A World War II veteran, Ted Stevens left his mark in American government, serving as majority leader of the Alaska House of Representatives before moving to the U.S. Senate, where he represented Alaska for 41 years.
Stevens also left his mark in athletics. Among the key pieces of legislation that Stevens proposed was the Amateur Sports Act of 1978, which chartered the United States Olympic Committee and provided for National Governing Bodies for each sport. The Act was revised in 1998 to reflect that amateurism was no longer a requirement of The Olympics and to include The Paralympics.
Stevens died in a plane crash in 2010. He was 86.
The U.S. Olympic Training Center’s Strength and Conditioning Center now bears Stevens’ name in respect for his commitment to the Olympic and Paralympic movements.
