Avery Brundage

Avery Brundage (English pronunciation: /ˈeɪvri ˈbrʌndɨdʒ/; 1887–1975) was an American amateur athlete, sports official, art collector, and philanthropist. Brundage competed in the 1912 Olympics and was the US national all-around athlete in 1914, 1916 and 1918. Rising to president of the Amateur Athletic Union, he subsequently served as the fifth president of the International Olympic Committee from 1952 to 1972 – the only American to hold the post. An outspoken crusader for the unique significance of the Olympic Games, Brundage has been called “a high priest at the altar of Olympism.” An opponent of professional athletes in the Olympics and pioneer in gender verification in sports, Brundage has been criticized for controversial...