Olympians — Harvard
To catch a glimpse of the Olympic history of the nation’s largest Division I athletic program, one only needs to look toward the ice. Harvard Olympians can be found hitting an opponent with a vicious cross check, blazing around a circle in speed skating time trials, or performing complicated jumps for international figure skating judges.
Figure skater Nathaniel Niles ’09 started this trend. Actually, Niles first competed in the 1920 Antwerp Summer Games,- the Winter Games had not yet been established, so figure skating and ice hockey were a part of the summer games. Niles participated in two more Olympics, the first and second winter Olympiads in Chamonix, France and St. Moritz, Switzerland, respectively.
Thirty-nine Harvard athletes have followed Niles, many returning with medals. Tenley Albright’s ’53 skating career began when she was eight-years-old, but she was diagnosed with polio at 11, a condition from which she managed to recover within a couple of years. Albright won the silver medal at the 1952 Oslo games and gold at the 1956 Cortina d’Ampezzo games. Her gold medal came despite a severe ankle injury only two weeks before competition.
Another prominent figure skater is Dick Button ’52, who won the gold medal in the 1948 St. Moritz Games and 1952 Oslo Games. In 1948, he also won the United States, North American, European, and World figure skating championships. Button is now an Emmy-winning figure skating analyst for ABC sports.
Many Harvard men have suited up for the United States ice hockey team since the start of the winter Olympiad in 1924, one of them being Billy Cleary, Jr. ’56. Cleary, a member of the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame, was on the silver medal-winning team in 1956 at Cortina d’Ampezzo and the leading points-scorer for the 1960 Squaw Valley team that won the gold medal. Cleary would go on to coach the Crimson men for nearly 30 years before becoming Harvard athletic director.
The Harvard women haven’t been too shabby on the ice either, as nine of the 31 total Ivy women’s ice hockey Olympians have hailed from Cambridge — three of which skated on the inaugural gold-medal winning American team at Nagano ’98: A.J. Mleczko ’99, Angela Ruggiero ’02, Sandra Whyte ’92.
Additionally, five Harvard women’s hockey Olympians — Mleczko, Jennifer Botterill ’02, Ruggiero, Julie Chu ’06 and Sarah Vaillancourt ’08 would win The Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award as the best women’s intercollegiate hockey player.
Despite their winter success, the Crimson are known as summer athletes as well, dating back to the first modern Olympiad (1896 Athens), when seven Harvard athletes went to the Games.
In 1904, Manuel Diaz became the first and only Cuban-born Ivy Olympian, as well as the only Ivy fencer to ever capture Olympic gold — winning two in St. Louis.
Other notable Harvard summer Olympians include former Crimson soccer players Shep Messing ’72 and John Catliff ’86, who remain the only Ivy Leaguers to compete in soccer at the Summer Games.
| Name, Grad Year | Sport | Country | Games |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nate Ackerman ’00 | Wrestling | Great Britain | s: 2004 |
| Tenley Albright ’53 • • | Figure Skating | United States | w: 1952-56 |
| Laurent Alfred ’96 | Swimming | U.S. Virgin Islands | s: 1992 |
| Scotty Allen ’71 • | Figure Skating | United States | w: 1964 |
| Charles Altekruse ’80 | Rowing | United States | s: 1980-88 |
| Paul Austin ’37 | Rowing | United States | s: 1936 |
| Sherwin Badger ’23 • | Figure Skating | United States | w: 1928-32 |
| Eugene Belisle ’31 | Rowing | United States | s: 1928 |
| Norman Bellingham ’94 • | Kayaking | United States | s: 1984-88-92 |
| Edward Bennett, Jr. ’37 | Rowing | United States | s: 1936 |
| David Berkoff ’89 • • • • | Swimming | United States | s: 1988-92 |
