James Wallace O'Connor (August 25, 1903 – October 11, 1950) was an American competition

swimmer Swimming is an individual or team racing sport that requires the use of one's entire body to move through water. The sport takes place in pools or open water (e.g., in a sea or lake). Competitive swimming is one of the most popular Olympic ...

and

water polo Water polo is a competitive sport, competitive team sport played in water between two teams of seven players each. The game consists of four quarters in which the teams attempt to score goals by throwing the water polo ball, ball into the oppo ...

player for Stanford University who played internationally for the United States at four Olympiads: at the

1924 Events January * January 12 – Gopinath Saha shoots Ernest Day, whom he has mistaken for Sir Charles Tegart, the police commissioner of Calcutta, and is arrested soon after. * January 20–January 30, 30 – Kuomintang in Ch ...

1928 Events January * January – British bacteriologist Frederick Griffith reports the results of Griffith's experiment, indirectly demonstrating that DNA is the genetic material. * January 1 – Eastern Bloc emigration and defection: Boris B ...

1932 Events January * January 4 – The British authorities in India arrest and intern Mahatma Gandhi and Vallabhbhai Patel. * January 9 – Sakuradamon Incident (1932), Sakuradamon Incident: Korean nationalist Lee Bong-chang fails in his effort ...

and

1936 Events January–February * January 20 – The Prince of Wales succeeds to the throne of the United Kingdom as King Edward VIII, following the death of his father, George V, at Sandringham House. * January 28 – Death and state funer ...

. He won a gold medal in the 1924 Paris Olympics for swimming in the world record setting U.S. 4x200 freestyle relay, and took home a bronze medal for Water Polo in both the 1924 and 1932 Olympics. He is rated by many sports historians as the greatest American Water Polo player of all time. O'Connor was born in Madera, California on August 25, 1903. He attended Venice High School, and swam for their team from 1916-1919.

Stanford University

He swam and played Water Polo for Stanford University from 1920-1923, under Head Coach Ernst Brandsten. He captained Stanford's Water Polo team in 1923 and was the only Stanford athlete to ever participate in four Olympics. He helped lead Stanford to Pacific Athletic Conference-8 championships in all four years of his participation, in 1920, 1921, 1922, and 1923. From 1923-1936, he swam and played Water Polo for the Venice Swim Association, and the Los Angeles and Illinois Athletic Clubs. He first served as Captain of the Venice Swimming Association team from 1929-1931,and then was as Captain of the Los Angeles Athletic Club Water Polo Team in 1931, 33, 34, 35, and 36. O'Connor swam on a National Championship relay for Hall of Fame coach Bill Bachrach’s Illinois Athletic Club.

4 Olympics; 1924-1936

In team sport at the 1924 Summer Olympics, O'Connor won a gold medal as a member of the winning U.S. team in the men's 4×200-meter freestyle relay, together with teammates

Ralph Breyer Ralph Theodore Breyer (February 23, 1904 – May 8, 1991) was an American competition swimming (sport), swimmer and Olympic champion. Early life Ralph Breyer was born in Chicago, on February 23, 1904. After graduating from Lane Technical High S ...

, Harrison Glancy and Johnny Weissmuller. Playing with the 1924 U.S. national water polo team O'Connor also won a bronze medal, playing one match. At the

1928 Summer Olympics The 1928 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the IX Olympiad (), was an international multi-sport event that was celebrated from 28 July to 12 August 1928 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The city of Amsterdam had previously bid for ...

bronze medal match, O'Connor and the U.S. Water Polo team lost to France. He played two matches and scored one goal. At the

1932 Summer Olympics The 1932 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the X Olympiad and also known as Los Angeles 1932) were an international multi-sport event held from July 30 to August 14, 1932, in Los Angeles, California, United States. The Games were held du ...

the U.S. Water Polo team won a bronze medal. He played all four matches. At the

1936 Summer Olympics The 1936 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XI Olympiad () and officially branded as Berlin 1936, were an international multi-sport event held from 1 to 16 August 1936 in Berlin, then capital of Nazi Germany. Berlin won the bid to ...

the U.S. Water Polo team won one match and lost two matches in the preliminary group of the tournament. He played all three matches. He was honored as the national flag bearer at the opening ceremonies. He made a fifth Olympic team in 1940, but the war in Europe prevented those Games from being held.

Honors

In 1976, he was among the first 25 Charter Members inducted into the

USA Water Polo Hall of Fame The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 contiguou ...

. He was also elected to the Citizens Savings Athletic Foundation Hall of Fame, and the prestigious International Swimming Hall of Fame in 1966.

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External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Oconnor, Wally 1903 births 1950 deaths Sportspeople from Madera, California American male freestyle swimmers American male water polo players World record setters in swimming Medalists at the 1924 Summer Olympics Medalists at the 1932 Summer Olympics Olympic bronze medalists for the United States in swimming Olympic gold medalists for the United States in swimming Olympic medalists in water polo Olympic water polo players for the United States Stanford Cardinal men's water polo players Stanford Cardinal men's swimmers Swimmers at the 1924 Summer Olympics Water polo players at the 1924 Summer Olympics Water polo players at the 1928 Summer Olympics Water polo players at the 1932 Summer Olympics Water polo players at the 1936 Summer Olympics 20th-century American sportsmen

Stanford University

4 Olympics; 1924-1936

Honors

See also

References

External links