groups":[{"id":"47240","name":"Georgia Tech Library"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"3824","name":"event"},{"id":"175856","name":"1996 Olympics"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[{"id":"194681","name":"Exhibit"}],"invited_audience":[{"id":"78761","name":"Faculty\/Staff"},{"id":"78771","name":"Public"},{"id":"174045","name":"Graduate students"},{"id":"78751","name":"Undergraduate students"}],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}