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Rutledge Robert "Bob" Bray (September 27, 1919 – August 26, 2006) was an American water polo player for Fullerton Junior College and the Los Angeles Athletic Club, who competed in the 1948 London Olympics.

Bray was born in Los Angeles on September 27, 1919, and attended Los Angeles High School, playing water polo from 1932–36. During his high school years, his team won the Southern California High School Championship in 1937–38. He attended and played Water Polo for Fullerton Junior College from 1937–1939, an outstanding program coached by Hall of Fame Coach and U.S. Olympic Team Coach James R. Smith. As a high scoring left forward for Fullerton, he threw in six goals against Los Angeles Junior College, leading the team to a 9–4 victory in November 1937. With strong participation by Bray, Fullerton Jr. College won the Southern California Jr. College Championships in 1938–39. Bray later transferred to UCLA.

Bray completed his college education at UCLA, but played water polo for the Los Angeles Athletic Club during that period.

Los Angeles Athletic Club

During his active period in Water Polo while at UCLA and while preparing for the Olympics, he swam for the Los Angeles Athletic Club from 1938–48. In Water Polo, he played as a technically skilled center forward, who could shoot both forehands and backhanded shots and passes with equal skill. In August 1947, playing with the Los Angeles Athletic Club, Bray scored four of the team's eight goals, leading his Los Angeles Club team to the finals of the AAU National Water Polo Championship in Detroit. He later swam for the San Francisco Olympic Club. Continuing to excel after leaving Fullerton Junior College, in January 17, 1947, Bray scored seven goals to lead the Los Angeles Athletic Club to a 20–13 victory over Fullerton Jr. College, winning the Southern California American Athletic Union Championship.

1948 Olympics

Competing at the men's tournament men's tournament at the 1948 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, the U.S. team placed ninth. Italy won the Gold medal, and Hungary the silver, in a period when European teams dominated water polo.

Bray served in the U.S. Navy from 1941–45. In later life, he worked as a Realtor for Pebble Beach Realty in California. He died in Long Beach in August, 2006.

Honors

In 1980, he was inducted into the USA Water Polo Hall of Fame.

References

1. Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Bob Bray Olympic Results". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on April 18, 2020. Retrieved November 23, 2019.
2. ^ "Hall of Fame Inductees". usawaterpolo.org. USA Water Polo. Archived from the original on May 31, 2019. Retrieved September 18, 2020.
3. "Fullerton in Water Polo Win", The Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles, California, 1 December 1937, pg. 30
4. ^ "Olympedia, Bob Bray Biography". Olympedia. Retrieved July 19, 2024.
5. "Mercury Team Enters Finals", The Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles, California, 17 August 1947, pg. 20
6. "LAAC Wins Crown", Daily News, Los Angeles, California, 18 January 1947, pg. 14
7. "Rutledge Bray (1980)". usawaterpolo.org. USA Water Polo. Archived from the original on April 4, 2020. Retrieved September 18, 2020.

External links

• Bob Bray at the USA Water Polo Hall of Fame
• Bob Bray at Olympics.com
• Bob Bray at Olympedia

v t e United States men's water polo squad – 1948 Summer Olympics – 11th place
Beck Bray Budelman (GK) Case Christensen Dash Fiske Knox (C) Coach: Clapp

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