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Avery Brundage and American Participation in the 1936 Olympic Games

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 January 2009

Carolyn Marvin
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Extract

Avery Brundage liked to say that revolutionaries were not bred on the playing field. That theme neatly expressed Brundage's distrust of any challenge to the established political and social order he cherished and garnished his speeches to countless audiences during the forty years in which he was the single most powerful figure in both the American and international Olympic movements, first as president of the American Olympic Committee (1929–1953), and then as president of the International Olympic Committee (1952–1972). Although the Iron Chancellor of amateur sport regarded himself as the last true defender of the strict separation of sport and politics, he also frequently insisted that more than the future of amateur sport was at stake in shielding sport from political manipulation. Upon sport for sport's sake depended the healthy psychological valuation of individual effort and excellence that was at the very heart of a democratic way of life. Moreover, fit bodies and competitive spirits were in Brundage's view essential for the continued success of American capitalism at home and abroad. Though he never acknowledged the political coloring of his vision of the Olympics, he regarded them as a kind of international mission for spreading democratic values in the continuing ideological battle between Communism and the American way of life.

Because it dramatizes victory, defeat, struggle against nature and other competitors, sport is a potent symbol constantly under pressure to lend its emotional power to other causes.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of American Studies , Volume 16 , Issue 1 , April 1982 , pp. 81 - 105
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1982

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References

Carolyn Marvin is Assistant Professor at the Annenberg School of Communications, University of Pennsylvania. Special thanks are due to Maynard Brichford, Archivist of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, his secretary, Evelyn Arvidsen, and research assistant David DeVries for assistance in preparing this article.

1 See Bernett, Hajo, Untersuchungen zur Zeitgeschichte des Sports (Schorndorf: Hoffman, 1974)Google Scholar, Diem, Carl, Ein Leben für den Sport (Dusseldorf: Henn, 1974)Google Scholar, Krüger, Arnd, Die Olympischen Spiele 1936 und die Weltmcinung (Frankfurt: Bartels & Wernitz, 1972)Google Scholar and Theodor Lewald (Frankfurt: Bartels & Wernitz, 1975)Google Scholar, and Steinhöfer, Dietrich's Hans von Tschammer und Osten (Dusseldorf: Henn, 1974)Google Scholar. For American perspectives, see Mandell, Richard D., The Nazi Olympics (New York: Macmillan, 1971)Google Scholar, Gottlieb, Moshe, “The American Controversy Over the Olympic Games,” American Jewish Historical Quarterly 61 (03 1972), pp. 181–213Google Scholar; Frank, Stanley B., The Jew in Sports (New York: Miles Publishing Co., 1936), pp. 11–15Google Scholar, and Morse, Arthur D., While Six Million Died (New York: Random House, 1967)Google Scholar. This paper is based on the Avery Brundage Collection, hereafter designated ABC, at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

2 “Remarks of Welcome by Avery Brundage in Behalf of AAU to British Empire Track Team Upon Arrival in Chicago 1930,” ABC. See also “Oak Park” speech notes, 20 Oct. 1938, ABC.

3 See “Athletics and Industry,” address to the Chicago Chamber of Commerce, 10 June 1931, passim., ABC.

4 Gustavus T. Kirby to Howard S. Braucher, 9 June 1930, ABC.

5 Avery Brundage to J. A. Miller, 15 Apr. 1933, ABC.

6 Brundage to Dr. Theodor Lewald, 18 May 1933, ABC.

7 Brundage to Frederick W. Rubien, 21 Apr. 1933, ABC.

8 Brundage to Kirby, 27 Sept. 1935, ABC.

9 Monsieur le Comte de Henri Baillet-Latour to Brundage, 3 Nov. 1933, ABC.

10 See General Charles H. Sherrill to Rubien, 11 June 1933, ABC.

11 What Baillet-Latour specifically advocated in a letter to Brundage, 3 Nov. 1933, ABC, was a resolution from the American AAU addressed to the German Amateur Athletic Union specifying German fulfillment of its IOC pledges as a condition of AOC acceptance of the invitation to the 1936 Games. He also suggested that the AOC formally request a report on the German situation from the three American delegates to the IOC as a prerequisite to action on the Olympic invitation.

12 Brundage to Baillet-Latour, 28 Dec. 1935, ABC.

13 Brundage to Marvin F. Plake, 15 Oct. 1937, ABC.

14 Rubien to Brundage, 28 Oct. 1933, ABC; Brundage to Kirby, 5 Nov. 1933, ABC.

15 Brundage to Baillet-Latour, 28 Dec. 1933, ABC.

16 Correspondence concerning Brundage's candidacy for the IOC includes Kirby to Brundage, 8 July 1935, ABC; Brundage to Kirby, 15 July 1935, ABC; Kirby to Brundage, 26 June 1936, ABC.

