Jed Graef

Last updated

Jed Graef
Jed Graef 1964.jpg
Graef at the 1964 Olympics
Personal information
Full nameJedward Richard Graef [1]
National teamUnited States
Born (1942-05-01) May 1, 1942 (age 82)
Montclair, New Jersey, U.S. [2]
Height6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Weight201 lb (91 kg)
SpouseSunyana Silverman Graef
Sport
Sport Swimming
Strokes Backstroke
ClubNorth Jersey Swim Association (NJSA)
College team Princeton University
CoachBob Alexander (NJSA)
Bob Clotworthy (Princeton)
Medal record
Representing the Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States
Olympic Games
Olympic rings.svg
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 1964 Tokyo 200 m backstroke

Jed Richard Graef (born May 1, 1942) is an American former competition swimmer, for Princeton University, a 1964 Tokyo Olympic gold medalist in the 200-meter backstroke, and former world record-holder. After obtaining a Doctorate in Psychology from the University of Michigan, he taught for seven years at Toronto University, before moving to Rochester, New York where he worked as a programmer and treasurer for the Rochester Zen Center, where he met his wife, Sunyata, an ordained Buddhist priest. After a move to Vermont in the late 1980's, he would continue to work as a programmer, serve on the Shelbourne School Board, and act as treasurer for the Vermont Zen Center in Shelbourne, founded by his wife in 1988. [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]

Contents

Early life

Graef was born in Montclair, New Jersey [1] on May 1, 1942 to Mr. and Mrs. Clarence W. Graef, a former collegiate baseball player. Despite his birth in Montclair, Graef grew up in nearby Verona, New Jersey only three miles West, where he attended High School. [1] He excelled in the backstroke while competing with the Montclair YMCA swim team beginning around age 10 in 1952. A highly competitive program, with Jed as a participant the Montclair "Y" team went undefeated in 40 meets over a five year period. [8] In 1956-57, he co-captained the team, and in two seasons between 1958-1959 swam on 11 Senior State relay championship teams in 200 and 400-yard freestyle and medley relays. [9] [10] [8] [11] [12]

North Jersey Swim Association

In addition to swimming with the Montclair "Y" team primarily as a Junior swimmer, Graef swam and competed with the North Jersey Swimming Association (NJSA) beginning around 1956 in his High School Freshman year. He placed first in state championships and set New York State backstroke records representing Verona High School despite Verona lacking a swim team. He graduated Verona High School in June, 1960, with good grades and a high class rank. Graef set a new record for the 200-yard backstroke of 2:22 in his Junior year of High School. Graef was greatly influenced by NJSA's Coach Bob Alexander, who focused on high quality, but relatively short workouts, mentored as many as 12 future Olympic participants, and trained his swimmers at Lake Mohawk in North Jersey. [9] [10] [13] An important feature in his high school swimming career, was his commitment to his sport, as he swam year round in High School, seeking out swimming venues during the winter with his coach. [1]

In 1960, in the summer after his High School Senior year, he attended the August trials in Dearborn, Michigan for the Rome Olympics, but just missed making the U.S. team, swimming a 1:05.1, placing ninth overall, where only the top eight could qualify. [10] [14]

Princeton University

Graef considered attending Princeton, Yale or Colgate University. [15] For reasons not entirely known to him, he attended Princeton University, where he was captain of the Princeton Tigers swim team in 1964, graduating in June of that year with a degree in Psychology. [11] [16] After performing well in meets as an Undergraduate, but taking many second places in the 200, finally as a Senior Jed won the March 1964 NCAA Championships in the 200-yard backstroke at New Haven, Connecticut establishing a new American collegiate record of 1:56.2, while swimming for Princeton's Hall of Fame Coach Bob Clotworthy. Graef had formerly set a new collegiate record of 1:56.5 in a qualifying round at the meet. Graef's NCAA collegiate championship in the 200-yard backstroke more clearly identified him as America's potential top swimmer in the event, though he had already been ranked second in the World in the 200-meter by the summer of 1961. [9] [5] [17] [15]

