Cliff Buck

Be was elected president of the Amateur Athletic Union in 1964.^[4] He took office at a time where the AAU was fighting with the National Collegiate Athletic Association for control of amateur track.^[5] Buck attempted resolve the dispute by offering the NCAA three seats on the committee overseeing the national AAU track and field championships, which the NCAA declined.^[6] The two sides appeared before the United States Senate Committee on Commerce and agreed to end the controversy through binding arbitration.^[7] Buck was reelected in 1965 and could not run again in 1966 due to term limits.^[8]

In 1970, Buck, backed by the AAU, sought the presidency of the United States Olympic Committee. He was opposed Robert Kane, who was supported by the NCAA, and Julian Roosevelt, who represented sporting organizations that were independent of both groups. None of the candidates received a majority after three ballots, which led to the lowest vote-getter (Kane) being dropped. On the fourth ballot, Buck defeated Roosevelt 30 votes to 19 with 6 abstentions.^[3]

A resident of Denver, Buck pushed for the city to host the 1976 Winter Olympics. Denver was selected by the International Olympic Committee, but Colorado voters rejected partially funding the games in a referendum, marking the first time a city awarded an Olympics rejected them.^[9]

Following the controversial 1972 Olympic men's basketball final, Buck recommended that the United States withdraw from Olympic basketball and submitted a 20-page appeal seeking to overturn the result of the game.^[10][11]

Buck did not run for reelection in 1973 and was succeeded by Philip O. Krumm.^[12]