Bringing the Olympic Games to Atlanta
Foreign Service Officer Ruth A. Davis played a pivotal behind-the-scenes role in bringing the 1996 Olympic Games to her hometown of Atlanta, blending diplomacy, strategy, and personal connection in what can only be described as a masterclass in “Olympics diplomacy.” Davis would go on to serve as U.S. Ambassador to Benin and become the first Black woman to be appointed as Director of the State Department’s Foreign Service Institute and Director General of the Foreign Service.
While serving as U.S. Consul General in Barcelona from 1987 to 1991, Davis became deeply involved in preparations for the 1992 Olympic Games held in the city. Her role as the consular corps’ liaison to the Barcelona Olympic Organizing Committee placed her at the heart of Olympic planning and provided an ideal platform to support Atlanta’s bid for the 1996 Games.
“Working with the 1992 and 1996 Olympics gave me a fine appreciation of the value of sports diplomacy in strengthening relations between the United States and other nations…”
Ambassador Ruth A. Davis
“That positioned me to not only work on the 1992 Olympic concerns of the countries represented in Barcelona,” Davis recalled, “but to be an informal liaison for the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games, which was bidding on the 1996 games.” Her influence was far from symbolic. Davis befriended International Olympic Committee President Juan Antonio Samaranch and even helped secure a palace in Barcelona where Atlanta’s civic and business leaders could host Olympic dignitaries and decision-makers in style. These touches, while subtle, were crucial in a highly competitive bid process.
“We decided very early on it would come down to personal connections,” former Atlanta Mayor Andrew Young said of the bid process. “Everybody knew [Ms. Davis] and liked her, and she moved every day in Barcelona political and business circles.” Davis later noted it was “a special privilege to travel to Tokyo…for the announcement awarding my hometown the 1996 games, knowing that I had an active role in making the bid process successful.” Davis also highlighted the essential roles various parts of the U.S. State Department play in making every Olympics successful. “The Bureau of Consular Affairs [is key] for its information sharing and protection of American citizens, the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, and most significantly, the Bureau of Diplomatic Security that works with host-country counterparts to help ensure safe and secure games.”
Atlanta’s successful bid and the Games themselves had a transformative effect on the city. In 2012, then-Mayor Kasim Reed said the Olympics “created a direct economic impact of at least $5 billion and branded Atlanta to the world as a first-class place to do business, live and visit” by making Atlanta synonymous with global commerce and sports. By some accounts the games spurred $177 million in expansion investment and created 3,400 jobs. Since then, eighteen companies relocated to the region, and the city began regularly hosting global sports events
Davis credits the games for giving her a “fine appreciation of the value of sports diplomacy in strengthening relations between the United States and other nations, and of the important role the United States plays in making the Olympic Games successful.”
