DUNCAN, Kenneth S. 1912-2005

(Kenneth Sandilands Duncan)

OBITUARY NOTICE—See index for CA sketch: Born April 26, 1912, in Crawshaw Booth, Lancashire, England; died June 18, 2005, in London, England. Athlete, coach, sports official, and author. A longtime executive of the British Olympic Association (BOA), Duncan was a highly respected figure in the international Olympic Games from the 1950s through the 1970s. As a young man, he was himself a talented athlete who excelled in track and field events such as the long jump, discus, shot put, and sprints. While attending Oxford University, where he graduated in 1934, he was in the AAA championships and won the school competition at the London Athletic Club. Unfortunately, a hamstring injury prevented him from participating in the 1936 Olympics. After graduating from Oxford, Duncan was a chemistry master at Bradfield College, where he also became an AAA coach and participated in helping establish national standards for coaching. During World War II, he served in the Royal Artillery, becoming a major. He returned to sports after the war, working as a manager for Eton Manor Clubs for three years before beginning his long association with the BOA in 1948, serving as general secretary until his 1975 retirement. Beginning in 1947, he was also secretary of the Universities' Athletic Union, and was made honorary secretary of the Commonwealth Games Federation. Although respected in Britain, Duncan was even more highly regarded in Europe, where he became well known for his work with the International Olympic Committee, advising athletes in various Olympic events and helping to guide the IOC around political issues. When not busy with the BOA or IOC, Duncan still found time to work as a games official. Recognized for his contributions to sport, he was presented with such honors as the White Rose and Lion of Finland and the Olympic Award from the IOC. In addition, he was named to the Order of the British Empire in 1974. Duncan was the coauthor of Athletics—Do It This Way (1937) and the author of The Oxford Pocketbook of Athletic Training (1948; second edition, 1956).

OBITUARIES AND OTHER SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Independent (London, England), June 29, 2005, p. 34. Times (London, England), June 27, 2005, p. 50.