Perry McGillivray

Perry McGillivray (August 5, 1893 – July 27, 1944) was an American competition swimmer and water polo player who represented the United States at the 1912 Summer Olympics and 1920 Summer Olympics.

McGillivray was born August 5, 1893, in Chicago, to father Edward Wallace McGillivray, and Lucy Mann McGillivray. Perry was a graduate of Oak Park High School, which had a long tradition of excelling in both academics and athletics. He later attended, and competed for the University of Illinois.

1912 Stockholm Olympics In the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm, Sweden he competed in the 100-meter freestyle and reached the semifinal. He also was a member of the United States' freestyle relay team which won a silver medal. The US swimming team at the 1912 Olympics was coached by Austrian- born American Otto Wahle, a former two-time Olympic medalist. The US did not compete in water polo at the 1912 Olympics.

1920 Antwerp Olympics In the 1920 Olympics, in Antwerp, Belgium, McGillivray placed fourth in the 100-metre backstroke. With the US team a clear pre-Game favorite, McGillivray won a gold medal as a member of the United States' freestyle relay team. McGillivay swam the lead-off leg, helping the team to a world record time of 10:04.4, a full twenty seconds ahead of second place Australia who took the silver. The team from Great Britain took the bronze. McGillivrary also played three matches for the United States water polo team, which finished fourth under the coaching of former Olympic medalist Otto Wahle.

Coaching In addition to competing in water polo in the 1920 Olympics, McGillivrary coached the 1928 Men's Olympic water polo team in Amsterdam to a seventh-place finish overall. He is one of only four Americans to both play on the US Olympic water polo team and coach it, along with Austin Clapp, Terry Schroeder, and the more recent John Vargas.

He died July 27, 1944, at age 50 at Billings Hospital in Maywood, Illinois, with funeral services held at 2:00 PM on July 31 at the Funeral Home on Suburban Maywood's Lake Street and 2nd Avenue. He was buried at Oakridge Abbey, part of the Oakridge-Glen Oak Cemetery in Hillside, Illinois, and