1964 Tokyo Olympic gold

Trials

After several years of gradual improvement rather than getting notably faster, Graef's backstroke times began an occasional drop during his senior year at Princeton. [15] In the summer of 1964, shortly after his college graduation, Graef qualified for the Tokyo Olympics swimming a 2:12.7 in the 200-meter backstroke finals, placing second at the U.S. trials in Astoria, Long Island, New York, only .7 seconds behind the unexpected first place finisher Gary Dilley. Graef later noted that with the American depth in backstroke that year, it was harder finding a spot on the team than to win a medal at the Olympics. [18] [11] [19] [10] The team later worked out in Palo Alto, before taking their flight to Japan from Los Angeles on September 30. [4] [18]

Olympic gold medal

'64 Olympic 200 backstroke medalists, Bennett, Graef, Dilley Bob Bennett, Jed Graef, Gary Dilley 1964.jpg
'64 Olympic 200 backstroke medalists, Bennett, Graef, Dilley

Graef won the gold medal in the men's 200-meter backstroke at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan on October 13, 1964. [20] He became the first Princeton student to win a gold medal in swimming in the Olympics. Graef was somewhat aided in his quest for the gold, as Tom Stock, the reigning world record holder in the event was ill during the qualifying rounds and did not make the team. [5] Graef later attributed his outstanding swim partly to a quick start, one of the best of his career. [18] The Americans took first, second and third place, led by Graef, who finished 2 seconds under his time in the trials, and set a new Olympic, world, and American record time of 2:10.3 with American Gary Dilley placing a close second. The third place bronze medal position was contested between American Bob Bennett and Shigeo Fukushima of Japan, with Fukushima rapidly closing, but Bennett managed to retain his third place position giving America a complete sweep of the event. Other swimming medalists at the 1964 Olympics that had swum with the New Jersey Athletic Association included Patience Sherman, Thompson Mann, and Phil Riker. [21] Graef's world record held for three years. [9] [22]

Later life

Graef spent some time in Japan and the South Pacific after the games, staying through December 1964. He went to Egypt for several weeks in the summer of 1967 for the U.S. State Department to assist in the coaching and development of Egyptian swimmers, but his coaching, which included a strong psychological and motivational component, was ended abruptlly as a result of the outbreak of the Six-Day war in early June. In Egypt, he coached with his former coach, Bob Alexander. [9] [23] [15]

U. Michigan and teaching psychology

After the games, Graef studied for a Doctorate in psychology at the University of Michigan beginning around September 1965, and later became known as a prominent authority in sports psychology. He completed his Phd. from Michigan in 1969. He subsequently did research and taught for seven years at the University of Toronto, where he taught personality theories, and taught and performed psychological testing through around 1976. He began practicing Buddhism around the age of 32 in 1974, while still in Toronto. [15]

Working for Zen Centers and programming

Leaving the University due to a lack of publications, in a career change he moved to Rochester, New York, and spent six years working at the Rochester Zen Center primarily as a treasurer, where he met his wife, who had been ordained as a Buddhist priest during her time at the Center. During his time in Rochester, both he and his wife Sunyata studied computer programming, while attending the Rochester Institute of Technology. [6] [3] While in Rochester, he also worked as a computer programmer. [15]

After the couple relocated to Vermont around 1988, Jed's wife, Sunyana Graef, formerly known as Gail Silverman, started the Vermont Zen Center in Shelbourne, Vermont, initially meeting in their home. By 1990, he and his wife were observing a vegetarian diet with Graef often doing the cooking. [24] Graef worked as a programmer for the government specializing in Housing and Urban Development, and housing for Section 8. [15] By 2012, Graef worked at home in a more managerial position. The couple raised two daughters. [4] [9] [2] In the 2000's Jed worked with the Shelbourne Town School District board, and [25] by 2004 or earlier, as treasurer for the Vermont Zen Center. [6] [26] The Center had 200 members in 2003, and was planning to expand into a new 3000 square foot building. [27] [15]

Honors

An able student, in 1960 while attending Tulane, Jed was selected to be the recipient of a National Honor Society Certificate of Merit. [8]

