Dr. Tom Waddell (November 1, 1937 - July 11, 1987) was the gay American sportsman who founded the international sporting event called the Gay Games, which was named such after the USOC sued Dr. Waddell for using the word "Olympic" in the original name "Gay Olympics". Tom was a football player and gymnast when he was in college at Springfield College, Massachusetts. He served as a military doctor afterward. He represented USA in decathlon at the 1968 Summer Olympics, in which he placed sixth. Waddell wrote an autobiography titled Gay Olympian with fellow sports writer Dick Schaap.