John L. Bredemus (November 20, 1884 - May 8, 1946) was a track and field athlete, teacher, principal, and golf course designer from the United States. He finished second in the 1906

Amateur Athletic Union The Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) is an amateur sports organization based in the United States. A multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs. It h ...

(AAU) all-around competition, won in 1908, and lost to Olympic star

Jim Thorpe James Francis Thorpe (; May 22 or 28, 1887March 28, 1953) was an American athlete who won Olympic gold medals and played professional American football, football, baseball, and basketball. A citizen of the Sac and Fox Nation, Thorpe was ...

in 1912, but was subsequently declared champion after Thorpe's stints playing semi-professional baseball were reported and rulings determined Thorpe ineligible for the amateur status then required at AAU and Olympic competition. He graduated from

Princeton University Princeton University is a private university, private Ivy League research university in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial ...

in 1912 with a degree in

civil engineering Civil engineering is a regulation and licensure in engineering, professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including public works such as roads ...

and moved to New York City where he worked as a teacher. Bredemus went on to a career designing golf courses in Texas and Mexico. Bredemus was born in

Flint, Michigan Flint is the largest city in Genesee County, Michigan, United States, and its county seat. Located along the Flint River (Michigan), Flint River northwest of Detroit, it is a principal city within the Central Michigan, Mid Michigan region. Flin ...

. He went to

Phillips Exeter Academy Phillips Exeter Academy (often called Exeter or PEA) is an Independent school, independent, co-educational, college-preparatory school in Exeter, New Hampshire. Established in 1781, it is America's sixth-oldest boarding school and educates an es ...

. Bredemus moved to New York City after graduating from Princeton and learned to play golf at

Van Cortlandt Park Van Cortlandt Park is a urban park, park located in the borough (New York City), borough of the Bronx in New York City. Owned by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, it is managed with assistance from the Van Cortlandt Park Al ...

. In 1919 he moved to Texas for a job as principal. Bud Shrake wrote Bredemus into his golf themed

novel A novel is an extended work of narrative fiction usually written in prose and published as a book. The word derives from the for 'new', 'news', or 'short story (of something new)', itself from the , a singular noun use of the neuter plural of ...

''Billy Boy''. Bredemus was inducted into the Texas Golf Hall of Fame in 1981. He designed Memorial Park Golf Course which hosted some golf greats and was home to the Houston Open from 1951 to 1963. He is credited with designing many other courses as well.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bredemus, John L. 1884 births 1946 deaths Golf course architects People from Flint, Michigan Princeton University School of Engineering and Applied Science alumni Track and field athletes from Michigan Phillips Exeter Academy alumni