Hugh Roddin

Olympic medal record
Men’s Boxing
	1908 London	Featherweight

Hugh Joseph Roddin (March 10, 1887 – March 3, 1954) was an Olympic boxer from Scotland. He was the first Scottish boxer to win an Olympics boxing medal when he took home the bronze in 1908.[1]

Roddin was raised in the Newbigging district of Musselburgh in East Lothian. He won a silver trophy in an open boxing championship at the Pavilion Theatre in Musselburgh in 1906 before he moved to the United States. The building that he trained and fought in is being refurbished and used as a museum of Scottish boxing, including a display of Hugh Roddin memorabilia.

Hugh Roddin won his bronze medal at the 1908 London Olympics. He was a featherweight (57 kg). They had not originally planned to include boxing in the 1908 Olympics, so it was held after all of the other events, in October. His fight was a 37 bout marathon session that started at 11:25 am and went until 10:30 pm. Because it was held after all the other events, 32 of the 42 entrants were from Great Britain, including all of the featherweight medalists. Of the ten overseas entrants, nine were defeated in their first bout.

Roddin had a 23 win and no loss record, according to author and journalist Brian Donald, in his research for a book on Scottish boxing history entitled "The Fight Game in Scotland". This book devotes a complete chapter to Hugh Roddin. One of the fights was held in the old Vanderbilt Athletic Club in the Ninth Ward before World War I.

The boxing gloves Roddin used to win his Olympic medal now belong to Brian Donald's grandson Ruaridh. They were given to Brian Donald as a show of appreciation by Roddin's family in the US for his work on the fighter in "The Fight Game in Scotland". They are on display in the National Museum of Scotland.

Roddin became the boxing coach at the American Legion in Rosedale, Long Island, New York and taught his nephew Harold (Sonny) and many other boys the finer points of boxing. Sonny would go from Bayside to Rosedale many a Saturday night, go to the Legion and then home.

Hugh Roddin (Hugh's nephew) tells a story that when Hugh Roddin was in his late years he was approached in the park by a mugger to give up his wallet. Hugh reached into his coat as if to grab the wallet - and came out with a punch to knock the young man down. The young man was so stunned he got up and ran away. An old boxer never loses his punch is what Hugh had said.