Western University Scholarship@Western Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository 5-19-2015 12:00 AM Voices of Discontent: Avery Brundage and the IOC's Dilemma of South Africa's Olympic Participation, 1956-1968 Michael Capobianco The University of Western Ontario Supervisor Dr. Michael Heine The University of Western Ontario Graduate Program in Kinesiology A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the equirr ements for the degree in Doctor of Philosophy © Michael Capobianco 2015 Follow this and additional works at: https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd Recommended Citation Capobianco, Michael, "Voices of Discontent: Avery Brundage and the IOC's Dilemma of South Africa's Olympic Participation, 1956-1968" (2015). Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository. 2876. https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd/2876 This Dissertation/Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by Scholarship@Western. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository by an authorized administrator of Scholarship@Western. For more information, please contact [email protected]. VOICES OF DISCONTENT: AVERY BRUNDAGE AND THE IOC’S DILEMMA OF SOUTH AFRICA’S OLYMPIC PARTICIPATION, 1956-1968 (Thesis format: Monograph) by Michael Silvio Capobianco Graduate Program in Kinesiology A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy The School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies The University of Western Ontario London, Ontario, Canada © Michael Silvio Capobianco 2015 Abstract Avery Brundage became President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1952, ready to lead the IOC according to the vision of its modern founder, Pierre de Coubertin. One of the IOC’s challenges during Brundage’s tenure as President involved the participation of South Africa in the Olympic Movement and Olympic Games. Racial discrimination and segregation, known as apartheid, was rampant in South Africa because of governmental laws and policies. These discriminatory practices, which were ingrained in the South African National Olympic Committee (SANOC), conflicted with principles laid down in the Olympic Charter, especially Article 1 forbidding racial discrimination. Due to pressure from the international community, the IOC opposed apartheid by suspending South Africa from the 1964 Tokyo and 1968 Mexico City Olympic Games through IOC policy and procedure, which eventually led to South Africa’s expulsion from the IOC, Olympic Games, and Olympic Movement in 1970. This dissertation explored the debates and correspondence of important actors within the IOC and the Olympic Movement from 1955 to 1968, in the context of the organization's discussion of South Africa's controversial place in the Olympic Movement and Olympic Games. A reconstructionist approach was adopted to examine the relationship between the IOC and SANOC, by investigating specifically the correspondence of key actors in a network of exchanges that centred on Brundage and the IOC. Perspectives and strategies of the actors in this network were traced. The analysis identified three ‘dominant voices’ in this debate: (1) South African Olympic affiliates; (2) domestic resistance; and (3) a concerned international sport community. Furthermore, three factors that guided the decision-making of the IOC ii when determining South Africa’s participation in the Olympic Games emerged: (1) IOC rules and regulations; (2) IOC structure and protocol; and, (3) the IOC’s stance to remain a neutral party in domestic political issues. This in-depth investigation into the thinking of these central and influential actors contributes a new dimension to our understanding of the IOC’s approach to the South African controversy, and the events leading to South Africa’s expulsion. Keywords: Avery Brundage, Olympic Games, International Olympic Committee, South Africa, Apartheid. iii Acknowledgements I must begin with Dr. Michael Heine. Without accepting me as your first doctoral student, after I returned from a year and a half hiatus, I would have not completed my Ph.D. You have my utmost gratitude. There were many faculty members that provided support and guidance along the way. Thank you to Dr. Angela Schneider, Dr. Klaus Meier, Dr. Charles Rice, Dr. Darwin Semotiuk, Dr. Ken Kirkwood, and Dr. Kevin Wamsley. Thank you to Dr. Janice Forsyth for continual access to the Avery Brundage Collection and to Dr. Stephen Wenn for being the external adjudicator for my dissertation defense. To Dr. Robert Knight Barney, I am indebted to your considerate and cordial help, “pushing spirit,” and advice. I extend my appreciation for the support and assistance from fellow colleagues; especially Dr. Sarah Teetzel and Dr. Charlene Weaving, whom have provided ongoing motivation from the start of my doctoral journey. To my friends and family – thank you for the unconditional support throughout the many, many years. To Paul and Melanie, your little brother is definitely finished. Finally, I am extremely grateful to my parents, Angela and Dominic, for the unwavering encouragement and going beyond what was necessary to provide many, otherwise unattainable, opportunities and creating a comfortable environment for me to succeed in life. iv Table of Contents ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................................. II ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ...................................................................................................................... IV TABLE OF CONTENTS ........................................................................................................................... V LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ................................................................................................................ VIII CHAPTER ONE: AVERY BRUNDAGE, THE IOC, AND SOUTH AFRICAN RACE POLITICS ..................................................................................................................................................... 1 1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 1 1.1 Avery Brundage and the IOC’s Position on Race and Sport ............................. 2 2. Statement of the Research Issue ...................................................................................... 7 3. The Historical Context of South African Sport and Race Politics ......................... 9 4. Literature Review ................................................................................................................ 22 4.1 Racism and the Olympics ............................................................................................ 22 4.2 Avery Brundage’s Life and Work in the Olympic Movement ........................ 24 4.3 Sport, Racism, and South Africa ............................................................................... 28 4.4 Correspondence between Brundage and Officials ............................................ 31 5. Methodology and Methods .............................................................................................. 37 6. Limitations and Delimitations ........................................................................................ 40 7. Chapter Overview................................................................................................................ 42 Endnotes for Chapter One ....................................................................................................... 45 CHAPTER TWO: AVERY BRUNDAGE, THE SOUTH AFRICAN NATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE, AND THE BIRTH OF THE NON-WHITE RESISTANCE, 1955-1960 ........ 53 1. Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 53 v 2. South African Olympic Affiliates .................................................................................... 55 3. Domestic Resistance .......................................................................................................... 88 4. International Community .............................................................................................. 108 5. Discussion: Developments during the Phase 1955-1960 ................................. 121 Endnotes for Chapter Two ................................................................................................... 126 CHAPTER THREE: AVERY BRUNDAGE AND THE IOC’S FIRST CONFRONTATION WITH THE SOUTH AFRICAN NATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE, 1960-1964 ......... 133 1. Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 133 2. South African Olympic Affiliates ................................................................................. 134 2.1 The Unofficial Correspondence of Ira Emery .................................................. 163 3. Domestic Resistance ....................................................................................................... 182 4. International Community .............................................................................................. 198 5. Discussion: The Developments from 1960-1964 ................................................ 213 Endnotes for Chapter Three ................................................................................................ 218 CHAPTER FOUR: SUCCUMBING TO INTERNATIONAL POLITICAL PRESSURE: AVERY BRUNDAGE AND THE IOC, 1964-1968 ....................................................................................