Born 1/2/26 • Died 6/22/59 - Olympic Gold Medal Winner

Bruce was an outstanding all-around athlete at Lansdowne High, capturing a District I wrestling title in 1944. After graduation, he joined the Navy and was stationed at the Naval Training Center in Florida where he won his first A.A.U. title in diving. After Bruce was discharged in 1946, he went to Ohio State. For the next four years, he would totally dominate collegiate diving, winning four N.C.A.A. outdoor and indoor championships. He would also add four A.A.U. titles, climaxing with a gold medal in the springboard and a silver in the platform at the 1948 Olympics. After retiring from competition, Bruce became the diving coach at the University of Michigan. Tragically, he was killed at the young age of 33 in a fall from a diving tower while dismantling the scaffolding after an exhibition in Connecticut.