"The contestants are bound together by the shared experience of rigorous training and dedication to a universal standard of excellence." Grolier: "The Olympic Story"

Ken Gagne is recognized as one of the strongest runners in Hartford Public High School history. In 1939, Ken won the CIAC state cross-country championship, a daunting challenge for any long-distance runner, with every leading competitor in the state running in the same race. That same year, Ken won the University of Connecticut Cross Country Invitational at Storrs and the Greater Hartford mile. He also won the CIAC 1000-meter event in 1940.

Ken was a member of the HPHS mile relay team that broke the state record at the University of Connecticut in 1940. He was a member of three of coach Larry Amann's state championship teams, in track and cross country, during 1938 and 1939.

He joined the U. S. Army Air Corps after high school and won the Air Force mile and the All-West Coast Bases mile while stationed in California. He served in the rank of staff sergeant as crew chief on the Aircobra, King Cobra, Mustang, and P-38 fighter planes during World War II and later served in the recruiting service.

As a civilian, Ken joined the Air National Guard, and he continues to be active in the American Legion. He owns his own business, Gagne & Gagne Sash and Door Co., and donates time and talent to various volunteer activities, including scholarship and youth programs. He has been married 60 years.