17 Baillet-Latour to Brundage, telegram, 26 May 1934, ABC: Kirby to Brundage, 23 Apr. 1934, ABC; Olympic News, Aug. 1934, p. 27, ABC.

18 Brundage to Kirby, 3 Mar. 1932, ABC.

19 Brundage, , “For Honor of Country and Glory of Sport,” Olympic News Magazine, 08 1934, pp. 3–11, ABCGoogle Scholar; “Brundage's Approval of Berlin's Conduct Forecasts U.S. Acceptance of Olympic Bid,” New York Times, 11 08 1934Google Scholar; Brundage to Harold M. Abrahams, 13 Oct. 1934, ABC.

20 Brundage to Charles Ornstein, 8 Oct. 1934, ABC.

21 Kirby to Ornstein, 21 Jan. 1935, ABC; also Joseph E. Raycroft to Brundage, 7 Oct. 1935, ABC.

22 Brundage to Kirby, 3 Mar. 1934, ABC; Brundage to Kirby, 27 Sept. 1935, ABC.

23 Evan Hunter to Brundage, 23 Nov. 1934, ABC.

24 Brundage to J. Sigfrid Edstrom, 29 Aug. 1935, ABC; also Brundage to John C. Grover, 10 June 1935, ABC.

25 Edstrom to Brundage, 12 Sept. 1935, ABC.

26 Ibid.

27 Brundage to Mrs. B. C. Farver, 3 Jan. 1936, ABC.

28 Brundage to Ornstein, 26 Jan. 1935, ABC; see also Kirby to Ornstein, 21 Jan. 1935, ABC, and Kirby to Samuel Untermyer, 8 July 1935, ABC.

29 Lambert, Margaret, “A Jewish Athlete and the Nazi Olympics of '36,” New York Times, 3 02 1980Google Scholar.

30 Brundage to Kirby, 11 Nov. 1935, ABC. See also Brundage to Abrahams, 13 Oct. 1934, ABC; Brundage to John C. Grover, 10 June 1935, ABC; Brundage to Kirby, 15 July 1935, ABC; Brundage to Edstrom, 29 Aug. 1935, ABC; Brundage to Kirby, 5 Oct. 1935, ABC.

31 Brundage to Kirby, Rubicn, Raycroft, 22 Jan. 1935, ABC.

32 Brundage to Albert Lasker, 30 Mar. 1936, ABC.

33 Lasker to Brundage, 14 Apr. 1936, ABC.

34 Brundage to Edstrom, 29 Aug. 1935. As early as 1 May 1933, Brundage had used this explanation in a letter to Lewald, ABC.

35 This letter was not sent. A very personal letter containing strong opinions and marked “proposal,” it is attached in Brundage's files to the carbon of a letter to Hans von Tschammer und Osten dated 28 Oct. 1935, ABC. I quote it here because I believe it more nearly conveys Brundage's true feelings in the matter. See also Brundage to Karl Ritter von Halt, 7 Feb. 1939, ABC.

36 Compare Brundage to von Tschammer und Osten, “proposal,” 28 Oct. 1935, ABC, and Brundage to James Simms, 29 Oct, 1935 (misdated; internal evidence indicates date should be 29 Aug. 1935), ABC, with Brundage to Grover, 10 June 1935, ABC.

37 Brundage to Robert J. Eustace, 23 Sept. 1935, ABC.

38 Rubien to Brundage, 18 Aug. 1935, ABC.

39 Baillet-Latour to Brundage, 17 Nov. 1935, ABC.

40 Brundage to Kirby, 22 Apr. 1935, ABC.

41 For example, Kirby to Brundage, 14 Aug. 1935, ABC.

42 Kirby to Brundage, 27 May 1936, ABC; Brundage's reply in Brundage to Kirby, 1 June 1936, ABC.

43 Kirby to Mrs. Arthur Hays Sulzberger, 29 Oct. 1935, ABC, and Kirby to Untermyer, 8 July 1935, ABC.

44 Kirby to Brundage, 27 May 1936, ABC.

45 Kirby to Mrs. Sulzberger, 21 Apr. 1936, ABC.

46 Kirby to Harry Anderson, 1 May 1936, ABC.

47 Clarence Bush, “Hard to Push Around,” undated, p. 3, ABC. Bush was of the same mind as Brundage in his dedication to Olympic independence and his distrust of Jews and Easterners.

