Alice Arden (athlete)

Alice Jean Arden-Hodge (born July 23, 1914) is an American athlete who competed in the women's high jump event at the Olympic games in Berlin in 1936. Raised in Long Island, New York, Arden won ten athletic letters during her high school career across several different sports. The only woman from New York City selected for the 1936 Summer Olympics women's team, Arden placed ninth in the high jump event and never competed in the sport again. Soon after, she married basketball player Russell Hodge and together they had three children, among whom was Russ Hodge, a decathlete at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. As of 2008, Arden and Hodge's participation make them the only mother-son Olympians in American history.

Early life

Arden was born on July 23, 1914 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,cite web|last = Gjerde|first = Arild|coauthors = Jeroen Heijmans, Bill Mallon, and Hilary Evans|title = Alice Arden Biography and Statistics|work = Olympics|publisher = Sports Reference.com|date = 2008|url = http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ar/alice-arden-1.html|accessdate = 2008-08-27] but grew up in Long Island, New York.cite news|last = McMillan|first = Ken|title = Like mother, like son|publisher = Times Herald-Record|date = 2004-08-13|url = http://www.rhbvitamins.com/rhb/Likemotherlikeson.php|accessdate = 2008-08-27] Her father, Ray Arden, was an inventor who held over 400 patents. During her athletic career at Baldwin High School in New York, she won ten athletic letters in basketball, field hockey and athletics, and broke Babe Didriksen's high jump record.cite news|last = Conway|first = John|title = Catskills Olympian earned place in history|publisher = Times Herald-Record|date = 2003-03-28|url = http://www.rhbvitamins.com/rhb/Likemotherlikeson.php|accessdate = 2008-08-27] cite news|last = Botti|first = Deborah J.|title = Zest for life spurs mother-son olympians|publisher = Times Herald-Record|date = 2004-03-31|url = http://www.rhbvitamins.com/rhb/Likemotherlikeson.php|accessdate = 2008-08-27] Arden had made what would become the best jump of her career in 1935, when she achieved a distance of 1.613 m.

Olympic career

She finished second in the Olympic trials in Providence, Rhode Island, behind only Annette Rogers. She was selected to participate at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, the only female team member from New York City to participate in those games. Although $700 were raised for her trip, she was forced to return $200 due to Amateur Athletic Union regulations. She placed an equal ninth in the women's high jump event, with a height of 1.50 m., although this would have been eighth had it been discovered earlier that Dora Ratjen was actually a male. During the games, she forged strong friendships with many athletes and became lifelong friends with the head of the Turkish delegation.cite news|last = Mcmillan|first = Ken|title = McMillan: Olympians - a title reserved for few|work = Sports|publisher = Times Herald-Record|date = 2008-08-24|url = http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080824/SPORTS/808240326|accessdate = 2008-08-27] The Olympic Games, however, was her final competition.

Later life

Inspired by the associations that she made at the Olympic Games, Arden became involved in numerous Olympic committees, working towards increased female participation in the events. She played basketball for the Long Island Ducklings, where she met Russel "Rusty" Hodge, a semi-professional player.cite book|last = Silverman|first = Francine|title = The Catskills Alive!: Alive!|publisher = Hunter Publishing, Inc|date = 2003|pages = 608|isbn = 1588433544] Hodge, a center for the Liberty Emeralds, and Arden, also a center, were married in 1937.cite news|last = Hust|first = Dan|title = Historical Society Honors Residents|publisher = Sullivan County Democrat|date = 2003-08-15|url = http://www.sc-democrat.com/archives/2003/news/08August/15/history.html|accessdate = 2008-08-27] The had a son, Russ Hodge, in 1939 and moved from Monticello, New York to Roscoe, New York that same year. There, the Hodges operated a dairy farm and, later, furniture and gravel stores. Arden had a total of three children.

The younger Hodge competed in the decathlon at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, where he placed ninth.cite web|last = Gjerde|first = Arild|coauthors = Jeroen Heijmans, Bill Mallon, and Hilary Evans|title = Russ Hodge Biography and Statistics|work = Olympics|publisher = Sports Reference.com|date = 2008|url = http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ho/russ-hodge-1.html|accessdate = 2008-08-27] On his mother's 52^nd birthday, he set a world record in a decathlon event in Los Angeles. Arden's husband died in 2001. In August 2003, both Arden and her son were honoured with the Sullivan County Historical Society "History Maker" award. They are the only mother-son Olympians in the history of the United States. At the age of 90, she was still active in swimming.

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