Peter Buehning Sr.

Dr. Peter Gerhard Buehning (3 February 1930 – 30 October 2003) was an American handball player, coach, referee and official.

Early life
He was born in 1930 in Hohenbudberg a part of the city of Krefeld, in the Weimar Republic. Between 1944 and 1950 he was an apprentice as tinsmith and plumber. He studied at the Technische Hochschule Aachen in the winter semester 1950–51 and between 1951 and 1953 he studied at the Stevens Institute of Technology where he got the title mechanical engineer with high honor. He received the master from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology which he visited from 1953 until 1954. Between 1954 and 1957 he was a PhD student at the Institute for Fluid Mechanics and Fluid Machines at the University of Karlsruhe under H.E. Dickmann. His dissertation had the title (On the behavior of extremely high-speed axial machines). His oral exam was on 6 February 1957. In 2005 he was introduced in the Stevens Athletic Hall of Fame.

Family
He married his wife Renate Buehning née Boumans on 11 July 1953. She was the team leader for the United States women's national handball team which participated at the Handball at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Women's tournament they reached the 7 place out of 8.

Two of his sons Peter Buehning Jr. ('76) and James Buehning ('84 & '88) competed both at the Olympics in Handball. A third son called Fritz Buehning was a professional tennis player. Additionally he had a daughter.

Playing career
He played for the Swim and Sport Club of Flanders.

In 1963 he played at the IHF World Men's Outdoor Handball Championship they placed 8th out of 8. He was additionally the head of delegation. He scored the first goal of the tournament.

He played at the 1964 World Men's Handball Championship.

Coaching career
He was coach for the 2nd team of the United States in 1969.

At the 1972 Olympic he coached the men's team of the United States they placed 14th out of 16.

In 1975 he was coach of the United States women's team for the 1975 World Women's Handball Championship they won one game against Tunisia and finished at the 11th place.

Referee
At the 1984 Olympic his son Peter was with his partner Bernie Iwasczyszyn referee of four games.

Official career
He was president of the United States Team Handball Federation from 1961 until 1995. He was the first president of the Pan-American Team Handball Federation from 1977 until 1980 and again from 1987 until 1996.

He was part of the IHF Council and vice president of the IHF from 1972 through 1998.

In 2000 he became an IHF Honorary Member.

He was member of the United States Olympic Committee Board of Directors from 1967 until 1995.

Engineering

 * (Thesis)
 * (Dissertation)