48 The shift is rather precise. A letter expressing great concern and anxiety about the boycott campaign was sent by Brundage to Baillet-Latour, 24 Sept. 1935, ABC. A letter from Brundage to Gus Kirby, 27 Sept. 1935, ABC, indicates that Brundage had had a significant change of heart. That conclusion is supported by subsequent correspondence. See Brundage to Baillet-Latour, 30 Oct. 1935, ABC; Brundage to William J. Bingham, 5 Nov. 1935, ABC.

49 Brundage to Kirby, 27 Sept. 1935, ABC.

50 Brundage to Rubien, 5 Oct. 1935, ABC.

51 Brundage to Baillet-Latour, 24 Sept. 1935.

52 “Brundage Scores ‘Alien Agitators’,” New York Times, 4 12 1935Google Scholar.

53 “AAU Backs Team in Berlin Olympic; Rejects Boycott,” New York Times, 9 12 1935Google Scholar. The question on the floor was whether American participation in the Olympics should be tied to a demand for a new investigation of the German situation. The vote was close – 55·75 for, 58.25 against – and controversial. Two kinds of bodies voted. The district governing bodies, the heart of the AAU, voted with the boycott supporters. The affiliated bodies, with the exception of the Jewish Welfare Board, voted with Brundage. The controversy concerned the legal voting status of the affiliated bodies which had made victory for the Brundage forces possible.

54 Bush to Carl Diem, 26 Dec. 1935, ABC.

55 Diem to Bush, 20 Jan. 1936, ABC.

56 Dietrich Wortmann to Josef Goebbels, 5 Sept. 1935, ABC.

57 Kirby to Diem, 6 Jan. 1936, ABC.

58 Daniel Ferris to Brundage, 12 March 1936, ABC.

59 Brundage to Diem, 24 Mar. 1936, ABC.

60 See “Statement of the Receipts and Disbursements of the AOC Games Committees,” 31 Dec. 1936, and enclosure in Kirby to Brundage, 30 Dec. 1936, AOC.

61 Bush, “Hard to Push Around,” p. 2, ABC.

62 Kirby to Holmes, 24 July 1936, ABC.

63 Noel-Baker, Philip, “Olympics: too precious to be ruined by politics,” The Guardian, 17 03 1980Google Scholar.

64 Kirby to Brundage, 13 Oct. 1936, ABC.

65 “Talk for German Day,” 4 Oct. 1936, ABC.

66 Brundage to Kirby, 26 Oct. 1936, ABC.

67 Brundage to von Halt, 23 Nov. 1936, ABC.

68 Brundage to Harold Lloyd Varney, 12 May 1937, ABC; Brundage to Paul Palmer, 19 July 1937, ABC. See Varney, Harold Lloyd, “The Red Road to War,” American Mercury 61 (1937), 6–18Google Scholar.

69 Ann-Marie Bohm to Brundage, 7 Sept. 1936, ABC.

70 Bohm to Brundage, 27 Nov. 1937, ABC.

71 Brundage to Bohm, 4 Jan. 1938, ABC.

72 Edgar Fried to Brundage, 14 Jan. 1939, ABC.

73 Hermann Wraschtil to Brundage, 7 Mar. 1939, ABC.

74 Berthold Leo Warner to Brundage, 20 Aug. 1938, ABC.

75 Brundage to Warner, 8 Sept. 1938, ABC.

76 Quoted in Brundage to Gustave Jahr, 15 Mar. 1941, ABC.

77 Brundage to Herbert Bocker, 2 Mar. 1937, ABC.

78 Address by Comte de Baillet-Latour to the International Olympic Committee, 34th session, Warsaw, 7 June 1937, quoted in the Official Bulletin of the International Olympic Committee, Oct. 1937, pp. 2–3, ABC.

79 Bingham to Brundage, 7 Feb. 1938, ABC, and Bingham to Brundage, 6 June 1938, ABC.

80 Brundage to Bingham, 24 Jan. 1938, ABC.

81 “Statement by Avery Brundage, Chairman of the American Olympic Committee on the Resignation of W. J. Bingham,” 9 June 1938, ABC.

82 “Remarks of Avery Brundage, Chairman of the Citizens Keep America Out of War Committee Introducing Charles A. Lindbergh at Soldier Field on 4 August 1940,” ABC.

83 Bush to editor, Washington Star, 20 Feb. 1938, ABC.

84 Brundage to Kirby, 22 Apr. 1935, ABC.

85 Jeremiah C. Mahoney to A. C. Gilbert, 5 Aug. 1935, ABC.