Sam Hall
Encyclopedia
Samuel Wesley Hall (born March 10, 1937 in Dayton, Ohio
), an American
, is an Olympic
silver medal
ist and former member of the Ohio House of Representatives
. He is also the brother of Ambassador Tony Hall
and the son of former Dayton, Ohio
, mayor Dave Hall. He now lives in Florida
, working in real estate.
. He was the NCAA champion in one-meter diving in 1960 and in three-meter diving in 1959 and 1960. He also won a silver medal for diving in the 1960 Summer Olympics
.
to fight on the side of anti-communist
forces as an advisor to the Nicaragua
n Contras
. He reentered the national spotlight again in late 1986 when he was captured by Sandinista National Liberation Front
forces, which announced the capture of a "spy". Hall was freed in less than two months.
Dayton, Ohio
Dayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...
), an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, is an Olympic
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
silver medal
Silver medal
A silver medal is a medal awarded to the second place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and contests with similar formats....
ist and former member of the Ohio House of Representatives
Ohio House of Representatives
The Ohio House of Representatives is the lower house of the Ohio General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Ohio; the other house of the bicameral legislature being the Ohio Senate....
. He is also the brother of Ambassador Tony Hall
Tony P. Hall
Tony Patrick Hall is an American politician who served as a Democrat from Ohio in the U.S. House of Representatives for more than 20 years....
and the son of former Dayton, Ohio
Dayton, Ohio
Dayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...
, mayor Dave Hall. He now lives in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, working in real estate.
Diver
During his college years, Hall was a member of the diving team at the Ohio State UniversityOhio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
. He was the NCAA champion in one-meter diving in 1960 and in three-meter diving in 1959 and 1960. He also won a silver medal for diving in the 1960 Summer Olympics
1960 Summer Olympics
The 1960 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held from August 25 to September 11, 1960 in Rome, Italy...
.
Counterterrorist
Hall later worked as an unpaid "volunteer counterterrorist," as Hall described himself, going to Central AmericaCentral America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
to fight on the side of anti-communist
Anti-communism
Anti-communism is opposition to communism. Organized anti-communism developed in reaction to the rise of communism, especially after the 1917 October Revolution in Russia and the beginning of the Cold War in 1947.-Objections to communist theory:...
forces as an advisor to the Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
n Contras
Contras
The contras is a label given to the various rebel groups opposing Nicaragua's FSLN Sandinista Junta of National Reconstruction government following the July 1979 overthrow of Anastasio Somoza Debayle's dictatorship...
. He reentered the national spotlight again in late 1986 when he was captured by Sandinista National Liberation Front
Sandinista National Liberation Front
The Sandinista National Liberation Front is a socialist political party in Nicaragua. Its members are called Sandinistas in both English and Spanish...
forces, which announced the capture of a "spy". Hall was freed in less than two months.