1960 Winter Olympics in Squaw Valley, California

I just had to do a report for my last class. It was about leadership. For my part of the team effort I chose to write about Walt Disney's role in the 1960 Winter Olympics. Walt was asked to take on the job as the President of Pageantry! He was excited. He had just completed building a 1/10th scale model of the Swiss mountain, Matterhorn, at Disneyland. Disney also had his sites on building a Disney-style ski resort at Mineral King, California. (For those who enjoyed the Country Bear Jamboree at Disneyland, it was originally slated for Mineral King.)
Walt Disney set a new standard for the opening and closing ceremonies, much of what is seen today is based on his format. Here are some statistics about the '60s Olympics you might find fun.

Disney designed the portable gas Olympic torch, the basis of all torches since. It was the first time the Olympic flame travel across the North Pole!

There were 5000 participants in the opening ceremony. (4000 were high school bands and singers from 52 California and Nevada schools)

CBS paid $50,000 for the television rights! This was the first Olympics televised live and in prime time.

When it was determined that only eight countries were going to send bobsled teams, they organizers canceled the building of the bobsled run!

Lodging at the Olympics cost $5.00 to $10.00 per night!

A five event pass cost $7.50!

An eleven day pass to all events cost $60!

There were 665 athletes, 521 men, 144 women. The competed in 27 events in 4 sports.

The USSR had the highest medal count. 7 gold/21 total

US 3 gold/10 total

W. Germany 4 gold/ 8 total.

The US beat the USSR at hockey 3-2. It was the first dreamteam.

The week before the Olympics were to start, there was a warm spell and all the snow melted. But, just in the nick of time, Mother Nature came through with 12 feet of snow by opening day!