The Ion P. Ioannides Memorial Lecture

To honour the memory of Dr. Ion P. Ioannides (1910-1984), the International Centre for Olympic Studies has dedicated an annual lecture in his name. Inaugurated in 1986 with a presentation by classicist Nigel Crowther, the lecture series focuses on topics relevant to sport in ancient times.

Born in Amisos, Pontos, Greece, Ioannides was a recipient of a scholarship to attend Anatolia American College where he graduated in 1929. Yet another scholarship gave him the opportunity to attend, and graduate in 1931 from, the International YMCA School of Physical Education in Geneva, Switzerland.

After receiving his graduate degree, Ion Ioannides taught physical education at the Ecole Internationale de Genève in 1931 and 1932, while also playing for the Swiss National Basketball Team. At the end of the 1932 term, Ioannides returned to his alma mater, Anatolia American College, to teach physical education. In 1938, he enrolled at the University of Hamburg where he was awarded a Doctor of Philosophy Degree in 1940.

With the outbreak of World War II, Ioannides returned to Greece to serve his country. In 1941, he was sent to Albania to fight against invading Italian forces. A year later, Ioannides was appointed Co-Director of the Delphic Home for War Orphans under the auspices of the International Red Cross. In the face of the continued Nazi occupation of Greece, Ioannides persevered in his struggle for liberty, justice, and eventual peace.

In 1945, Ioannides began a 20-year appointment as Director of Physical Education at Anatolia American College. His attention to curriculum development was a large factor in his appointment as the Counselor of Physical Education in the Greek Ministry of Education. It was his work here that truly opened the door to reform in Greek physical education.

In 1970, under threat of persecution from the Greek Generals’ Junta, Ioannides escaped to the United States and spent two years as a visiting professor at Sacramento State University (California).  His impact on others has been great. In the words of Dr. Bob Barney, ICOS Director Emeritus: “I came to love Ion Ioannides; love him for his friendship,  his counsel, his teachings, his moral and intellectual bearing, and his imparting of knowledge to students and me in so many ways, on so many occasions. But, most of all, I love him for existing as a model for what is morally and ethically right, rather than what is expedient, opportune, or self-serving.”

Past Ioannides Memorial Lectures

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