George Breen, a 1956 Cortland alumnus and a member of the inaugural Cortland C-Club Hall of Fame induction class in 1969, passed away on Nov. 10, 2019, at age 84.

The greatest swimmer in Cortland history, Breen was a three-time college All-American who went on to be a 22-time national champion and six-time world record holder. In the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne, Australia, Breen won bronze medals in the 400-meter freestyle and 1,500-meter freestyle. He set a world record in the 1,500 during the qualifying heats. He also earned a silver medal as part of the U.S. 4x200-meter freestyle relay team. In the 1960 Rome Olympics, Breen served as the U.S. team captain and earned a bronze medal in the 1,500-meter freestyle - a medal that is currently on display in the Cortland C-Club Hall of Fame Room.

Breen was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 1975. He passed away in New Jersey after a battle with pancreatic cancer.

Breen's Obituary

Breen's C-Club Bio (at time of his induction)

Breen's Wikipedia Page