Wally Pryor
An Austin native, Pryor was a pioneer of water polo in Texas. He was a standout swimmer and all-American water polo player for Tex Robertson’s Longhorn teams from 1948-1950 and produced and directed the famous Aqua Carnivals of the ‘50s. After serving in the U.S. Army, he returned to Austin to coach the Austin Aquatic Club. As a genius at marketing, Pryor organized the Texas Open Swimming Championship and helped to establish TAGS. He served 35 years as president of the Working Exes for Texas Swimming - the organization that convinced UT to build the Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center. Pryor was long known as the “Voice of the Longhorns” as announcer for all UT sports from 1953-2002, and he served the Austin community for many years as a television producer and popular emcee for charity events and fundraisers.
