Wally Lundt Memorial Proposed in Clayton

teacher Wally Lundt popularized the sport of water polo throughout the St. Louis area. Now, the city's Board of Aldermen is expected to review a proposal to honor him with a plaque at .

Lundt died in December. Under the plan, the pool's dive tank would be called the Wally H. Lundt Dive Tank.

The Parks and Recreation Commission voted July 19 to put the issue before aldermen, meeting minutes state. The decision comes at the request of the Clayton Alumni Association and Clayton Education Foundation.

The organizations shared their proposal in a letter to the parks commission:

"The Clayton Alumni Association and Education Foundation requests to name the dive tank at the Shaw Park Aquatic Center in honor of Wally H. Lundt to celebrate and memorialize his legacy and outstanding civic service to the Clayton community. For 60 years, Lundt was a prominent fixture in the Clayton community. Through his love of aquatics, he touched the lives of countless students, athletes and families throughout Clayton and the St. Louis area.

"Lundt is most known for his contributions to and passion for aquatics. In 1952, he started working at the Shaw Park Aquatic Center and in 1957 he started teaching and coaching at Clayton High School. At CHS, he taught physical education, scuba diving, canoeing, swimming and lifeguarding courses, and coached swimming and water polo. Often referred to as the godfather of water polo, Lundt helped start the first water polo league in St. Louis in 1960. In 1971, he began one of the longest running water polo tournaments in the nation—the Clayton Invitational Water Polo Tournament. While at CHS, his teams won 10 Missouri State Water Polo Championships. For his contributions to the sport, he was inducted into the USA Water Polo Hall of Fame in 2004.

"In addition to his love of aquatics, Lundt was also known for being an inspirational role model for those he coached and taught. CHS swimmer and water polo player Jack Layden told the CHS Globe, 'He taught me how to be a good person. Wally was someone who you could look up to as he had dedicated his whole life to helping people.'

"Director of Clayton Parks and Recreation Patti DeForrest told the CHS Globe, 'I think it is profound the impact he had on the people that he came into contact with. I don't think there's any family in Clayton that did not have any connection to Wally.'

"Naming the dive tank in Lundt's honor is the perfect way to celebrate and remember his significant impact on the lives of students, athletes and families throughout Clayton and St. Louis. It is because of his dedication to the Clayton community and his contributions to aquatics, that the Clayton Alumni Association and Education Foundation requests to name the dive tank the 'Wally H. Lundt Dive Tank.'"

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