Ralph Theodore Breyer

Ralph Theodore Breyer (February 23, 1904 – May 8, 1991) was an American competition swimmer and Olympic champion.

Early life Ralph Breyer was born in Chicago, on February 23, 1904. After graduating from Lane Technical High School, he received a swimming scholarship from Northwestern University in 1921.

Swimming career 1924 Paris Olympics He represented the United States at the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris. He won a gold medal as a member of the first-place world record breaking U.S. team in the men's 4×200-meter freestyle relay event. He also competed in the qualifying heats of the men's 400-meter freestyle, and recorded a time of 5:22.4 setting a new Olympic record. The relay team consisted of members Harry Glancy, Wally O'Connor, Johnny Weissmuller, Dick Howell and Breyer, while other members of the US team included brothers Sam and Duke Kahanamoku. In March 1985, he was among the first athletes inducted into the NU Wildcats Hall of Fame.