Harrison Glancy (USA)

Honor Pioneer Swimmer (1990)

FOR THE RECORD: OLYMPIC GAMES: 1924 gold (relay); AAU NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS: 3 (220yd, 1 mile freestyle; 300yd individual medley; 1 relay); WORLD RECORDS: 3 (relays); PAN PACIFIC GAMES: 1927 gold (relay); Member of the 1928 Olympic Team.

Harry Glancy has never left the sport of swimming since 1920.  Raised in Kentucky, he moved to Pittsburgh in 1919, won his first novice race in 1920 and his National (Scholastic Championship) at Mercersburg Academy in 1924.  Glancy made the 1924 Olympic team out of high school and won the gold relay at Paris when his freestyle relay (Ralph Brain, Wally O’Connor, Harry Glancy and Johnny Weissmuller) set an Olympic and world record.  He also made the 1928 Olympic team on leave of absence from the Gulf Oil Company.  In between, Glancy swam for the Pittsburg Athletic Association, the Penn Athletic Club and the Cincinnati YMCA for Hall of Famer, Stan Braminger.  The Cincinnati team, starring Hall of Famers, Wally Laufer and Harry, won the 1926 Indoor AAU Nationals in Chicago with a four man team and without a breaststroker or diver.  They beat the Illinois Athletic Club, setting a new world record in the 400 yard freestyle relay.  Harry had his personal best AAU championships, the Outdoors in Seattle, when he was the high point scorer.  At the 1927 Outdoors in Honolulu, Harry was picked to captain the first U.S. team to Japan and the Pan Pacific Championships.  His wife, Irma Mae Lucas was the first foreign female athlete and swimmer to compete in Japan.  Harry had met and married her after the 1926 Nationals in San Francisco.  They have been married ever since (65 years).  He has served the Olympic Swimming Committee, organized the Havalanta Games with Carlos de Cuba, played water polo at Penn Aquatic Club with the Jack Kelley’s father and generally promoted everything and everybody within his reach who wears a swimsuit.  Like we said, “Harry has never left the sport of swimming.  Right, Irma Mae?”