# Jay Lambert > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Jay_Lambert > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Jay_Lambert.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jay_Lambert > Source revision: 1350889224 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) **Elbert Jay Lambert** (November 21, 1925 – February 6, 2012) was an American amateur and professional boxer, medical doctor and general surgeon in [Salt Lake City](/source/Salt_Lake_City), Utah. He was the 1948 U.S. Olympic Trials Champion and represented the United States as a heavy weight in the [1948 Summer Olympics](/source/1948_Summer_Olympics) in [London](/source/London), [England](/source/England). He fought professionally from 1948 to 1950 before leaving the sport to pursue a career in medicine. ## Early life Lambert was born on November 21, 1925, to Aleta Elvera (Vera) Rasmussen and Joseph Hovey Lambert in the small town of [Helper, Utah](/source/Helper,_Utah). He had five siblings: brothers Joseph (1919), Tony (1921), and Clyde (1924), and sisters Marian (1917) and Martha (1931).[2] In 1932 the family moved from Helper to the [Point of the Mountain](/source/Traverse_Mountains) near [Lehi, Utah](/source/Lehi,_Utah) where they opened and operated a filling station/diner and pig farm.[3] His older brothers were involved in boxing at a local boxing club and Jay and his oldest brother Joe became part of a boxing training camp operated by Marv Jensen, legendary trainer of Utah boxing legend [Gene Fullmer](/source/Gene_Fullmer), in [West Jordan, Utah](/source/West_Jordan,_Utah).[2] He graduated from Lehi High school in the spring of 1944.[4][5] ## Amateur Boxing career Prior to joining Marv Jensen's camp, Lambert won the Intermountain [Amateur Athletic Union](/source/Amateur_Athletic_Union) (AAU) tournament middle weight division in 1941 and heavy weight division in 1942. He went on to win the [Intermountain AAU Championship](/source/Intermountain_AAU_Championship) in 1943; and he was a two time Intermountain Intercollegiate champ and Intermountain AAU title holder.[6] In 1947, he won the Intermountain [Golden Glove](/source/Golden_Gloves) Heavy Weight championship and the Intermountain Intercollegiate Heavy Weight championship and was given the Outstanding Boxer award. In 1948, he won the Intermountain AAU title.[6] ## Olympics In 1948, at the age of 22, Lambert won the U.S. Boxing Olympic Trials in the [Boston Garden](/source/Boston_Garden), Boston, Massachusetts securing a spot on the [1948 U.S. Olympic Team](/source/United_States_at_the_1948_Summer_Olympics). Through three Olympic Trial tournaments, he notched notable victories over [Rex Layne](/source/Rex_Layne), who would later go on to fight [Rocky Marciano](/source/Rocky_Marciano), [Ezzard Charles](/source/Ezzard_Charles), and [Jersey Joe Walcott](/source/Jersey_Joe_Walcott),[7] as a top professional heavyweight contender in the 1950s, and [Norvel Lee](/source/Norvel_Lee) in the tournament's final; Lee would go on to win a gold medal as a light heavyweight in the [1952 Helsinki Olympics](/source/1952_Summer_Olympics).[3] In London, he fought his way to the [quarterfinals](/source/Boxing_at_the_1948_Summer_Olympics_%E2%80%93_Heavyweight) before losing a split decision to [Johnny Arthur](/source/John_Arthur_(boxer)) of South Africa. ## Professional Boxing career Lambert turned professional in the wake of the Olympics and compiled an 8-3-1 professional record[8] as well as an exhibition match with [Joe Louis](/source/Joe_Louis) in 1949. Still considered a contender in the spring of 1950, he left the sport to attend medical school, using his professional boxing earnings to support his medical education.[9] ## Military service Lambert served in the [United States Army Air Forces](/source/United_States_Army_Air_Forces) as an [aviation cadet](/source/Aviation_cadet) during [World War II](/source/World_War_II) and was stationed in the United States.[10][11][12] ## Medical career after boxing Lambert graduated from the [University of Utah Medical School](/source/University_of_Utah_School_of_Medicine) in 1954, beginning his general surgery residency at [Sloan-Kettering Memorial](/source/Memorial_Sloan_Kettering_Cancer_Center) Center in New York and finishing at [LDS Hospital](/source/LDS_Hospital) in Salt Lake City. He joined the staff of LDS Hospital in 1959 as a general surgeon. He continued to practice medicine in Salt Lake City until retiring in 1997.