| Ottley Russell Coulter | |
| Birth Date: | June 6, 1890 |
| Birth Place: | Parkman, Ohio, U.S. |
| Death Date: | December 17, 1976 |
| Death Place: | Lemont Furnace, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Education: | Hiram College |
| Occupation: | Strongman, weightlifter, police officer |
| Spouse: | Ethel Alexander |
| Children: | 3 |
Ottley Russell Coulter (June 6, 1890 - December 17, 1976) was an American strongman, circus performer, weightlifter and police officer. He was a co-founder of the American Continental Weightlifting Association, and the author of a book about strength athletics.
Coulter was born on June 6, 1890, in Parkman, Ohio.[1] [2] He attended Hiram College for two years and dropped out.[1]
Coulter began his career as a circus performer from 1912 to 1916,[3] including for the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.[4] He also worked for US Steel.[4] In the late 1910s, he became a municipal police officer in Lemont Furnace, Pennsylvania.[4] To discourage the use of firearms, Coulter taught hand-to-hand combat in the police department.[1]
An early bodybuilder, Coulter was also a wrestler and powerlifter.[1] [4] In the 1920s, he co-founded the American Continental Weightlifting Association with George F. Jowett and David P. Willoughby.[3] [5] He was an early proponent of tracking progress in the performance of weight-lifters.[3] Coulter wrote articles in Strength, a magazine published by Alan Calvert, in the 1920s.[6] In 1952, he authored of a book about strength athletics.[1]
Coulter collected books and magazines related to physical culture. His collection is stored at the H.J. Lutcher Stark Center for Physical Culture and Sports.[1]
With his Scottish-born wife née Ethel Alexander,[7] Coulter had three children.[1] They resided in Lemont Furnace.[4] His wife predeceased him in 1972.[7]
Coulter died on December 17, 1976, in Lemont Furnace, at age 86.[2] [4] He was buried in the Sylvan Heights Cemetery.[4]