U.S. PRESIDENT'S COMMISSION ON OLYMPIC SPORTS RECORDS, 1975-77

The President's Commission on Olympic Sports (PCOS), was created by Executive Order 11868 on June 19, 1975. According to its First Report to the President, it was formed "partly in response to the continuing conflicts among various organizations involved with amateur sports in this country and partly in response to declining performance by the United States in international competition such as the Olympic Games."

In his signing statement, President Ford directed the Commission to make a "full and complete study and evaluation of the Unites States Olympic Committee," investigate the jurisdictional problems which keep the US from consistently placing the best athletes into international competitions, and study all matters related to US participation in international competition.

The Commission in the beginning consisted of 13 presidential appointees, two Congressmen appointed by the House Speaker, and two Senators appointed by the Senate President Pro Tem. On July 21, 1975, Executive Order 11873 increases to four the number appointed from each house of Congress. The other appointees were either former athletes or involved in amateur or professional sports in some way. In early 1975, before PCOS was officially established, Admiral Elmo R. Zumwalt, Jr., USN, Ret., worked with future Executive Director Michael Harrigan on the PCOS budget and other administrative activities. When PCOS was formally created, however, Ford designated as chairman Gerald R. Zornow, Chairman of the Board of the Eastman Kodak Company, and a former athlete at the University of Rochester.

The problems the Commission was designed to investigate were not new. Since 1923 there had been disputes between the three major governing bodies overseeing amateur sports in the United States, the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU), the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), and the Unites States Olympic Committee (USOC), the officially recognized national governing body for international amateur competition in the United States. These disputes centered around athletes' rights and jurisdiction over what games an athlete could compete in. In 1973, President Nixon proposed the creation of a commission to study amateur sports, but for various reasons the concept was dropped. Revived again in July 1974, the commission failed to materialize before Nixon's resignation in August. In September, President Ford proposed a commission to be funded with reprogrammed funds from the Department of Health, Education and Welfare.

Due to inadequate funding and professional staffing, plus congressional delays, the Commission was slow to come into existence. An executive order was signed on December 28, 1974, but not formally issued pending appointment of the commissioners. After many delays, a new executive order (11868) was drafted and the Commission was officially created on June 19, 1975.

The Commission staff consisted of four divisions under an Executive Director, Michael Harrigan, whose responsibility it was to oversee the activities of the staff and to serve as liaison between the staff and the Commissioners. An athlete in college, Harrigan had previously served as a consultant to the White House and the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, and as a Presidential staff assistant.

The Legal Division was directed by John A. McCahill, previously assistant to Special Counsel James D. St. Clair during the Nixon impeachment hearings. The division's function was to study and report on all legal and financial aspects of US Olympic sports organizations and prepare and assist in the passage of needed legislation. The Communications Division, under Beverly L. Dobb, was responsible for public information and public affairs plans. The Research Division consisted of Director Kent A. Maxfield and six consultants, each of whom studied on a sport by sport basis the structure and activities of the organizations responsible for governing and controlling the 27 Olympic sports. The consultants were aided by two research assistants, who investigated non‑governing organizations covering more than one sport, such as Boys Club. The consultants were assisted by a "consulting group" for each sport, consisting of three to seven athletes, coaches, and other persons knowledgeable in a particular sport. The Office Manager Lois Finkelstein, served as liaison between the Commission and the Department of Health, Education and Welfare, the Commission's supporting organization, and also supervised the clerical staff.

The Commission's work consisted of three phases. Phase I was a study and evaluation of the organization and activities of the United States Olympic Committee and its present and former membership groups as they related to international competition in the Olympic sports. At the conclusion of this phase, a report, dated February 9, 1976, was submitted to the President. Among the conclusions drawn in the first report were that: other countries have improved both the quality and quantity of their participation far in excess of the US; amateur sports were not competing effectively with professional sports; and conflicts between governing bodies (AAU, NCAA, USOC) hurt US athletic development. The preliminary report called for: arbitration to resolve disputes; protection against unreasonable restrictions upon an athlete's right to compete; certification of national governing bodies; promotion of financial resources, and qualified and objective managers and technical support.

Phase II was a sport by sport evaluation of the development of athletes in Olympic sports at all levels of participation. The evaluations were drawn up in the "Final Report of the President's Commission on Olympic Sports," and presented to the President on January 13, 1977. The report, in two volumes, called for the creation of a Central Sports Organization, resolution of jurisdictional disputes, protection of an athlete's right to compete in any games, more adequate funding, development of world class athletes through organized training and rules, utilization of military personnel and facilities, and development of women's athletics, organization of sports for the handicapped, and the better use of the Commission in the implementation of their recommendations, as required.

PCOS records include correspondence, speech transcripts, interview notes, sport by sport studies, contracts, legislation, press releases, notes, and related materials. At the time of its transfer to the Archives, the material was appraised and some was disposed of as valueless. The records of the Administrative Manager, including personnel and fiscal records, were retained by the Department of Health, Education and Welfare.