1946: J. Sigfrid Edström,
fourth IOC President
Johannes Sigfrid Edström had a relatively short but important reign as the fourth President of the IOC.
For the Olympic Games 1912, Edström was Director and Vice-President of the Organising Committee and a member of the stadium building committee. During the Stockholm Games, Edström also organised the group that established the International Amateur Athletic Federation as the governing body of athletics. For his efforts, he became the first President of the IAAF, holding that office from 1913 to 1946.
Because of his obvious abilities in the field of sports administration, Edström was elected an IOC Member in 1921 and would eventually serve at the IOC for 31 years. He was also appointed to the newly formed IOC Executive Board in that same year. Edström later chaired the Olympic Congresses in 1921 and 1925 and was appointed Vice-President of the IOC in 1937.
In 1942, IOC President Henri de Baillet-Latour died of a stroke in Brussels, Belgium. There was no provision in the Olympic Charter for presidential succession so, as Vice-President, Edström took over as de facto IOC President.