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Joan Benoit Samuelson papers

 Collection
Identifier: Coll. 4291

Scope and Content note

This collection documents the racing career of marathon runner Joan Benoit Samuelson. Contents include correspondence, memorabilia, photographs, promotional material, and posters.

Dates

  • Creation: 1952 - 2019

Creator

Access

Unrestricted

Copyright

Access to collections at Maine Historical Society is not an authorization to publish. Rights and reproduction requests may be submitted in writing to the MHS Image Services Coordinator or Research & Administrative Librarian, subject to format.

Biographical note

Joan Benoit Samuelson was born on May 16, 1957, in Cape Elizabeth, Maine. She began running in high school and continued while at Bowdoin College. In 1977, Benoit Samuelson transferred to North Carolina State to focus on her running. After returning to Bowdoin to complete her degree, she entered the 1979 Boston Marathon and won the race, setting a new record. In 1984, despite undergoing knee surgery 17 days prior, Benoit Samuelson won the U.S. Olympic women's marathon trials, and went on to win gold in the first Olympic women's marathon at the 1984 summer Olympics in Los Angeles. The following year, Benoit Samuelson won the Chicago marathon, setting a record for the race that would stand for decades. Benoit Samuelson founded the annual Cape Elizabeth Beach to Beacon 10K road race in 1998.

In 1984, Joan Benoit married Scott Samuelson, and the two had two children, Abby and Anders. She has written two books, Running tide in 1986 and Running for women in 1995. Benoit Samuelson continues to run races and marathons, including multiple Olympic trials at which she has set age-group records, and has received numerous awards and recognitions for her long, record-breaking career as a marathon runner.

Extent

0.25 Linear Feet (1 box + 1 oversize folder)

Language of Materials

English

Provenance

Gift of Joan Benoit Samuelson, 2024 (acc. no. 2024.058).

Processing note

These papers arrived as part of a larger collection of news clippings. The clippings were separated for processing and housing. Papers arranged in this collection were organized by type or subject, often informed by notes written on original form of housing, such as envelopes. Posters and oversize promotional material were grouped together and housed in a shared collections flat file drawer.

Title
Guide to the Joan Benoit Samuelson papers
Status
In Progress
Author
Jordis Rosberg, MHS Archivist, July-September 2024
Date
September 12, 2024
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Part of the Maine Historical Society Repository