Irving Jaffee

Irving Warren Jaffee (September 15, 1906 in New York City – March 20, 1981 in San Diego, California) was an American speed skater who won two gold medals at the 1932 Winter Olympics, becoming the most successful athlete there along with his compatriot Jack Shea. It was the first time two Americans had won medals in speed skating at a Winter Olympics.

Early life Jaffee, who was Jewish, was born to Jewish parents who had emigrated from Russia in 1896. He grew up in the Crotona Park section of The Bronx, In a controversial ruling, the Norwegian referee canceled the entire competition. Evensen, for his part, publicly said that Jaffee should be awarded the gold medal, but that never happened. There, he won gold medals in both the 5,000 and 10,000-meter races.

In December 1932, his manager announced that Jaffee, and also Ivar Ballangrud, would turn professional. Jaffee's professional career was aided by Postmaster General James Farley. Jaffee went on a ten-city professional tour, and later went into the skate manufacturing business, achieving success for a time as a businessman.

During the Great Depression, the unemployed Jaffee ended up on bread lines and was forced to pawn his Olympic and other medals for $3500. After he obtained a job on Wall Street, he went to redeem his medals, only to learn the pawn shop had gone out of business: he never saw the medals again.

In 1934, he worked as Winter Sports Director at Grossinger's Catskill Resort Hotel, and set a world record there by skating 25 miles in 1:26:01. breaking the 30-year-old record by five minutes.

Jaffee appeared in a full-page ad for Camel cigarettes in 1934, entitled "It Takes Healthy Nerves for Jaffee to be the World's Champion Skater; Steady Smokers Turn to Camels".

Honors Jaffee was elected to the United States Figure Skating Hall of Fame in 1940 and the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 1979. He died in San Diego in 1981.