He was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in Fort Lauderdale as an "Honor Swimmer" in 1988. [9]

He became a member of the initial class of the Verona High School Hall of Fame in August 2004. [28]

The "Jed Graef" Award, established around 1965 by the Verona Sports Booster Club was created to provide an annual award to a Senior student at Verona High School that most exhibited the qualities of athletic ability, good sportsmanship, citizenship and scholarship. [29] The Award was given annually through at least 1976. [30]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Verona, New Jersey</span> Township in Essex County, New Jersey, US

Verona is a township in Essex County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 14,572, an increase of 1,240 (+9.3%) from the 2010 census count of 13,332, which in turn reflected a decline of 201 (−1.5%) from the 13,533 counted in the 2000 census.

Nelson W. Diebel is an American former competition swimmer, Olympic champion, and former world record-holder.

Peter Askin Reynolds was a male Australian freestyle and medley swimmer of the 1960s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swimming at the 1964 Summer Olympics</span>

At the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, eighteen swimming events were contested, ten for men and eight for women. There were a total of 405 participants from 42 countries competing. For the first time, the 4 × 100 metres freestyle relay for men and the 400 metres individual medley for both men and women were contested. Olympic records were broken in all events and the world record was broken in ten events. This competition also marked the debut of electronic touchpads for timing.

Barbara Jane Bedford, who competed as BJ Bedford, currently known by her married name, Barbara Miller, is an American former competition swimmer for the University of Texas, a 2000 Sydney Olympic champion, and a former world record-holder.

Nathaniel James Dusing is an American former competition swimmer for the University of Texas, a 2000 and 2004 Olympic medalist, and a world champion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bob Clotworthy</span> American diver and coach (1931–2018)

Robert Lynn Clotworthy was an American diver and swimmer for Ohio State, and a 1956 Olympic gold and 1952 bronze medalist in the 3-meter springboard. He later had a successful career as a coach from around 1955-76, with his longest stint at Princeton from 1958-1970 where he led the team to the 1962 Eastern Seaboard Championships, and produced Princeton's first Olympic gold medalist in swimming, Jed Graef.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Al Vande Weghe</span> American swimmer (1916–2002)

Albert Joseph Vande Weghe, sometimes appearing as Al Vandeweghe, was an American competition swimmer for Princeton University, a world record holder in backstroke events, and a 1936 Berlin Olympic silver medalist in the Men's 100 meter backstroke. After graduating from Princeton in 1940, he worked thirty-five years as a Chemical Engineer for Dupont Corporation, then after retiring in 1975, returned to swimming at age 74 in 1980 as a United States Masters swimmer for Tulsa Masters, winning many races in age group competitions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill Boomer</span> American swimming coach (1937–2022)

William Boomer, also known as Buzz Boomer, was an American college coach, best known for serving as the head coach of the University of Rochester's men's swim team from 1962 to 1990. Beginning in the 1990s, as a noted authority on swimming technique, Boomer gave technique instruction to swimmers on the Stanford University swim team and worked one-on-one with many world-class swimmers, including many on three American Olympic swim teams from 1996 to 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cathy Ferguson</span> American swimmer (born 1948)

Cathy Jean Ferguson, known for a time by her married name Cathy Ferguson Brennan is an American former competition swimmer, who competed for the Los Angeles Athletic Club, was a two-time Olympic gold medalist, and a former world record-holder. She participated at the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan, where she received the gold medal for winning the women's 100-meter backstroke, and another gold as a member of the first-place U.S. team in the women's 4×100-meter medley relay. After completing a Doctorate from the U.S. International University in San Diego, she worked as a Professor, Coach and Director of Aquatics at California State University, Long Beach for 20 years, was a director of Sports Medicine at Anaheim Memorial Hospital, and served as a CEO for Girl Scouts of Central California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thompson Mann</span> American swimmer (1942–2019)

