One of the most influential figures of the Olympic movement in the past 30 years was recognized with an honorary doctorate of sports administration Saturday at the Laurentian University fall convocation ceremony.
Dr. Richard Pound, a swimming finalist in the 1960 Olympiad and a gold medal winner at the 1962 Commonwealth Games, has been a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) since 1978, serving as vice-president from 1987 to 1991 and from 1996 to 2000.
"Anytime you receive an honorary degree it's special," Pound said. "What's really special about this one is that it's coming from a university that's got an internationally-known program in sports administration."
"It's hard to describe anything more special than that."
Since 1999, Pound has headed up the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), trying to develop an international standard of doping control for athletes. He is also the author of six books.