The Perpetuation of Nineteenth Century Amateurism as a British Virtue in Modern Olympic Track Field
[Thesis]
Smith, Katrina Marie
Goode, Joshua;Ramirez, Daniel
The Claremont Graduate University
2020
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M.A.
The Claremont Graduate University
2020
This thesis explored the financial plight of modern track and field from a historical perspective. Historically, track and field was governed by organizations originally founded on the concept of amateurism. These organizations included the International Olympic Committee, the International Amateur Athletic Federation (now called World Athletics), the Amateur Athletic Union, Amateur Athletic Association, and amateur athletic clubs of Britain. From the mid-nineteenth century to the 1970s, amateurism dominated track and field worldwide beginning in Britain. In order to understand the financial structure of track and field historically, this thesis endeavored to examine amateurism as a British virtue.