Pierre de Coubertin, French educator and historian, 1863-1937

Founder of the International Olympic Committee, and its second president, Coubertin is known as the father of the modern Olympic Games. Born into a French aristocratic family, he became an academic and studied a broad range of topics, most notably education and history. He graduated with a degree in law and public affairs from the Paris Institute of Political Studies. There he came up with the idea of the Summer Olympic Games. The Pierre de Coubertin medal (also known as the Coubertin medal or the True Spirit of Sportsmanship medal) is an award given by the International Olympic Committee to athletes who demonstrate the spirit of sportsmanship in the Olympic Games.