Brundage, Avery

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.

The Cambridge Dictionary of American Biography, by John S. Bowman. Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1995. Reproduced with permission.