John C. Argue, 70; Key Figure in 1984 Olympics

John C. Argue, a leading civic figure who was instrumental in bringing the 1984 Olympic Games to Los Angeles and in the nearly two decades since played a key role in boosting the success of a wide variety of business, community, educational and philanthropic endeavors, died Saturday. He was 70.

Argue, who had been diagnosed earlier this year with leukemia, died at Huntington Memorial Hospital in Pasadena.

In recent years, Argue had been chairman of the USC board of trustees; of the Rose Hills Foundation, which contributes to worthy causes in the San Gabriel Valley; and of the Amateur Athletic Foundation, the organization created to grow and give away to youth sports in Southern California and elsewhere the surplus from the 1984 Games.

As but one measure of Argue’s keen financial acumen, the Amateur Athletic Foundation--which started with a principal fund of $93.5 million--has given away more than $130 million even as its principal has grown to $140 million.

“With his passing, we have lost a civic treasure,” said Anita DeFrantz, president of the athletic foundation and a longtime member of the International Olympic Committee. “And I have lost a friend and mentor.”

She added, “He constantly reminded us that we needed ‘to put bats and balls in the hands of kids.’ That was his phrase.”

Trained as a lawyer, Argue was known and respected by many for his leadership abilities, for nerves of steel and for being thoroughly self-effacing about credit for good deeds done. He was a straight talker. He could--and gladly would--tell stories about how good life could be in Southern California, where he was born and raised, and about the Olympics, which were a lifelong passion.

Argue was deeply passionate as well about USC, and loved at any turn to promote the university and talk up the football team.

He was known to wear a suit and a short-sleeved business shirt to work each and every weekday morning--never long sleeves. “He wasn’t much for casual Friday,” said Connie Gray, his assistant for nearly two decades.

He also was in the habit of writing notes--sometimes critical, more often full of praise--to friends, acquaintances, newspaper reporters, anybody he darned well felt ought to hear from him.

USC President Steven Sample on Saturday described Argue as “extraordinary” and a “community builder.”

“He never took the credit publicly,” Sample said. “It was absolutely unimportant to him who got credit. I don’t care whether you’re talking about the Olympics, the city, the university; John was working tirelessly and very effectively to get the thing done, bring people together and never wanted any credit.

“It’s that kind of leader, that kind of person, who makes a difference in a city like L.A. You need hundreds and hundreds of John Argues who are tough, right, tenacious and absolutely disdainful of trying to make sure they themselves get the glory and the credit.”

Peter Ueberroth, who ran the 1984 Olympic Games, said of Argue: “The overwhelming thing is, he’s one of these rare individuals that comes along once in a generation that has the ability to make every person or institution that he touches better for knowing him.

“From somebody he just had a casual friendship or acquaintanceship with, to those at USC, anybody that spent any time with him walked away from the experience a better person. He would give of his knowledge. Like anybody who was a real leader, he will be missed. He was very special.”

Gray, his assistant, added, “In my opinion John Argue was the nicest person in town. I couldn’t have had a nicer boss. He did so much. And all we did was have fun.”

Argue was born on Jan. 25, 1932, in Glendale. He went to Occidental College, graduating in 1953, and to USC law school, earning his law degree in 1956.

He practiced law for many years, first with his father, J. Clifford Argue--a 1930 USC law graduate--and with other firms.

J. Clifford Argue competed in the pentathlon in the 1924 Paris Games, and his Olympic diploma hung in the house when his son was growing up. John C. Argue was born just months before the Games were held in Los Angeles for the first time, and so the Olympics were a part of his life from birth; for much of his adult life, he sought to bring the Games to L.A. again.

He succeeded after years and years of trying, in 1978, when the International Olympic Committee awarded the 1984 Games to L.A. Those Games were a spectacular success, and in 1994 the IOC honored him with the Olympic Order, its highest award.

In recent years, John Argue had once again been trying to land the Games for Los Angeles, chairing a campaign seeking the 2012 Olympics. The U.S. Olympic Committee decided last year that other cities would get a chance. Argue was undeterred, saying L.A. would simply have to bid again for the Games in 2016.

Argue had been chairman of the Amateur Athletic Foundation since 1995.

A member of the USC board of trustees since 1984, Argue was serving a five-year term as board chairman, the first alumnus to be chairman in 20 years. His two children and a sister are also USC alumni.

“I believe, and you might quarrel with this,” Sample said, “his heart ultimately was as a Trojan. I think in some ways this chairmanship of the USC board of trustees, in his mind, was the epitome of his leadership career. He loved being a chairman. And, boy, did he work hard. He was always available.”

Argue is survived by his wife of 39 years, Liz; two children, Elizabeth “Betsy” Argue Pollon and John M. Argue; and four grandchildren.

Funeral arrangements were incomplete.