Ken Germann, who served as the Southern Conference commissioner from 1974-1986, died last Wednesday in Glen Ellen, VA. He was 84 years old.

Germann became commissioner in 1974, replacing Lloyd Jordan after his 14-year term. During his 13 years with the SoCon, Germann was instrumental in the league’s expansion to include women’s athletics in the 1983-84 academic year, including women’s basketball, volleyball and tennis. He also saw the addition of two current conference schools when the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and Western Carolina joined the SoCon in 1976.

The annual sports cup for excellence in women’s athletics is named after Germann for his orchestration of women’s athletics in the league. Furman and Appalachian State held the monopoly on the Germann Cup since its inception in 1986-87 until the 2004-05 season when College of Charleston won the award.

Germann came to the Southern Conference after serving as the director of athletics at Columbia University from 1961-1974. Columbia was a familiar place for Germann as he was also the freshman football coach from 1957-1961. Prior to being the athletics director at Columbia, Germann was an assistant director of athletics and lightweight football coach.

After graduating from Columbia in 1943 as a three-year letterman in basketball and football, Germann served in the United State Marine Corps until 1957, attaining the rank of Captain. He also received an M.S. degree from Columbia Teachers College in 1948.

Germann is survived by his wife, the former Ruth Wiesendanger, his son Kenneth, Jr., daughters Kathe and Debbie and three grandchildren.