Perry McGillivray

1912 Stockholm Olympics

At the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm, McGillivray competed in the 100-meter freestyle, reaching the semifinal. He was a member of the United States' 4 × 200 m freestyle relay team, which earned a silver medal. The US swimming team was coached by Austrian-born Otto Wahle. In 1913, McGillivray held US freestyle titles in the 50, 220, and 500 yard events and set short-lived US records in the 440 and 500 yard freestyle distances.

1920 Antwerp Olympics

In the 1920 Olympics in Antwerp, McGillivray placed fourth in the 100-metre backstroke. He won a gold medal as a member of the United States' 4 × 200 m freestyle relay team, swimming the lead-off leg and helping set a world record of 10:04.4, twenty seconds ahead of silver medalist Australia. He also played three matches for the US water polo team, which finished fourth under coach Otto Wahle. McGillivray is credited with inventing the slow lob into the goal and advancing a faster aerial passing game.

His participation with the Illinois Athletic Club, coached by William Bachrach, led to exceptional achievement; from 1908 to 1927 he captured American Athletic Union titles thirty-six times, and the IAC team won the AAU water polo championship seven times. He married Margaret Holland in mid-October 1921. McGillivray later coached the 1928 Men's Olympic water polo team in Amsterdam to a seventh-place finish. He was inducted into the USA Water Polo Hall of Fame in 1976 and is also a member of the International Swimming Hall of Fame.

He died July 27, 1944, at age 50 at Billings Hospital in Maywood, Illinois, and was buried at Oakridge Abbey in Hillside, Illinois.