Ray Barbuti

Ray Barbuti

Personal information
Full name	Raymond James Barbuti
Born	June 12, 1905(1905-06-12) Brooklyn, New York,U.S.
Died	July 8, 1988(1988-07-09)(aged 83) Pittsfield, Massachusetts,U.S.
Height	6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Weight	181 lb (82 kg)
Sport
Sport	Running
Club	NYAC, New York
Medal record Athletics RepresentingtheUnited States Olympic Games 1928 Amsterdam 400 metres 1928 Amsterdam 4×400 m relay

Raymond James Barbuti(June 12, 1905 – July 8, 1988) was anAmerican footballplayer and sprint runner who won two gold medals at the1928 Summer Olympicsin Amsterdam, Netherlands. Barbuti traveled to Amsterdam to initially only compete for the 400meter sprint however the US medal position was meek and then US Olympic committee president, Major General Douglas MacArthur insisted after Barbuti won the 400meter gold that he run in the 4 X 400 meter relay the next day. Barbuti was interrupted by MacArthur during his celebratory evening to start preparing to run the anchor for the event the next day. Barbuti initially, vehemently refused, claiming he would not displace a fellow US runner in search for further medals. However MacArthur was relentless and finally prevailed and history commenced with the team winning the gold.

In 1924 while playing fullback atLawrence, Long Island, New Yorkhigh school, Barbuti set a New York state record, which still stands (2013), scoring eight touchdowns in one game. He attendedSyracuse University,where he won theIC4Achampionship in the 400 m sprint in 1928 in a time of 48.8 seconds. The same year he won theAAUChampionship in the 400 m dash in a time of 51.4. He played fullback on the Syracuse football teams of 1926, 1927, and 1928 and was the captain of both the football and athletics teams.

His trainer, Peter Poole, very seldom let him run his two preferred distances, the 200ydand the 400 yd, in the same competition, so Barbuti chose the 400 m and 4 × 400 m at the 1928 Summer Olympics and won both, setting a world record in the relay at 3:14.2. Next week he set another world record, at 3:13.4 in the 4×440 yd relay in London in a match against Great Britain.

During World War II Barbuti served with the US Air Force in the 83rd Bombardment Squadron which was part of the 12th Bombardment Group also known as the Earthquakers. He was awarded theAir Medaland theBronze Star.While stationed in Gambut, Libya, Barbuti helped to organize the Western Desert Track and Field Championships. The competition was between the 12th Bombardment's track men, members of the RAF, and Australian troops. With Barbuti's talent on the track as a runner and as a coach, the men of the 12th won 1st place in 8 out of 11 events. He retired in the rank of major and became deputy director of the Civil Defense Commission for New York State and director of the New York State Office of Disaster Preparedness. In his spare time he acted as a referee in more than 500 intercollegiate football games.

On December 24, 1957, Barbuti appeared as a "contestant imposter" on the game showTo Tell the Truth.This episode is still in existence and was most recently aired byGSNon January 20, 2009. The host wasBud Collyerand the panel consisted ofBetsy Palmer,Don Ameche,Kitty CarlisleandHy Gardner.

Ray Barbuti,Emerson Spencer,Fred AldermanandGeorge Bairdat the 1928 Olympics

Barbuti (right) winning the 400 m event at the 1928 Olympics

References

• Ray Barbuti profileat Sprintic.com
• Ray Barbuti at databaseOlympics.comat theWayback Machine(archived 2007-09-29)
• Ray BarbutiatOlympics at Sports-Reference.com(archived)
• Black Angel History and Log Book of the Eighty-Third Bombardment Squadron - The Modern Printing Company