December 16, 2001, was cold and rainy in Bowling Green, Kentucky, but the bad weather could not dampen the spirits of spectators who lined the city streets. They were hoping to catch a glimpse of the Olympic torch relay. The torch was making its way to Salt Lake City, Utah, for the 2002 Winter Olympics, and the 13,500-mile route that zigzagged across the United States went straight through Bowling Green and past the National Corvette Museum.
Among the 16 torchbearers that day was Dollie Cole, the widow of former General Motors President Ed Cole. Dollie was well-known in the automotive industry for her business acumen and dedication to charitable causes for animals and children. She was also a steadfast supporter of her husband’s legacy, to which the Corvette was essential. One of Dollie’s numerous leadership roles was as president of the National Corvette Museum’s Board of Directors, a position she held at the time of the torch relay. Dollie was inducted into the Corvette Hall of Fame in 2019 for her leadership skills, humanitarian efforts, and love for the Corvette, all of which made her a great representative to bear the Olympic torch in Bowling Green. The torch that Dollie carried is on loan to the Museum by her and Ed’s daughter, Anne Cole Pierce. This loan also includes the suit, gloves, and hat worn by Dollie during the torch relay.
Standing 33 inches tall, the torch’s design resembles an icicle and consists of three symbolic sections. The top section includes a glass chamber with a copper structure for holding the Olympic flame. The glass represents purity and ice, with copper serving as an important natural resource in Utah. In the middle section, the torch includes a finished silver surface made to look old and worn. It contrasts sharply with the bottom section of the torch, which features highly polished silver and the 2002 Olympic theme “Light the Fire Within.” The torch is designed to be gripped where the middle and bottom sections meet, creating a “bridge” between the old and new. As a final touch, the torch has a slight curve representing speed and fluidity, a design choice that Dollie and her fellow Corvette fans undoubtedly appreciated.
