on gymnastics and trampolining. In 1971, with Larry Griswold, he founded the United States Tumbling & Trampoline Association (USTA). He has been honored by the sports of both trampolining and gymnastics. The USTA has the Griswold-Nissen Cup for an outstanding trampolinist. There is an international trampolining competition held in Switzerland called the Nissen Cup. In the United States, the Nissen-Emery Award is given to the best male senior gymnast in the college gymnastics system. He sponsored the 1st. World Trampoline Championship at the Albert Hall, London in March 1964, which was commemorated by a stamp featuring Judy Wills, who became the first woman's champion and defended that title a further 7 times. Spaceball, which he invented, was his pet love and he sponsored the Nissen trophy for the first UK National champion, won by Nick Proctor in 1963. At the championship the USA team narrowly beat the GB team 7–6, 6–7, 7–6 in a demonstration international. "The History of World Trampolining" by Rob Walker. Later years Nissen remained involved in a trampoline manufacturing business making trampolines for exercise and for space ball, a game similar to volleyball but played on a trampoline surface. Nissen had always wanted to have trampolining included in the Olympic Games. This finally happened in the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. At 86 years old, Nissen attended the 2000 Olympics accompanied by his daughter Dian Nissen. Nissen was also able to travel to Beijing, China for the 2008 Summer Olympics with Dian and his grandson. He was given the honor of testing out the Olympic trampoline before the event. He died in San Diego, California on April 7, 2010, at the age of 96 from complications from pneumonia. References Biography of George Nissen See also 1914 births 2010 deaths American gymnasts American male trampolinists 20th-century American inventors Iowa Hawkeyes men's gymnasts People from Benton County, Iowa Deaths from pneumonia in California