Joseph Ruddy, American swimmer and water polo player (b. 1878)
Joseph Aloysius Ruddy, Sr. (September 28, 1878 – November 11, 1962) was an American competition swimmer and water polo player who represented the United States at the 1904 Summer Olympics in St. Louis, Missouri. Ruddy won a gold medal as a member of the winning U.S. team in the men's 4x50-yard freestyle relay. He won a second gold medal as a member of the first-place U.S. water polo team.Ruddy was the father of 1928 Olympic swimmer Ray Ruddy, and two other sons and two daughters. His oldest son and namesake, Joseph Ruddy, Jr. was a U.S. Navy admiral.He died at home in 1962; he was 84 years old.In 1977, he was inducted into the USA Water Polo Hall of Fame.