Harold Thompson Mann was an American competition swimmer for the University of North Carolina, a 1964 Tokyo Olympic 4x100-meter medley swimming gold medalist, and a world record-holder in the 100-meter backstroke. After graduating pre-med from North Carolina, he went to the medical school of Virginia, and completed a residency and practice in San Francisco. In 1984 he returned to his home state to establish a practice in internal medicine in the greater Richmond area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swimming at the 1964 Summer Olympics – Men's 200 metre backstroke</span>

The men's 200 metre backstroke event at the 1964 Summer Olympics took place between October 11 and 13. There were 34 competitors from 21 nations, with each nation having up to 3 swimmers. The medals were swept by the United States, with Jed Graef, Gary Dilley, and Bob Bennett taking gold, silver, and bronze respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gary Dilley</span> American swimmer (born 1945)

Gary J. Dilley is an American former competition swimmer and Olympic medalist. He represented the United States at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, where he received a silver medal in men's 200-meter backstroke, finishing second behind American teammate Jed Graef. Dilley set new Olympic records in the heats and semifinals, but Graef improved upon Dilley's records in the event's second semifinal and final.

Ross Elliott Wales is an American former competition swimmer for Princeton University and a 1968 Olympic Games bronze medalist in the 100-meter butterfly. Ross later served as President of United States Swimming from 1979-1984, as President of U.S. Aquatic Sports, Inc. through 1988, and as an executive with FINA, the Federation Internationale de Natation Amateur. He served as President of the National Swimming Foundation from 1984-1987.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Johnson (swimmer)</span> American swimmer (born 1947)

David "Dave" Charles Johnson is an American former competition swimmer and 1968 Mexico City Olympic competitor. He later graduated Yale Medical School and became an orthopaedic surgeon, specializing in sports medicine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patience Sherman</span> American swimmer (born 1946)

Patience Halsey Sherman is an American former competition swimmer who competed for the New Jersey Athletic Association and participated in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics in a preliminary heat of the gold medal winning Women's 4 × 100-meter freestyle relay but was not eligible for a medal as she did not compete in the final heat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lynne Allsup</span> American swimmer (1949–2023)

Lynne Marie Allsup, also known by her married name Lynne Olson, was an American competition swimmer for Central Michigan University, and a 1964 Tokyo Olympic competitor in the Women's 4x100 meter freestyle relay preliminary heat. She was a national record-holder in the 100-yard freestyle, and was part of a world record 4x100-meter freestyle relay team on September 27, 1964 which swam a short-lived world record time of 4:07.6 in Los Angeles prior to the Tokyo Olympics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill Farley</span> American swimmer and coach (1944–2018)

William Winfield Farley was a 1964 Tokyo Olympic competitor in the 1500-meter event, and an All-American competition swimmer specializing in distance freestyle events for the University of Michigan. He worked as an American businessman in the Philippines, Tokyo and Hawaii, and served as a swimming coach for over 25 years, best known for leading Princeton Varsity Men's swimming to six Eastern Seaboard championships and five Ivy League titles from 1969-1979.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philip Riker</span> American swimmer (born 1946)

Philip Riker III is an American former competition swimmer for the University of North Carolina, and a 1964 U.S. Olympic competitor in the 200-meter butterfly.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greg Meehan</span> American swimming coach

