1950's Sports | The Olympics for All

The Olympic Spirit Reclaimed.

After the end of World War II the International Olympic Committee (IOC) consciously attempted to return to the principles upon which the modern Olympic Games were based: "To the Glory and Honor of Youth"; "Higher, Faster, Stronger"; "It's not the winning, but the taking part." The IOC entered the 1950s with genuine eagerness to celebrate the spirit of amateurism.

A Self-Made Leader.

Avery Brundage, long-time leader of the Olympic movement in America, became president of the IOC in 1952. Brundage had himself been on the 1912 U.S. Olympic team and participated in Stockholm in the decathlon and pentathlon, only to be overshadowed by Jim Thorpe. Later in life, having earned a fortune in construction, Brundage had the resources to retire from his business and lead the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) from 1928 to 1935 and the U. S. Olympic Committee from 1929 to 1953. Brundage always approached...