[6] Dr. Lambert remained active in the local boxing community throughout his life donating his services for over 40 years as the ringside physician for the [Golden Gloves](/source/Golden_Gloves) Amateur Boxing in Utah and as the team physician for [Granite High School](/source/Granite_High_School_(Utah)) football in the 70's and 80's.[6][13] ## Later years Lambert was inducted into the [Utah Sport Hall of Fame](/source/Utah_Sports_Hall_of_Fame) in 1977.[14] ## Personal life and death Lambert was a member of [the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints](/source/The_Church_of_Jesus_Christ_of_Latter-day_Saints).[15] He died in Salt Lake City on February 6, 2012, at the age of 86. ## References 1. ["Olympedia - Jay Lambert"](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/8712). *www.olympedia.org*. Retrieved 3 Oct 2023. 1. ["Jay Lambert--A Lehi Olympian"](https://lehifreepress.com/2016/07/27/jay-lambert-a-lehi-olympian/). *Lehi Free Press*. July 27, 2016. Retrieved December 2, 2022. 1. Benson, Lee (1992). *Trials & Triumphs Mormons in the Olympic Games*. Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Book Company. pp. 41–59. ISBN 0-87579-628-1. 1. ["Jay Lambert Biography and Olympic Results | Olympics at Sports-Reference.com"](https://web.archive.org/web/20121016054954/http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/la/jay-lambert-1.html). *www.sports-reference.com*. Archived from [the original](http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/la/jay-lambert-1.html) on 16 Oct 2012. Retrieved 3 Oct 2023. 1. ["High School Commencement May 18](https://www.newspapers.com/image/431407295/), *The Lehi Free Press*, Lehi, Utah, volume XI, number 37, May 11, 1944, page 1. (subscription required) 1. ["E. Jay Lambert's Obituary (2012) Deseret News"](https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/deseretnews/name/e-lambert-obituary?id=7337630). *Legacy.com*. Retrieved 2022-12-02. 1. ["BoxRec: Rex Layne"](https://boxrec.com/en/box-pro/10351). *boxrec.com*. Retrieved 2022-12-02. 1. ["BoxRec: Jay Lambert"](https://boxrec.com/en/box-pro/35936). *boxrec.com*. Retrieved 2022-12-02. 1. ["Elbert Jay LAMBERT Biography, Olympic Medals, Records and Age"](https://olympics.com/en/athletes/elbert-jay-lambert). *olympics.com*. Retrieved 3 Oct 2023. 1. Deseret News (7 Feb 2012). ["Obituary: Lambert, E Jay"](https://www.deseret.com/2012/2/8/20709027/obituary-lambert-e-jay). *www.deseret.com*. Retrieved 3 Oct 2023. 1. ["Utah Service Men Win Promotions in Rank at Various Bases in U. S., Overseas"](https://www.newspapers.com/image/598992332/), *[The Salt Lake Tribune](/source/The_Salt_Lake_Tribune)*, Salt Lake City, Utah, volume 150, number 136, February 27, 1945, page 10. (subscription required) 1. ["Our Men and Women in Uniform"](https://www.newspapers.com/image/418231664/), *The Helper Journal*, Helper, Utah, volume 39, number 10, page 6. (subscription required) 1. Benson, Lee & Robinson, Doug (1 Jan 1992). [*Trials & Triumphs/Mormons in the Olympic Games*](https://www.deseret.com/1992/7/19/18995352/trials-triumphs-isn-t-just-golly-gee-whiz-look-at-champs). Salt Lake City, Utah: [Deseret Book Company](/source/Deseret_Book_Company). p. Foreword. Retrieved 13 Oct 2023. 1. ["Hall of Fame 1970s - Utah Sports Hall of Fame Foundation"](https://www.utahsportshalloffame.org/honorees-hall-of-fame-induction/hall-of-fame-1970s/). *www.utahsportshalloffame.org*. Retrieved 3 Oct 2023. 1. *Deseret News 1999-2000 Church Almanac*. Salt Lake City, Utah: [Deseret News](/source/Deseret_News). 1998. p. 555. ISBN 1573454915. ## Sources - [Bio on Lambert's boxing](https://web.archive.org/web/20121016054954/http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/la/jay-lambert-1.html) - ["Utah boxing community mourns death of boxer, physician Jay Lambert". *The Salt Lake Tribune*](https://archive.sltrib.com/article.php?id=53472644&itype=CMSID) - *2009 Deseret Morning News Church Almanac* (Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Morning News, 2008), p. 326. - [South Valley School article on Jenson](https://web.archive.org/web/20110723125109/http://web.jordan.k12.ut.us/svs/schoolinfo/marv.htm) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Jay Lambert](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jay_Lambert) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jay_Lambert?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.