MAY 19, 1945

OJIBWE OLYMPIC RUNNER FRED SIMPSON SR. DIED

Born in March 1878 on the Alderville Indian Reserve (IR) in Ontario, Simpson was of the Mississauga Ojibwe Nation. Fred lost his parents at a young age and was raised by his grandmother. He did manual labor at the Alderville IR before moving to the Hiawatha IR and marrying around 1900. Known as the “Ojibwe Thunderbolt,” Fred began road racing in 1906. Finishing 2nd in the prestigious Hamilton Herald Road Race, he then easily qualified for a berth on the 1908 Canadian Olympic Marathon Team. One of 3 Indigenous North Americans in the event—with Tom Longboat (Six Nations Onondaga) and Lewis Tewenina (Hopi)—he placed 6th. In 1909, he raced a professional circuit that took him to Georgia, New York, New Jersey, Chicago, Buffalo, Montreal, and Toronto. In 1912, Simpson retired to raise his family. In the 1920s, Simpson and family moved back to Alderville IR where he lived out his life. Simpson, who died on May 19, 1945. was inducted into the Cobourg and District Sports Hall of Fame.

Sources:

“Fred Simpson,” Alderville First Nation.  Retrieved 1/29/2023, Fred Simpson (alderville.ca)

Sam Laskaris, “Fred Simpson, the Ojibway Thunderbolt, ran Olympic marathon after 1906 debut in Peterborough,” The Peterborough Examiner, 8/5/2021. Retrieved 1/29/2023, Fred Simpson, the Ojibway Thunderbolt, ran Olympic marathon after 1906 debut in Peterborough | ThePeterboroughExaminer.com

“Alderville First Nation honours Olympic athlete,” Anishinabek News, 3/3/2020. Retrieved 1/29/2023,  Alderville First Nation honours Olympic athlete (anishinabeknews.ca)

“Running-Fred Simpson – Olympian,” Cobourg and District Sports Hall Of Fame.  Retrieved 1/29/2023, Running-Fred Simpson - Olympian | Cobourg and District Sports Hall Of Fame (cdshf.ca)

Photos:  Authors unknown, circa 1906. For both photos:  Likely Public Domain, alternatively Fair Use. Photo 1 Source: Fred Simpson, the Ojibway Thunderbolt, ran Olympic marathon after 1906 debut in Peterborough | ThePeterboroughExaminer.com. Photo 2 Source: MLU - Olympics London 1908 (mapleleafup.ca)