| Arthur Blake ’93 • | Athletics | United States | s: 1896 |
| James Blake ’02 | Tennis | United States | s: 2008 |
| Dan Bolduc ’76 | Ice Hockey | United States | w: 1976 |
| Jennifer Botterill ’02 • • • • | Ice Hockey | Canada | w: 1998-02-06-10 |
| Allen Bourbeau ’89 | Ice Hockey | United States | w: 1988 |
| Burke Boyce ’22 | Fencing | United States | s: 1924 |
| George Breed ’99 | Fencing | United States | s: 1912-24 |
| Charlie Brickley ’15 | Athletics | United States | s: 1912 |
| Stephen Brooks ’70 | Rowing | United States | s: 1968 |
| Tony Brooks ’71 | Rowing | United States | s: 1976 |
| Brodie Buckland ’06 | Rowing | Australia | s: 2012 |
| Tom Burke ’01 • • | Athletics | United States | s: 1896 |
| Lindsay Burns ’87 • | Rowing | United States | s: 1992-96 |
| John C. Burton ’44 | Nordic Skiing | United States | w: 1952 |
| Dick Button ’52 • • | Figure Skating | United States | w: 1948-52 |
| Caitlin Cahow ’07 • • | Ice Hockey | United States | w: 2006-10 |
| Curtis Canning ’68 | Rowing | United States | s: 1968 |
| Richard Cashin, Jr. ’75 | Rowing | United States | s: 1976-80 |
| John Catliff ’86 | Soccer | Canada | s: 1984 |
| John Chase ’28 • | Ice Hockey | United States | w: 1932 |
| Julie Chu ’06 • • • | Ice Hockey | United States | w: 2002-06-10 |
| Peter Ciavaglia ’91 | Ice Hockey | United States | w: 1994 |
| Ellery Clark ’96 • • | Athletics | United States | s: 1896-04 |
| Forrester Clark ’29 | Rowing | United States | s: 1928 |
| Billy Cleary, Jr. ’56 • • | Ice Hockey | United States | w: 1956-60 |
| Bobby Cleary ’58 • | Ice Hockey | United States | w: 1960 |
| James B. Connolly ’96 • • • • | Athletics | United States | s: 1896-00 |
| Emily Cross ’09 • | Fencing | United States | s: 2008 |
| Allerton Cushman ’29 | Rowing | United States | s: 1928 |
| Bob Cutler ’35 | Rowing | United States | s: 1936 |
| Roger Cutler, Jr. ’37 | Rowing | United States | s: 1936 |
| Caryn Davies ’04 • • | Rowing | United States | s: 2004-08-12 |
| Fred de Selding ’10 | Athletics | United States | s: 1908 |
| Manuel Diaz ’99 • • | Fencing | Cuba | s: 1904 |
| Ted Donato ’91 | Ice Hockey | United States | w: 1992 |
| Ted Drury ’94 | Ice Hockey | United States | w: 1992-94 |
| Serena Eddy-Moulton ’88 | Rowing | United States | s: 1992 |
| Chandler Egan ’05 • • | Golf | United States | s: 1904 |
| Walter Egan ’05 • | Golf | United States | s: 1904 |
| Arthur Evans, III ’69 | Rowing | United States | s: 1968 |
| Temi Fagbenle ’15 | Basketball | Great Britain | s: 2012 |
| Eddie Farrell | Athletics | United States | s: 1912 |
| David Fellows ’74 | Rowing | United States | s: 1976 |
| Sam Felton, Jr. ’48 | Athletics | United States | s: 1948-52 |
| Jacques Fiechter ’67 | Rowing | United States | s: 1968 |
| Mark Fusco ’84 | Ice Hockey | United States | w: 1984 |
| Scott Fusco ’86 | Ice Hockey | United States | w: 1984-88 |
| John Garrison ’31 • • | Ice Hockey | United States | w: 1932-36 |
| Frank Gorman ’60 • | Diving | United States | s: 1964 |
| Ned Gourdin ’23 • | Athletics | United States | s: 1924 |
| Michelle Guerette ’02 • | Rowing | United States | s: 2004-08 |
| Paul Gunderson ’65 | Rowing | United States | s: 1964 |
| Dora Gyorffy ’01 | Athletics | Hungary | s: 2000 |
| Bobby Hackett ’79 • | Swimming | United States | s: 1976 |
| Jamie Hagerman ’03 • | Ice Hockey | United States | w: 2006 |
| N. Penrose Hallowell, Jr. ’32 | Athletics | United States | s: 1932 |
| Charles Hamlin ’70 | Rowing | United States | s: 1968 |
| Goodwin Harding ’43 | Ice Hockey | United States | w: 1948 |
| Mark Harrington, III ’68 | Rowing | United States | s: 1968 |
| Robert Harwood ’20 | Athletics | United States | s: 1920 |
| William Haskins ’37 | Rowing | United States | s: 1936 |
| David Hawkins ’56 | Swimming | Australia | s: 1952 |
| Neville Hayes ’67 • • | Swimming | Australia | s: 1960 |
| Jim Herberich ’85 | Bobsled | United States | w: 1988-94-98 |
