Cal Strong

Olympics Strong was chosen to compete for the U.S. at the 1928 Olympics as an alternate, but was still attending Stanford and decided not to attend as he was serving as a lifeguard that summer, need to earn money for school, and believed he would not get to play if he attended the Olympics. Strong's water polo team defeated the traditionally more dominant Illinois Athletic Club at the 1932 Olympic Trials at Brookside Park in Pasadena on July 22-23. Also selected as the first team of seven from the Los Angeles Club to represent the 1932 U.S. Olympic Water Polo team were Philip Daubenspeck, Austin Clapp, Harold Charles McCallister, Charles Finn, Herbert Wildman, and former Olympian Wallace O'Connor.

After qualifying at the trials, Strong played with the 1932 U.S. Olympic team that won the bronze medal in the Men's Water Polo team competition. Hungary and Germany were the clear pre-Olympic favorites, but teams from only five countries participated because of the long journey to Los Angeles. Hungary and Germany were the clear pre-Olympic favorites at the 1932 Olympics, but teams from only five countries participated because of the long boat passage to Los Angeles from Europe. On August 6, the U.S. water polo team began their Olympic journey with an important 6–1 victory over the team from Brazil, and then on August 7, won a commanding 10–0 victory over the team from Japan. On August 9, the U.S. team tied the very strong team from Germany by a score of 4–4. On August 11, the U.S. team lost 7–1 to the dominant team from Hungary. Strong played for the U.S. in all four matches. Hungary won the gold medal, and the team from Germany captured the silver. Strong participated in all four matches. Having tied with the team from Germany on points scored, the U.S. received the bronze medal due to goal difference. The third-place finish resulted in the U.S. team's first Olympic medal in water polo before a predominantly U.S. crowd, and helped give greater visibility to the sport among American audiences.

Later life After graduating from Stanford, Strong worked on the floor of the Los Angeles Stock Exchange, and continued working as a stockbroker in California throughout his life.

He died at the age of 97 in Carmichael, California on January 27, 2001, and was survived by wife Rosemary, two children, and grandchildren.

Honors In 1981, he was inducted into the USA Water Polo Hall of Fame.