Cliff Gray

Cliff Gray was vacationing in St. Moritz in 1928 when he was selected for the bobsled team. But Gray later went on to win a second gold medal in 1932, joining Billy Fiske as the only American sledders to win two golds. Clifford Gray also served as an alternate to the 1936 bobsled team, although he did not compete. After studying at Lake Forest Academy, Gray attended Cornell University, as did several other 1928 bobsledders.

The remainder of his life is shrouded in mystery. There was some evidence that he was a professional songwriter and playwright of British origin, as noted originally in an article in Yankee Magazine, and later in David Wallechinsky’s Olympic books, but this is now considered incorrect. It appears he was born in Chicago, to English parents, of some wealth. He lived for a time at the Friar’s Club in New York, the Savoy Plaza Hotel in New York, and later in Hollywood, indicating he had some connection to the entertainment industry. In fact, he worked in musical comedy and summer stock in Chicago, and he did some vaudeville. His World War I draft registration card located him in Columbus, Ohio, and listed his occupation as an actor, or possibly an author. He died in a small town in San Diego county in California.