George Nissen, former American gymnast and inventor of the modern trampoline, died at the age of 96 on April 7 due to complications from pneumonia at UC San Diego Thornton Hospital in La Jolla.
Born February 1, 1914 in Blairstown, IA, Nissen immediately realized success at the high school level and went on to win three NCAA championships in gymnastics while at the University of Iowa. In 1934, Nissen constructed the first prototypical trampoline to aid him in his workouts. Following college, Nissen toured the U.S. and Mexico, performing for crowds and eventually founded Griswold-Nissen Trampolining Company in Cedar Rapids.
He “was a true sports pioneer,” Steve Penny, president of USA Gymnastics, the sport’s national governing body, said in a statement.
Nissens dreams were realized in 2008 when he traveled to Beijing to witness trampolining being recognized for the first time as an Olympic sport.
