Brundage, Avery (ā`vərē brŭn`dĭj), 1887–1975, American sports executive, b. Detroit, Mich. A member of the 1912 U.S. Olympic track and field team, he became a leader of the Olympic movement and an unyielding spokesperson for amateur sports. As president of the U.S. Olympic Committee (1930–52), he defeated a proposed boycott of the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. As president of the International Olympic Committee (1952–72), he is remembered for continuing the 1972 Munich games after their interruption by the terrorist massacre of Israeli athletes.

Bibliography

See J. Lucas, The Games Must Go On: Avery Brundage and the Olympic Movement (1980).

Brundage, Avery

(born Sept. 28, 1887, Detroit, Mich., U.S.—died May 8, 1975, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, W.Ger.) U.S. sports administrator. He competed in the decathlon at the 1912 Olympic Games. He served as president of the U.S. Olympic Association and Committee 1929–53 and as vice president (1945–52) and president (1952–72) of the International Olympic Committee. Controversial and domineering, he demanded strict adherence to the rules of amateur competition, and he often dismissed political events as unrelated to Olympic competition, most notably the 1972 murder of Israeli athletes by terrorists.

Brundage, Avery (1887–1975) businessman, athletic administrator, art collector; born in Detroit, Mich. He competed in the 1912 Olympics, and after making a fortune as a building contractor, he gained the presidency of the U.S. Olympic Committee (1929–53) and then the presidency of the International Olympic Committee (1952–72). His tenure was often marked by controversy over his strong opposition to commercialism in amateur athletics and also over his autocratic behavior. His private passion was collecting Asian art, on which he became a respected authority; he left his superb collection to San Francisco's museums.