ROBERT OLCOTT
Class of 2018
ROBERT OLCOTT

Albany Academy Cadets, Coach & Founder of the Wrestling Program

 

Bob Olcott was born in Albany and began his personal connection with The Albany Academy in the fall of 1931. His class was the first in the new Academy building on Academy Road.

Bob's accomplishments as a student, athlete and leader at The Albany Academy were outsanding. During his senior year Bob was Captain of Company A, President of the Student Council, Editor of theCue, Valedictorian, and played Varsity football and Varsity baseball. Following graduation in June of 1944 from The Albany Academy, Bob entered the U.S. Navy V-12 Officer Candidate Program on July 1 of that same year. He was sent to Williams College and then in October of 1945 to College of the Holy Cross. This lasted until February of 1946 when the ending of WW II brought the V-12 program to an end. Bob finished his Navy career in July of 1946 as a storekeeper. Following this, Bob entered Harvard University in the fall of 1946 as a Junior and graduated in 1948 with an A.B. Degree as a mathematics major. He also received a Master's of Arts and Teaching from Harvard.

Bob then began his career at The Albany Academy teaching in the mathematics department and assisting in athletics,. This included coaching Freshman football, Freshman baseball, and getting wrestling started which was initially done on an intramural level. Bob served as Assistant Coach for the legendary Ernie Steck in Varsity football and as Head Coach of the wrestling team. The records of both teams were outstanding and Bob established a great reputation as a wrestling coach in the region.

Olcott was inducted into the Albany Academy Athletic Hall of Fame as a coach in 2005. Bob was inducted into the Section 2 Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2018.

Bob was married in 1961 to Gertrude Abbott who taught Kindergarten at The Albany Academy from 1946-1955. They had one daughter, Anne, who graduated from Albany Academy for Girls in 1981.