A tree is a great way to remember an event like the Olympics.
A living, growing tree
helps refocus fading memories.

Trees represent a renewing of life over generations and an
investment in the future.
Tree planting can mark the passage of time and great events and
accomplishments.

One particular tree’s life marks many things, including the
Olympics. On the University
of Georgia campus, just southwest of Stegeman Coliseum, grows a
small tree with a rounded
crown. Planted in 1936, the German oak (Quercus robur) is
native to central
Germany.

In the forests where it grows, the German oak is wide-
spreading and broad. German oaks
can grow to more than 100 feet tall. The leaves have six to 10
lobes, are roughly
three-by-five inches and are similar to our American white oak
(Quercus alba). The
acorns are fairly large and dangle from long stems.

In 1936 the Olympic Games were in Berlin. The city, stadium
and other venues were awash
in the harsh banners of fascism. The National Socialist party
had been brought to power
three years earlier by Adolf Hitler, who saw the Olympics as a
way to show cultural and
racial superiority to the world.

The German oak grows across Europe. Every country where it
grows calls it by that
country’s name — French oak, Italian oak, Austrian oak and
Spanish oak.

Here in the United States and in the South, the most common
name is English oak.
Regardless of its common name, the tree is large, strong and
beautiful.

The massive size and strength of this native oak symbolized
for Hitler the greatness of
the "Fatherland." Olympic winners were given a small
German oak as well as the
Olympic medals.

The Olympic athletes carried these young oaks back to the far
reaches of the world.
Most of the trees didn’t survive.

In Georgia, German oak has a hard time growing. Many pests
attack it. But by far the
worst problems are the warm winters and occasional spring
freezes. German oak doesn’t go
deep into dormancy during our winters and then tends to grow
much too early in spring.
Frost is always damaging it.

German oak doesn’t handle the hot summer well, either —
especially our warm nights.
Several plantings in Georgia have died or had to be removed
because of growth problems. A
tree growing poorly and under constant stress is ripe for attack
by many pests and can’t
respond well to damage.

The German oak on the University of Georgia campus is the
tree given to Forrest Towns,
who was the university’s first Olympic gold medal winner. Mr.
Towns held the world record
in the 110-meter high hurdles for 12 years. For 37 years, he
coached track for the
Bulldogs.

The German oak on campus symbolizes many things to the
university community. As
memories fade, the tree grows and reminds us of the Olympic
spirit of athletic endeavors
and excellence. The rich green tree reminds us of the man and
his accomplishment. Mr.
Towns passed away in 1991.

Sadder times are caught up in those dark green leaves, too. A
few years after his
victory in Berlin, Mr. Towns lost his brother in the European
theater of World War II. A
tree lives to help us remember.

Maybe you should plant a tree to commemorate your own Olympic
experiences.