Raymond DeGray Van Cleef (June 22, 1910 – May 26, 1964) was an American artist's model, magazine editor, physical culturist, and columnist.
Ray Van Cleef | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | June 22, 1910 |
| Died | June 26, 1964 (aged 54) San Jose, California, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Artist's model, magazine editor, columnist |
| Spouse | Virginia Van Cleef |
| Children | 2 daughters |
Life
editVan Cleef took up weightlifting in Siegmund Klein's gym.[1]
Van Cleef was an artist's model.[1] He was "once in demand by sculptors as a model for Grecian gods."[2][3] He may have been the original small scale model for Prometheus, a sculpture designed by Paul Manship in Rockefeller Center, even though Leonardo Nole is often credited as the only model.[1]
Van Cleef was the owner of a gym in San Jose, California.[2][3] He trained the New York Giants, a baseball team in New York City.[2] He also trained Olympic weightlifters,[4] and he organized weightlifting competitions like the Santa Clara Valley Invitational Tournament in 1963.[5]
Van Cleef resided in San Jose with his wife, Virginia, and their two daughters, Lois and Martha.[2] He died of a heart attack, on May 26, 1964, at age 53, at his home in San Jose.[2][3]
Physical culture
editVan Cleef was an associate editor at Strength & Health,[6] for which he wrote a column called Strong Men Around the World.[7] In his columns, he wrote about wrist-wrestling competitions and walkathons.[3] Van Cleef was one of the few vegetarians involved in physical culture. He was supportive of the American Vegetarian Convention and in 1949 commented that the vegetarian movement needed to clean itself up by dissociating itself from cultists or those making unrealistic claims.[8]
References
edit- ^ a b c Deal, Martha (May 2000). "Who Posed for the Statue of Prometheus?" (PDF). Iron Game History. 6 (3): 34–35. Retrieved January 11, 2019 – via H.J. Lutcher Stark Center for Physical Culture and Sports.
- ^ a b c d e "Ray Van Cleef". San Francisco Examiner. San Francisco, California. May 28, 1964. p. 53. Retrieved December 4, 2024 – via Newspapers.com
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- ^ a b c d "Ray Van Cleef Passes". The Petaluma Argus-Courier. Petaluma, California. June 3, 1964. p. 7. Retrieved January 10, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Weightlifters Slate Competition Today". The Montana Standard. Butte, Montana. October 27, 1956. p. 10. Retrieved January 11, 2019.
- ^ "Crowd Pleasers At S.C. Sports Show". The Oakland Tribune. November 26, 1963. p. 33. Retrieved January 11, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Weightlifters Compete For Titles April 7". Public Opinion. Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. January 19, 1951. p. 6. Retrieved January 11, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "For The Strongmen". The Petaluma Argus-Courier. February 19, 1963. p. 2. Retrieved January 11, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Miller, Laura J. (2017). Building Nature's Market: The Business and Politics of Natural Foods. University of Chicago Press. p. 87. ISBN 978-0-226-50123-9
