THOMAS GLEASON

1993 INDUCTION TO THE RHODE ISLAND AQUATIC HALL OF FAME

            Tom, being one of ten children, was involved early in athletics and distinguished himself in swimming at the Greenwich Club.  He continued to develop his swimming prowess at the Kent County YMCA and Brown Swim club and was state champion and record holder in the 50 and 100 yard freestyle.

            Tom attended LaSalle Academy and became the first Rhode Island interscholastic swimmer to break 23 seconds in the 50 yard freestyle and 50 seconds in the 100 yard freestyle.  He was named to the Rhode Island All State team in his sophomore, junior, and senior years.  In his junior and senior years, he was first team for the 50 yard and 100 yard freestyle. 

             At Fordham University, Tom excelled in both swimming and water polo, captaining both teams in 1978 and 1979.  In 1979, Fordham University swim team went undefeated and Tom qualified for the division One NCAA Championships.

            From 1980 to 1990, he swam and played water polo for the New York Athletic Club.  The water polo team is one of the top ranked teams in the country and Tom was a member of the team that placed second in the US National Indoor Water Polo Championships.  In 1990, he was the oldest member of the NYAC swimming team, actively competing.  Tom had a unique opportunity in 1985 representing water polo in a nationally televised commercial for Wheaties.

            After graduating from Fordham, Tom entered the computer field and is presently the district manager of Banyan Systems, Inc., a New England based software company.  He and his wife, Dr. Adelaide Nardone, reside in Armonk, NY with their three sons.