{{Infobox person | name = Ray Van Cleef | image = Ray Van Cleef.png | caption = | birth_name = | birth_date = {{Birth date|1910|6|22}} | birth_place = | death_date = {{Death date and age|1964|6|26|1910|6|22}} | death_place = San Jose, California, U.S. | death_cause = | resting_place = | resting_place_coordinates = | nationality = | other_names = | known_for = | education = | employer = | occupation = Artist's model, magazine editor, columnist | title = | term = | predecessor = | successor = | party = | boards = | spouse = Virginia Van Cleef | children = 2 daughters | parents = | relatives = }} '''Raymond DeGray Van Cleef''' (June 22, 1910 – May 26, 1964) was an American artist's model, magazine editor, physical culturist, and columnist.
==Life== Van Cleef took up weightlifting in Siegmund Klein's gym.<ref name="irongamewhoposed">{{cite journal |last1=Deal |first1=Martha |title=Who Posed for the Statue of Prometheus? |journal=Iron Game History |date=May 2000 |volume=6 |issue=3 |pages=34–35 |url=https://www.starkcenter.org/igh/igh-v6/igh-v6-n3/igh0603n.pdf |accessdate=January 11, 2019|via=H.J. Lutcher Stark Center for Physical Culture and Sports}}</ref>
Van Cleef was an artist's model.<ref name="irongamewhoposed"/> He was "once in demand by sculptors as a model for Grecian gods."<ref name="sanfranciscoexaminerobit">{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Ray Van Cleef |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-san-francisco-examiner-obituary-for/160316529/ |newspaper=San Francisco Examiner |location=San Francisco, California |date=May 28, 1964 |page=53 |access-date=December 4, 2024 |via=Newspapers.com {{Open access}} }}</ref><ref name="petalumacourierobit">{{cite news |title=Ray Van Cleef Passes |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/275448168/?terms=%22Ray%2BVan%2BCleef%22 |accessdate=January 10, 2019 |work=The Petaluma Argus-Courier |location=Petaluma, California |date=June 3, 1964|page=7|via=Newspapers.com|url-access=registration }}</ref> He may have been the original small scale model for Prometheus, a sculpture designed by Paul Manship in Rockefeller Center, even though Leonardo Nole is often credited as the only model.<ref name="irongamewhoposed"/>
Van Cleef was the owner of a gym in San Jose, California.<ref name="sanfranciscoexaminerobit"/><ref name="petalumacourierobit"/> He trained the New York Giants, a baseball team in New York City.<ref name="sanfranciscoexaminerobit"/> He also trained Olympic weightlifters,<ref name="montanastandardweightliftersslate">{{cite news |title=Weightlifters Slate Competition Today |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/354818681/?terms=%22Ray%2BVan%2BCleef%22 |accessdate=January 11, 2019 |work=The Montana Standard |location=Butte, Montana |date=October 27, 1956|page=10}}</ref> and he organized weightlifting competitions like the Santa Clara Valley Invitational Tournament in 1963.<ref name="oaklandtribunecrowdpleasers">{{cite news |title=Crowd Pleasers At S.C. Sports Show |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/354480369/?terms=%22Ray%2BVan%2BCleef%22 |accessdate=January 11, 2019 |work=The Oakland Tribune |date=November 26, 1963|page=33|via=Newspapers.com|url-access=registration }}</ref>
Van Cleef resided in San Jose with his wife, Virginia, and their two daughters, Lois and Martha.<ref name="sanfranciscoexaminerobit"/> He died of a heart attack, on May 26, 1964, at age 53, at his home in San Jose.<ref name="sanfranciscoexaminerobit"/><ref name="petalumacourierobit"/>
==Physical culture== Van Cleef was an associate editor at ''Strength & Health'',<ref name="publicopinionweightlifterscompete">{{cite news |title=Weightlifters Compete For Titles April 7 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/451012079/?terms=%22Ray%2BVan%2BCleef%22%2B%22associate%2Beditor%22 |accessdate=January 11, 2019 |work=Public Opinion |location=Chambersburg, Pennsylvania |date=January 19, 1951|page=6|via=Newspapers.com|url-access=registration }}</ref> for which he wrote a column called ''Strong Men Around the World''.<ref name="forthestrongmen">{{cite news |title=For The Strongmen |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/256086136/?terms=%22Ray%2BVan%2BCleef%22 |accessdate=January 11, 2019 |work=The Petaluma Argus-Courier |date=February 19, 1963|page=2|via=Newspapers.com|url-access=registration }}</ref> In his columns, he wrote about wrist-wrestling competitions and walkathons.<ref name="petalumacourierobit"/> Van Cleef was one of the few vegetarians involved in physical culture. He was supportive of the American Vegetarian Convention and in 1949 commented that the vegetarian movement needed to clean itself up by dissociating itself from cultists or those making unrealistic claims.<ref>Miller, Laura J. (2017). ''Building Nature's Market: The Business and Politics of Natural Foods''. University of Chicago Press. p. 87. {{ISBN|978-0-226-50123-9}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{Find a Grave|117153780}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Van Cleef, Ray}} Category:1910 deaths Category:1964 deaths Category:American artists' models Category:American columnists Category:American magazine editors Category:People associated with physical culture Category:Strength training writers Category:Writers from San Jose, California