146 Main Library
1408 W. Gregory Dr.
Urbana, IL 61801
(1st floor, near Armory & Wright St. entrance)
Tel: 217/333-3615
Photographs courtesy University of Illinois Archives - may not be further duplicated, published, or otherwise distributed without written permission of the University of Illinois Archives.
The Avery Brundage Collection is a major resource for the study of 20th century sports and the development of international athletic competition. A 1909 UIUC civil engineeering graduate, Avery Brundage was a dominant figure in the sports world for over forty years, from the early 1930's until his death in 1975. He was president of the International Olympic Committee from 1952 to 1972. Prior to his death, Brundage willed his archive of papers, books, awards and memorabilia to the University of Illinois. In 1976, an additional shipment of material was received from the Brundage Estate. The collection is comprised of three distinct parts:
The archival collection of Brundage's personal papers, correspondence, photographs, etc. is housed in the University Archives (19 Library). This collection of 324 boxes and 122 scrapbooks of material is described in a guidebook which was compiled by University Archivist Emeritus Maynard Brichford and published by Verlag Karl Hofmann for the Bundesinstitut fur Sportwissenschaft in 1977 (Avery Brundage Collection: 1908-1975.) The collection of primary source material has been microfilmed and the 150 reels of microfilm are available for use at a number of research centers worldwide. The Brundage Collection is supplemented by the Frederick Ruegsegger Collection, 1950-1975, containing the papers of Brundage's chief advisor.
Some 1,015 artifacts associated with Mr. Brundage's career are housed in the University of Illinois Spurlock Museum. This collection consists of placques, medals, models, vases, glassware, china, pins, statues, paintings, weapons, souvenirs and memorabilia. Many of the items have artistic significance, but their primary value is in their association with Mr. Brundage.
The 1,663 volume Brundage Olympics and Sports Library is housed in the Avery Brundage Room of the Applied Health Sciences Library (146B Library). This part of the collection is Mr. Brundage's own library of books and other print material on the subject of international athletic competition and the Olympic movement. The relative content and type of the material housed in the Avery Brundage Room is quite diverse. A number of items were gift volumes to Mr. Brundage; some of the items are rare and others are not; many items are in fragile physical condition. Although an inventory of titles has been made, the collection is not presently cataloged. And though the Applied Health Sciences Library has acquired books relating to the Olympic movement on a regular basis, limited funds for the purchase of new books have not permitted a truly comprehensive collecting effort in this area. Following are images that represent a sample of the type of sources available in the Avery Brundage Room.
The Amateur Athletic Union Official Basketball Guide. Published by the Amateur Athletic Union of the United States, New York, 1941.
Guide includes three publications bound together focusing on the official basketball rules for men and women as adopted for the years 1941-1942.
Complete report of the Council on the Berlin Olympics including descriptions of each event, photographs of British teams and all official results.
Official Report of the Swedish Olympic Committee on the Vth Olympiad held in Stockholm in 1912. A pictorially rich presentation of medal winning individuals and teams. Text in Swedish, picture subtitles in English.
History, background and selected official rules of the individual and team sports featured at the Olympics.
Pamphlet includes names of all Olympic team members and also introductions to the crew of the ship that carried them to the XIth Olympiad in Berlin.
A perusal of nationally recognized sport pastimes of Great Britain, complete with drawings by the author.
Autobiography of A. R. Downer, "Champion Sprinter of the World." The 150 page volume also includes biographical sketches of other runners as well as the "method of training in the early part of the present century and notes on traing for boys." Quotes taken from title page of the volume.
Explications of the scientific and physical reasoning behind phenomena encountered in sport and play. The 332 page volume is written in narrative form - tracing a family's queries through their adventures.
University LibraryFor comments on this page contact: Mary Beth Allen
Last modified by: Aaron Fleisher on 7/17/08