Sir Tennant Edward "Tay" Wilson (3 February 1925 – 26 October 2014) was the ninth member of the

International Olympic Committee The International Olympic Committee (IOC; , CIO) is the international, non-governmental, sports governing body of the modern Olympic Games. Founded in 1894 by Pierre de Coubertin and Demetrios Vikelas, it is based i ...

(IOC) from

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

, from 1988 to 2006 (being required to stand down when he turned 80), and later an honorary member.Biography at International Olympic Committee website
/ref> He was the last voluntary secretary-general of the NZOCGA, from 1985 to 1990, and was on many other sporting bodies. Wilson was born in

Feilding Feilding is a town in the Manawatū District of the North Island of New Zealand. It is located on New Zealand State Highway 54, State Highway 54, 20 kilometres north of Palmerston North. The town is the seat of the Manawatū District Council. ...

and attended

Nelson College Nelson College is the oldest state secondary school in New Zealand, a feat achieved in part thanks to its original inception as a private school. It is an all-boys school in the City of Nelson that teaches from years 9 to 13. In addition, it r ...

from 1938 to 1942.''Nelson College Old Boys' Register, 1856–2006'', 6th edition He was a competitive rower and was the double sculls New Zealand junior champion in 1959. He practised as a chartered accountant for 61 years, with his own firm Tay Wilson & Co in Lower Hutt and Wellington. Wilson replaced

Lance Cross Sir Cecil Lancelot Stewart Cross (12 November 1912 – 13 May 1989), commonly known as Lance Cross, was the eighth member of the International Olympic Committee from New Zealand, from 1969 to 1987. Biography Cross was born in Dunedin, New Zeala ...

on the IOC in 1988. He was New Zealand

chef de mission In diplomatic usage, head of mission (HOM) or chief of mission (COM) from the French "chef de mission diplomatique" (CMD) is the head of a diplomatic representation, such as an ambassador, high commissioner, nuncio, chargé d'affaires, permanen ...

at the

1980 Moscow Olympics The 1980 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XXII Olympiad () and officially branded as Moscow 1980 (), were an international multi-sport event held from 19 July to 3 August 1980 in Moscow, Soviet Union, in present-day Russ ...

(when New Zealand sent four sportspeople, who marched under the NZOCGA logo) and deputy chef de mission at the

1984 Los Angeles Olympics The 1984 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXIII Olympiad and commonly known as Los Angeles 1984) were an international multi-sport event held from July 28 to August 12, 1984, in Los Angeles, California, United States. It marked the ...

. He voted for London rather than Paris for the 2012 Olympics. He was honoured as an

Officer of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

, for services to sport, in the 1989 Queen's Birthday Honours, and was appointed a

Distinguished Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit The New Zealand Order of Merit () is an order of merit in the New Zealand royal honours system. It was established by royal warrant on 30 May 1996 by Elizabeth II, Queen of New Zealand, "for those persons who in any field of endeavour, have r ...

for services to the Olympic and Commonwealth Games in the

2007 New Year Honours The New Year Honours 2007 were appointments made by some of the 16 Commonwealth realms to various orders and honours to recognise and reward good works by citizens of those countries. The New Year Honours are awarded as part of the New Year cele ...

. In August 2009, he accepted redesignation as a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, following the restoration of titular honours by the New Zealand government. Wilson was a

Freemason Freemasonry (sometimes spelled Free-Masonry) consists of fraternal groups that trace their origins to the medieval guilds of stonemasons. Freemasonry is the oldest secular fraternity in the world and among the oldest still-existing organizati ...

for over 60 years, and was a Past Grand Deacon. He died in Wellington on 26 October 2014.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wilson, Tay 1925 births 2014 deaths Knights Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit New Zealand International Olympic Committee members New Zealand sports executives and administrators New Zealand Officers of the Order of the British Empire People educated at Nelson College New Zealand Freemasons