Kenneth A. Bray
Kenneth Augustine Bray was an American Episcopal priest, teacher, sportsman and coach. He founded the athletic program for Iolani School from 1932 to 1953, establishing the "One Team" philosophy touted by many teachers, coaches and students at the school.
Biography
Kenneth A. Bray was born on May 26, 1879, in Barrow-in-Furness, Lancashire, England. His father, the Reverend Thomas William Bray, was once a vicar of St. Paul's Church in Aberdeen, Scotland. Father Bray studied at the University of Oxford. He stated, "When I went to Oxford, I did not go in for the scholastic honors as my brothers did," but instead, "I went in for athletics. Mother was disappointed." He earned the Bachelor of Divinity degree from General Theological Seminary in New York City and was ordained in 1909. He coached football, basketball, and baseball at Geneva [High School (New York)] where he also led the drama club. That overlapped his service as rector of St. Peter's [Episcopal Church (Geneva, New York)] from 1914 to 1924. During his early teaching years, in 1917, Bray enlisted in the military for service in World War I. He taught both Greek and Latin at St. Stephens College and Nashotah House, Wisconsin. He also taught at Choate School in Wallingford, Connecticut, and The [Hill School (Pennsylvania)|The Hill School] in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, where he coached basketball, baseball, lacrosse and football.Father Bray moved to Hawaii in 1932, and taught at Iolani School. During the next two decades of athletics, Father Bray distinguished his players with traditions that exemplified outstanding character qualities of excellence, humility, hard work, discipline and sportsmanship. Numerous championships over two decades came as a result of Bray's coaching, including a "Clean Sweep" of three championships in football, basketball and baseball in the same school year.