Longtime Historian Dyer Dies

Braven “Bud” Dyer Jr., former awards coordinator for the Amateur Athletic Foundation of Los Angeles and a noted Southern California prep sports historian, died Thursday after suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Lou Gehrig’s disease. He was 70.

Dyer, a multisport athlete at Beverly Hills High and Pomona College, helped build the Helms Athletic Foundation, which from 1950 to 1970 worked with sports organizations in Southern California to create an awards program that honored amateur athletes. After Helms Bakeries closed, Dyer continued to oversee the program that has been administered over the years by several foundations, most recently the AAF.

Dyer also was instrumental in building the Helms Athletic Foundation’s vast collection of sports books and memorabilia. The collection is now an integral part of the AAF’s noted library.

He had also been president of the International Assn. of Sports Museums and Halls of Fame, was a founding member of the Beverly Hills High School Alumni Assn. and co-founder of the Pomona College Athletic Hall of Fame.

“The AAF and the Southern California sports community have lost a true friend,” AAF President Anita DeFrantz said in a statement. “He leaves behind a legacy of caring for young athletes and a love for sport that will continue to inspire all of us who work with young people.”

Dyer is survived by his wife, Thora, and children Martha, Chris, Tim and Polly.

Memorial services are pending.