Public Radio East serves Eastern North Carolina by providing news, fine arts, and informational programming that challenges, stimulates, educates, and entertains an intellectually curious audience.

© 2026 Public Radio East

Public Radio East
800 College Court
New Bern, NC 28562

EIN 56-1802728
Public Radio For Eastern North Carolina 89.3 WTEB New Bern 88.5 WZNB New Bern 91.5 WBJD Atlantic Beach 90.3 WKNS Kinston 89.9 W210CF Greenville
Donate
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Join our team! Public Radio East is hiring a Financial & Development Associate.
US

The legacy of Taffy Abel, the first Indigenous athlete to carry the American flag at the Olympics

NPR
Published February 4, 2022 at 12:45 PM EST
December 1947: Members of the New York Rangers hockey team gather to honor Lester Patrick, who was their first manager, at Madison Square Garden in New York City. From left to right: Bun Cook, Ching Johnson, Bill Cook, Patrick Lester, Taffy Abel and Frank Boucher. (New York Times Co./Getty Images)
December 1947: Members of the New York Rangers hockey team gather to honor Lester Patrick, who was their first manager, at Madison Square Garden in New York City. From left to right: Bun Cook, Ching Johnson, Bill Cook, Patrick Lester, Taffy Abel and Frank Boucher. (New York Times Co./Getty Images)

At the 1924 Winter Olympics in Chamonix, France, the U.S. paraded in behind the flag — then with just 48 stars — carried by hockey player Clarence “Taffy” Abel.

Few knew, however, outside his family and neighbors, that he was the first Indigenous athlete to carry the flag and the first to medal for the U.S. at the Winter Olympics.

Feb. 4 is known as Taffy Abel Day. Troy Oppie of Boise State Public Radio reports.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

US