| Charles Hewitt ’71 | Rowing | United States | s: 1972 |
| David Higgins ’69 | Rowing | United States | s: 1968 |
| George E. Hill ’33 | Figure Skating | United States | w: 1932-36 |
| Tommy Hitchcock, Jr. ’22 • | Polo | United States | s: 1924 |
| Bill Hobbs ’71 • | Rowing | United States | s: 1968-72 |
| Frankin Hobbs, IV ’69 • | Rowing | United States | s: 1968-72 |
| Paul Hoffman ’68 • | Rowing | United States | s: 1968-72 |
| Adam Holland ’94 | Rowing | United States | s: 1996 |
| Malcolm Howard ’05 • | Rowing | Canada | s: 2008-12 |
| Thomas Howes ’78 | Rowing | United States | s: 1980 |
| Bill Hoyt ’98 • | Athletics | United States | s: 1896 |
| James Hubbard ’29 | Rowing | United States | s: 1928 |
| Emily Hughes ’11 | Figure Skating | United States | w: 2006 |
| Bruce Hunter ’61 | Swimming | United States | s: 1960 |
| John Hurd ’34 | Fencing | United States | s: 1936 |
| Charles Hutter, Jr. ’38 | Swimming | United States | s: 1936 |
| Hayes Jenkins ’59 • | Figure Skating | United States | w: 1952-56 |
| John Johnstone ’16 | Athletics | United States | s: 1912 |
| William Kendall ’40 | Swimming | Australia | s: 1936 |
| Rich Kennelly, Jr. ’87 • | Rowing | United States | s: 1988-92 |
| Samyr Laine ’06 | Athletics | Haiti | s: 2012 |
| Chris Lambert ’03 | Athletics | Great Britain | s: 2004 |
| Andrew Larkin ’68 | Rowing | United States | s: 1968 |
| Don LaVigne ’89 | Bobsled | United States | w: 1988 |
| James Lawrence, Jr. ’29 | Rowing | United States | s: 1928 |
| Robert Lea, III ’64 | Rowing | United States | s: 1964 |
| Edgar Leonard ’03 • • | Tennis | United States | s:1904 |
| Cleve Livingston ’69 • | Rowing | United States | s: 1968-72 |
| Mike Livingston ’68 • | Rowing | United States | s: 1968-72 |
| Esther Lofgren ’09 | Rowing | United States | s: 2012 |
| Lee Loomis ’50 • | Sailing | United States | s: 1948 |
| Snorre Lorgen ’93 | Rowing | Norway | s: 1992 |
| Sverke Lorgen ’96 | Rowing | Norway | s: 1992 |
| Lane MacDonald ’89 | Ice Hockey | United States | w: 1988 |
| James Madden ’33 | Figure Skating | United States | w: 1932-36 |
| John K. Marshall ’63 • | Sailing | United States | s: 1968-72 |
| Charles Mason, Jr. ’30 | Rowing | United States | s: 1928 |
| Betsy McCagg ’89 | Rowing | United States | s: 1992-96-00 |
| Mary McCagg ’89 | Rowing | United States | s: 1992-96 |
| John McNamara, Jr. ’56 • | Sailing | United States | s: 1964 |
| Bob McVey ’58 • | Ice Hockey | United States | w: 1960 |
| Shep Messing ’72 | Soccer | United States | s: 1972 |
| Alex Meyer ’10 | Swimming | United States | s: 2012 |
| Michael Miao ’84 | Swimming | Taiwan | s: 1984 |
| Noam Mills ’12 | Fencing | Israel | s: 2008 |
| A.J. Mleczko ’99 • • | Ice Hockey | United States | w: 1998-02 |
| Wolf Moser ’98 | Rowing | United States | s: 2000-04 |
| Suna Murray ’77 | Figure Skating | United States | w: 1972 |
| Will Newell ’11 | Rowing | United States | s: 2012 |
| Nathaniel Niles ’09 | Figure Skating | United States | s: 1920-24-28 |
| Forbes H. Norris, Jr. ’49 | Swimming | United States | s: 1948 |
| Henry Nuzum ’99 | Rowing | United States | s: 2000-04 |
| George O’Day ’45 • | Sailing | United States | s: 1956-60 |
| Bob Owen ’58 • | Ice Hockey | United States | w: 1960 |
| John Paine ’92 • | Shooting | United States | s: 1896 |
| Sumner Paine ’90 • • | Shooting | United States | s: 1896 |
| Jackie Pangilinan ’08 | Swimming | Philippines | s: 2004 |
| Keir Pearson ’90 | Rowing | United States | s: 1992 |
| Nick Peterson ’95 | Rowing | United States | s: 2000 |
| Misha Petkevich ’73 | Figure Skating | United States | w: 1968-72 |
| Geoffrey Picard ’65 • | Rowing | United States | s: 1964 |
| Hughie Pollock ’64 | Rowing | United States | s: 1964 |
| Thomas Pollock, III ’65 | Rowing | United States | s: 1964 |
| Edward Porter ’70 | Rowing | United States | s: 1968 |
| Judy Rabinowitz ’80 | Alpine Skiing | United States | w: 1980-84 |