Greg Meehan is an American Olympic and College swimming coach, who has served as the women's head coach for the Stanford swim team since 2012, winning NCAA conference championships in 2017 and 2018. He was an Olympic Coach for the US Women's Olympic Swimming Team in 2016 and 2020.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "NJ Sports.com, Jed Graef". njsportsheroes.com. Retrieved November 26, 2024.
  2. 1 2 Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Jed Graef". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on April 17, 2020.
  3. 1 2 "Netzel, Andy, Zen Center to Ordain First Priest," The Burlington Free Press, Burlington, Vermont, 19 September 2004, pg. 19
  4. 1 2 3 Gesario, Mike, VHS Student Set World Record", Verona Cedar Grove Times, Verona, New Jersey, 26 August 2004, pg. B1
  5. 1 2 3 "Olympedia Bio, Jed Graef". olympedia.org. Retrieved November 21, 2024.
  6. 1 2 3 Pollack, Sally, The Zen of Losing, The Bulington Free Press, Burlington, Vermont, 16 October 2004, pg. 21
  7. ↑ "Zen Center Here Split by Dispute", Democrat and Chronicle, Rochester, New York, 7 December 1981, pg. 3
  8. 1 2 3 ""Dougie Gaffney is Named Leading Athlete in Country", Verona-Cedar Grove Times, Verona, New Jersey, 19 May 1960, pg. 34
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Jed Graef (USA)". ISHOF.org. International Swimming Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 17, 2015.
  10. 1 2 3 4 "Verona High School Lad Will Compete", Verona-Cedar Grove Times, Verona, New Jersey, 10 September 1964, pg. 26
  11. 1 2 3 "Quiet Jed Lets His Actions Talk", The Morning Call, Paterson, New Jersey, 14 October 1964, pg. 19
  12. ↑ Jonathan Leitch, "No. 13: Jed Graef '64 Archived 2014-12-24 at the Wayback Machine ," The Daily Princetonian (November 27, 2006). Retrieved December 23, 2014. "Born and raised in nearby Verona, N.J., Graef spent his childhood summers in the waters of Lake Mohawk and joined the Montclair YMCA swim team at age 10."
  13. ↑ Swam for both Montclair Y and then New Jersey Swimming Association teams in "Jeff Graef Takes Swimming Firsts", Verona-Cedar Grove Times, Verona, New Jersey, 6 September 1956, pg. 2
  14. ↑ "McHugh, Graef Compete in Olympic Trials", The Montclair Times, Montclair, New Jersey, 11 August 1960, pg. 27
  15. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Olympian", Verona Cedar Grove Times, Verona, New Jersey, 2 August 2012, pg. A 7
  16. ↑ Bric-a-Brac (Princeton University). 1964. p. 164.
  17. ↑ "Hoosiers Hold Shakey Lead in NCAA Swim", The Cincinnati Enquirer, Cincinnati, Ohio, 28 March 1964, pg. 18
  18. 1 2 3 "Kramsky, Marshall, NBC5, 15 April 2021, 1964 Olympic gold medalist recounts his race in Tokyo Games". mynbc5.com. April 15, 2021. Retrieved November 26, 2024.
  19. ↑ "Rose, Murray, Kiphuth Lauds U.S. Swimmers As Best Team Ever Assembled", Star-Gazette, Elmira, New York, 4 September 1964, pg. 14
  20. ↑ "1964 Summer Olympics – Tokyo, Japan – Swimming" Archived 2007-09-04 at the Wayback Machine – databaseOlympics.com. Retrieved April 29, 2008.
  21. ↑ Phillips, Randy, "Olympic Swimming Teacher Here", Indian River Press Journal, 29 April 1973, pg. 9
  22. ↑ "1964 Tokyo Olympic Results, Men's 200 Meter Backstroke Final". olympedia.org. Retrieved November 21, 2024.
  23. ↑ Glicken LLoyde, Aikers Rebuilding Perdue", The Star Ledger, 11 May 1988, pg. 53
  24. ↑ Salomon, Debbie, Fathers Earn Top Honors for Recipes", The Burlington Free Press, Burlington, Vermont, 12 Jun 1990, pg. 7
  25. ↑ "Legal Notices, Shelbourne Town School District," The Burlington Free Press, Burlington, Vermont, 27 February 2001, pg. 27
  26. ↑ "Zen:Priest's Path Leads to Vermont," The Burlington Free Press, Burlington, Vermont, 7 January 2001, pg. 6
  27. ↑ "Zen Center Showing Off New Home," Rutland Daily Herald, Rutland, Vermont, 20 July 2003, pg. 30
  28. ↑ "Hall of Fame Inductees",Verona-Cedar Grove Times, Verona, New Jersey, 26 August 2004, pg. B1
  29. ↑ "1970 Jed Graef Athlete to Get Award Thursday", Verona-Cedar Grove Times, 4 June 1970, pg. 26
  30. ↑ "Hillbilly Sports Dinner is Held", Verona Cedar Grove Times, 13 June 1974, pg. 29
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.