William F. “Billy” Breslan (1937–2017) was the “face of The Olympic Club,” its ambassador to the outside world. Breslan used the Club almost every day of his 56-year membership, going so far as to list Post Street as his mailing address. In 1966, he even helped save the City Clubhouse from a fire.
He grew up in Chicago and traveled to California for college. He attended Monterey Junior College before transferring to San Francisco State to play football under legendary coach Joe Verducci. In Breslan’s three years at SF State, the teams won two Far Western Conference titles. Breslan, a fullback, was small (5’8”) but tough, and was inducted in the SF State Gridiron Hall of Fame.
Breslan joined The Olympic Club in 1961 as an athletic rugby member. He played on the 1966 and 1967 OC rugby teams that traveled nationally and internationally, establishing American rugby on the world stage. The teams were inducted into the OC Hall of Fame in 2013.
He worked for Georgia Pacific Corporation and retired as one of their top sales representatives. His weekends were spent as a spotter for college and professional football games broadcast on CBS. Breslan was also a well-known character in North Beach, where he spent time as a bouncer during his early years in San Francisco — making friends he would keep for the rest of his life.
He played basketball in the intramural leagues, ran the track and otherwise “used his club.” In addition to enjoying the facilities and programs, he also gave back, serving on several committees including House, Admissions, Membership, Standards and Planning & Development. He joined the Board of Directors in 1988 and served as President in 1990.
Today’s Club owes a lot to Breslan’s term on the Board. A forward-thinking facilitator and leader, his strong advocacy for the admission of women and for the revitalization of our athletic traditions (both intramural and competitive) proved critical to the development of the modern Olympic Club.
