An all-around athlete, Kees Kerdel won the 1937 Dutch title in the alpine skiing combined event, and for years he played hockey (field) for HHIJC (The Hague). He later turned to sports administration, becoming chairman of HHIJC and of the Dutch Skiing Federation (1953-55). In 1956, he was to be chef de mission for the Dutch team to the Melbourne Olympics, but a last-minute boycott meant the team never competed. He would be chef de mission in Roma (1960) and Innsbruck (1964). He became a member of the board of the Dutch Olympic Committee by 1963, which he held until his death in 1986. In 1970, he was elected President, a position he held until 1977, when he also succeeded Herman van Karnebeek in the IOC. Kerdel, who worked as a coal importer outside of his sports activities, remained on the IOC until his death. He was posthumously awarded the Olympic Order in Silver the following year.
Netherlands