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Woman Elected To Top USOC Post

December 3, 2000 / 11:05 PM EST / AP

When she ran for president of U.S. Swimming in 1984, Sandra Baldwin encountered a powerful foe - Bill Lippman, widely known as the father of the sport in America.

"He told me he didn't think swimming was ready for a woman president," Baldwin recalled. "I told him, `Maybe not, Bill, but they're ready for me.'"
On Sunday, 16 years after Baldwin unanimously won that election to become the first female president of any widely based American sport, the U.S. Olympic Committee decided it finally was ready for a woman as leader, too, and that Baldwin once again was the one to choose.

The 61-year-old former English professor and now real estate executive from Phoenix won a narrow vote over Massachusetts attorney Paul George in balloting by the USOC's board of directors for a four-year term in the top position, now formally called the chair. That snapped a 106-year run of 21 men in the presidency, all but one of them white.

"I didn't know if this organization was ready for a woman, but they were more ready than swimming was," Baldwin said. "I think many felt the need to send a statement to the world. It was important for that statement to come from an organization that has been perceived as very, very conservative. ...

"There were just people who felt that sports should be run by men for a long time."

The victory for Baldwin was the latest big gain for women in the U.S. Olympic community, where almost half the world-leading 97 medals from the Sydney Games came from female athletes.

It also placed Baldwin, a direct-spoken, no-nonsense administrator with a spot in USOC leadership since 1993, at the head of an organization trying to rebound from problems with finances, administration and morale.

"There are those who would suggest that this is an organization that is in disarray, that this is an organization that doesn't know where it is going," outgoing president Bill Hybl said. "I would suggest that is inaccurate."

Baldwin beat George 108-96, the difference of roughly five ballots among 115 in a weighted voting system that gives more power to athletes and sports federations who control 70 percent of the membership.

George gave Baldwin a big hug when the results were announced, and congratulations quickly came via cell phone from Anita DeFrantz, the Los Angeles attorney who was the first woman chosen for the International Olympic Committee's ruling executive board.

"I think she's very capable," George said. "I'm pleased that we have a woman in the role. It's a great step forward,"

The delegates later voted George to one of three vice-chair spots, along with Alabama-Birmingham athletic director Herman Frazier and Bill Stapleton, an athlete representative and agent for Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong.

Frank Marshall, producer of "Indiana Jones" and "Back to the Future," was elected treasurerand Marty Mankamyer, a U.S. Soccer executive from Colorado Springs, Colo., was elected secretary. The board also chose eight at-large members, including former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, former Sen. Bill Bradley, baseball union chief Donald Fehr and Gordon Gund, owner of the NBA Cleveland Cavaliers and NBA San Jose Sharks.

But at a time for new leadership, the committee stalled on another move. It postponed until at least January a decision on giving the CEO's job full time to Scott Blackmun, who has held it on an interim basis since Norman Blake resigned last month after a tumultuous nine-month reign.

"I can understand their desire, given this weekend of significant organizational change, to defer a decision on this," Blackmun said.

Baldwin said the extra time would help assure the final decision complied with federal law on gender, racial and handicap equity, and clarify the CEO's role.

"Everyone thinks Scott is doing an excellent job," she said.

Stapleton, chairman of the increasingly powerful athletes' portion of the board, estimated that 80 percent of his bloc voted for Baldwin. And the winner said she would stick to her platform of focusing on homegrown issues, starting with redirecting the budget for the next four years.

"Detailed discussions" should be held on areas such as charging for use of Olympic training centers and financing training for coaches, she said. Other Baldwin priorities include integration of paralympic athletes into the USOC mainstream and "support of complete openness" on doping and drug testing.