President of the International Olympic Committee congress. Athens was approved to host the 1896 Olympic Games, being the original home of the Olympics, and Vikelas was duly chosen as the first President of the IOC. Pierre, Baron de Coubertin, took over the IOC presidency when Demetrius Vikelas stepped down after the Olympics in his own country. Despite its initial success, the Olympic Movement faced hard times, as the 1900 Games (in de Coubertin's own Paris) and 1904 Games were both upstaged by World's Fairs—Exposition Universelle in 1900 and Louisiana Purchase Exposition in 1904—and received little attention. The 1906 Intercalated Games revived the momentum, and the Olympic
President of the Organising Committee for the Olympic Games President of the Organising Committee for the Olympic Games The President of the Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games is the individual who is in charge of leading the Organizing Committee for each Olympic Games. Presidents of the Olympic Organizing Committee have gone on to or have served in other high offices. Joseph Goebbels who headed the organizing committees for the 1936 Winter Olympics and 1936 Summer Olympics served as Chancellor of Germany for one day in 1945 before committing suicide. David R. Francis who headed the organizing committee for the 1904 Summer Olympics served as Governor of Missouri prior