biography
| sex:
| male
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| lived:
| (1887–1975)
|
| biography:
| Businessman, athletic administrator, and art collector, born in Detroit, Michigan, USA. He competed in the 1912 Olympics, and after making a fortune as a building contractor he gained the presidency of the US 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 behaviour. His private passion was collecting Asian art, on which he became a respected authority, and he left his superb collection to museums in San Francisco. |
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