Alfred J. "Duke" Wyre (September 26, 1906 – April 1, 1968) was an American athletic trainer and coach. He invented the Duke Wyre Shoulder Vest, a protective device for football players against shoulder dislocations and separations. Wyre was an athletic trainer at the College of the Holy Cross for one year and at

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Sta ...

for 15 years. From 1947 to 1967, he was the head trainer at the

University of Maryland The University of Maryland, College Park (University of Maryland, UMD, or simply Maryland) is a public land-grant research university in College Park, Maryland. Founded in 1856, UMD is the flagship institution of the University System of M ...

. He was a trainer for the

United States Naval Academy The United States Naval Academy (US Naval Academy, USNA, or Navy) is a federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as Secretary of the Navy. The Naval Academy ...

team during the

1960 Summer Olympics The 1960 Summer Olympics ( it, Giochi Olimpici estivi del 1960), officially known as the Games of the XVII Olympiad ( it, Giochi della XVII Olimpiade) and commonly known as Rome 1960 ( it, Roma 1960), were an international multi-sport event held ...

held in

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

. Wyre was hospitalized in Prince George's County Hospital in

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

for a stomach illness in March 1968. While there, he suffered a fatal heart attack on April 1, 1968, at the age of 61.Duke Wyre Dies at 61
''The Evening News'', April 2, 1968. Wyre was inducted into the Helms Athletic Foundation Hall of Fame in 1961, the

National Athletic Trainers' Association The National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA) is the professional membership association for certified athletic trainers and others who support the athletic training profession. Founded in 1950, the NATA has grown to more than 43,000 member ...

Hall of Fame in 1966,Alfred J. Wyre - 1966
National Athletic Trainers' Association, retrieved October 9, 2011. and the

University of Maryland Athletic Hall of Fame The University of Maryland Athletic Hall of Fame was established in 1982 by the M Club Foundation to honor student-athletes, coaches, and administrators who made significant contributions to athletics at the University of Maryland. The Hall of Fa ...

in 1994.Maryland Athletics Walk of Fame and History
, University of Maryland, retrieved October 9, 2011.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wyre, Alfred 1906 births 1968 deaths Athletic trainers Holy Cross Crusaders coaches Maryland Terrapins coaches Yale Bulldogs coaches