A prominent Cleveland business executive who devoted much of his time to the support of athletic activities in the Greater Cleveland area. Backed numerous youth and adult softball teams and has also been a consistent backer of youth and adult bowling leagues. Served as regional director for the amateur Athletic Union. Also an active member of the Shaker Heights Country Club for many years.
The mayor of Cleveland from 1890 to 1896, he left a profound mark on yachting, both locally and nationally, through his innovative planning. To preserve a portion of the lakefront for the people of Cleveland when railroads began laying their tracks he founded the Cleveland Yacht Club in 1878 and served as its commodore from 1878 to 1894. Founded the Inter-Lake Yachting Association in 1885 to develop a sensible handicapping rule for sail yachts and was commodore of the I-LYA from 1885 to 1894. Was the driving force in establishing the Yacht Racing Union of the Great Lakes and finally organized the North American Yacht Racing Union (now the U.S. Yacht Racing Union) in 1897 to further develop equitable handicapping rules on a national basis.
Head football and baseball coach at Cleveland Benedictine High School for over a quarter century, he is considered among the most successful coaches in Greater Cleveland scholastic sports annals. His first Bengal football team in 1955 enjoyed a 9-0 season, including a 47-6 victory in the City Championship game. He captured eight more city crowns and the 1957 Ohio high school championship before Benedictine left the East Senate in 1971. In 1973 and 1980 the Bengals won the Ohio Class AA state championship playoffs and Bossu was named Ohio Coach of the Year for a second time in 1973. His baseball teams have won nearly 75 percent of their contests and eight city titles. He is a member of the Ohio High School Coaches Hall of Fame.
Coached and managed many of the city’s finest women’s fast pitch softball and basketball teams during the 1920s, including the Fleming Furniture Girls’ Team which was the national fast pitch champion from 1922 to 1927 and won the international championship in 1927. Among his players were such area greats as Stella Walsh, Whitey Doljack Primosch, Rose Boczek, Rose Nagy and Ann Smith.
One of the nation’s finest women’s track coaches for nearly a quarter century, he took the coaching reins of the Cleveland Division of Recreation Track Club (later the Cleveland Track Club) in 1957 and produced five Olympic and/or Pan-American Games contestants, including two-time Olympic Champion Madeline Manning. His athletes won and outdoors. He coached the U.S. Women’s Olympic Track Team in 1968 and 1976, and coached several National AAU squads before retiring after the ’76 Olympics.
Active in the sport of hockey for 58 years as a player, coach, goal judge, timekeeper and supervisor of minor official. Played 16 seasons of amateur hockey, including six with the Blepp-Coombs teams of the ’30s. Coached at Western Reserve and Case tech from 1939 to 1942 before going into pro ranks as a minor official. Started as goal judge with the Cleveland Barons, became game timekeeper in 1949, a job he kept until the 1974-75 season with the Cleveland Crusaders. Appointed supervisor of minor officials in 1972. Retained that job until 1978.
A professional soccer player in Hungary in 1938, who then played in Italy from 1940 to 1945, he came to Cleveland in 1948 and played for several amateur teams before turning to officiating in the mid ’50s. Organized the Lake Erie Referees Association in 1957, and in 1962 became a charter member of the Intercollegiate Soccer Officials Association. Officiated hundreds of amateur league, high school, collegiate and professional games. Has been named to the United States Soccer Federation Hall of Fame and has been recognized by the NCAA for his officiating.
A prominent Cleveland business executive with a lifelong interest in athletics, he was instrumental in raising the funds to bring the World Finals of the Davis Cup to Cleveland in 1964.
One of the nation’s leading contributors to the sport of gymnastics, he coached the men’s and women’s gymnastics teams at Kent State University for over 20 years and sponsored children’s gymnastics teams at the University for 17 years. Served as a member of the U.S. Olympic Committee for Men’s Gymnastics from 1960 through 1972 and was the associate coach of the 1960 U.S. Women’s Gymnastics Team in Rome. Was a judge at the 1959 Pan-American Games, was National Physical Director of the Slovak Sokol from 1954 to 1962 and Coach-Manager of the National Sokol Teams at the 100th Sokol Anniversary celebration in Vienna, Austria in 1960.
Active in many areas of sports for over a half century. As vice president of the Cleveland District Golf Association in 1940 he was instrumental in the formation of the CDGA Caddie Foundation, which has made it possible for over 500 caddies from the Cleveland area to attend college on scholarships. Was president of CDGA in 1941 and 1952 and a respected club player. Was a stockholder in the Cleveland Indians for 19 years (1949-68). Played football and lacrosse for Swarthmore College, later served as an assistant hockey coach for John Carroll University during a series of championship years for the Blue Streaks in the 1930s.