LeRoy_T._Walker
LeRoy T. Walker
American track and field coach
LeRoy T. Walker (June 14, 1918 – April 23, 2012) was an American track and field coach and the first African-American president of the United States Olympic Committee. In the 1996 Olympics, Walker was delegated to lead a 10,000 member group of the most talented athletes in the world. His goal was to make sure that American citizens have a feeling of ownership in the program, saying,
We ought to keep them informed. We ought to let them know what the Olympic movement is all about and what’s happening to the dollars that they give.[This quote needs a citation]
In 1988 he was elected to the position of Treasurer, one of the four officer positions on the Board of Directors (President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer) for a four year term. Largely on the strength of his performance as Treasurer, he was elected to the position of President for a four year term. He gave up his six figure salary position as the director of sports for the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games to take the unpaid presidency position.