| Meredith Rainey ’90 | Athletics | United States | s: 1992-96 |
| William Rand ’09 | Athletics | United States | s: 1908 |
| Williard Rice ’22 • | Ice Hockey | United States | w: 1924 |
| Dudley Richards ’54 | Figure Skating | United States | w: 1960 |
| Eric Ridder ’40 • | Sailing | United States | s: 1952 |
| Julie Roosevelt ’50 • | Sailing | United States | s: 1948-52-56 |
| Greg Ruckman ’96 | Rowing | United States | s: 2000-04 |
| Angela Ruggiero ’02 • • • • | Ice Hockey | United States | w: 1998-02-06-10 |
| Henrik Rummel ’09 | Rowing | United States | s: 2012 |
| Jack Rusher, IV ’89 • | Rowing | United States | s: 1988-92 |
| William Russell | Fencing | United States | s: 1920-24 |
| Artour Samsonov ’02 | Rowing | United States | s: 2004 |
| David Sawyer ’72 | Rowing | United States | s: 1972 |
| Robert Schwarz ’65 | Rowing | United States | s: 1964 |
| Frank Scully ’64 • | Sailing | United States | s: 1964 |
| Anna Seaton ’84 • | Rowing | United States | s: 1988-92 |
| Peter Sharis ’90 | Rowing | United States | s: 1992 |
| Alan Shealy ’75 | Rowing | United States | s: 1976 |
| Tammy Shewchuk ’01 • | Ice Hockey | Canada | w: 2002 |
| Kris Singleton ’93 | Swimming | U.S. Virgin Islands | s: 1988-92 |
| Kraig Singleton ’93 | Swimming | U.S. Virgin Islands | s: 1988 |
| Hilary Smart ’47 • | Sailing | United States | s: 1948 |
| Paul Smart ’14 • | Sailing | United States | s: 1948-52 |
| James Smith ’53 | Shooting | United States | s: 1956 |
| James Smith, Jr. ’48 • | Sailing | United States | s: 1948 |
| Scott Steketee ’68 | Rowing | United States | s: 1968 |
| Drew Stone ’86 | Field Hockey | United States | s: 1984 |
| Frank Stubbs, Jr. ’36 • | Ice Hockey | United States | w: 1936 |
| Andrew Sudduth ’85 • | Rowing | United States | s: 1984-88 |
| Chris Swan ’90 | Rowing | United States | s: 1992 |
| Nick Sweeney ’92 | Athletics | Ireland | s: 1992-96-00-04 |
| Brenda Taylor ’01 | Athletics | United States | s: 2004 |
| Lawrence Terry, Jr. ’68 • | Rowing | United States | s: 1968-72 |
| James Tew, III ’66 | Rowing | United States | s: 1964 |
| Juliet Thompson ’89 | Rowing | United States | s: 1988 |
| Theodore Thorndike ’75 | Ice Hockey | United States | w: 1976 |
| P.J. Thum ’00 | Swimming | Singapore | s: 1996 |
| Willard Tibbetts, Jr. ’26 • | Athletics | United States | s: 1924 |
| Pat Todd ’02 | Rowing | United States | s: 2004-08 |
| Owen Torrey, Jr. ’47 • | Sailing | United States | s: 1948 |
| Alison Townley ’87 | Rowing | United States | s: 1988-92 |
| Julia Trotman ’88 • | Sailing | United States | s: 1992 |
| Cecile Tucker ’91 | Rowing | United States | s: 1996 |
| Sarah Vaillancourt ’08 • • | Ice Hockey | Canada | w: 2006-10 |
| Maribel Vinson ’33 • | Figure Skating | United States | w: 1928-32-36 |
| Simon Wainwright ’93 | Swimming | Great Britain | s: 1992 |
| Edward Washburn ’64 | Rowing | United States | s: 1964 |
| John Watters ’26 | Athletics | United States | s: 1924 |
| Jim Weekes ’47 • | Sailing | United States | s: 1948 |
| David Weinberg ’75 | Rowing | United States | s: 1976 |
| Dan Weinstein ’03 | Short Track Skating | United States | w: 1998-02 |
| Walter Whalen | Athletics | United States | s: 1920 |
| Ed White ’52 • | Sailing | United States | s: 1952 |
| Sumner White, III ’52 • | Sailing | United States | s: 1952 |
| Sandra Whyte ’92 • | Ice Hockey | United States | w: 1998 |
| Paul Wilson ’66 | Rowing | United States | s: 1972 |
| Cameron Winklevoss ’04 | Rowing | United States | s: 2008 |
| Tyler Winklevoss ’04 | Rowing | United States | s: 2008 |
| Tiff Wood ’75 | Rowing | United States | s: 1976-80-84 |
| Beals Wright ’03 • • | Tennis | United States | s:1904 |
| Paul Wylie ’91 • | Figure Skating | United States | w: 1988-92 |
| C.J. Young ’90 | Ice Hockey | United States | w: 1992 |
• Gold Medal (also indicated by bold name)
• Silver Medal
• Bronze Medal
