Historic Trophies And Awards

By Author: Alan Silverstein
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Historic Trophies and Awards
Throughout history, trophies have denoted victory whether on the battlefield or the playing field. The word "trophy" actually derives from the Greek "tropaion" which translates into the verb, "trope" meaning "to rout" or "to defeat". In ancient Greece, conquerors marked their victories by taking the standards or arms of the captured and hanging them up on trees or large stakes carved to represent warrior figures. These trophies were often inscribed with details of the battle and dedicated to specific gods or goddesses. In Greek naval victories, conquerors scattered pieces of the conquered ship - or even the entire ship - along the nearest beach to attest to the conquest. These trophies were honored by those who passed them and any deliberate destruction was considered sacrilege since the trophies were tributes to the gods. Potential vandals did not want to call down the wrath of the gods.

In Rome, champions in battle were honored with special trophies erected upon columns or fountains so that the citizens could know of these victories. Some of these memorial structures remain today, ...
... although the trophies that once crowned them have long since been destroyed.

In early Greek sporting events, Olympiads were awarded with olive wreaths which represented the greatest reward for the victors. Although an esteemed Olympiad might never receive monetary payment, he did receive the gratitude of the citizenry through food given to him for the entirety of his life.

As early as the late 1600s in the New World, two-handled cups called chalices were given to the winners of sporting events. In 1699, the silversmith Jesse Kyp fashioned a sterling cup that was awarded to the winner of a horse race between two New England towns. This cup was called the Kyp Cup and is still on display in the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan. The chalice became the standard award for various sporting events, including horse racing, boating, and eventually car racing. As with the Kyp Cup, these cups tended to be fashioned in silver.

Some of the trophies awarded today were first presented centuries ago. For instance, the Stanley Cup was given to the winners of the first series played in Montreal, Canada in 1894. Named for Sir Frederick Arthur Stanley, lord of Preston and the 16th earl of Derby, the trophy was originally called the Dominion Hockey Challenge Cup. This predecessor was first presented to the Montreal Amateur Athletic Association in 1893. The America's Cup was presented to winners of the world famous regatta in 1851 and was named for the race's first winner, the schooner "America."

Other famous trophies began in the 20th century. The World Cup, occasionally called the FIFA World Cup or the Football World Cup, is awarded to winners of the international football (soccer) competition overseen by the Federation Internationale de Football Association. Both France and the USA won simultaneous World Cups on July 18, 1930, beating Mexico 4-1 and Belgium 3-0 respectively. In American football, the Heisman Trophy, named for the esteemed college coach John Heisman, has been given to the most outstanding collegiate player since 1935. Unlike other awards, the Heisman is modeled after an actual man, Ed Smith, who was a leading player in 1934 for the now defunct New York University football team.

Today, trophies and awards are presented in all types of sports and academic competitions. They are also given for specific recognitions. Just as the presentations have expanded, so have the forms of the awards. The chalice is still the standard for many athletic competitions; however, in other contests, awards may be presented as plaques or ribbons or whatever form represents the particular event. Awards are still made of silver, but they are also made of wood, glass or crystal. Even though through the years the style and form of trophies have changed, the original purpose has remained the same; the designation of victory.
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