Ralph Gossler

We are saddened to announce the passing of Ralph Gossler, 98 Founder of American Trophy passed peacefully, March 5, 2023

On a wintry evening in 1925 a baby boy was born in the unheated second story bedroom. America was just in the shadow of WWI and two German immigrants met and started their family in the industrial city of Pawtucket Rhode Island. This boy was my father.

He spent his young years fishing up and down the 10 Mile river and riding his bike up Newman avenue which was a dirt road at the time. His almost 100 years of age showed when he remarked about the hamburgers he would enjoy for just .30¢ at White Castle. He paid little attention to the premonition he had that he would be a world class swimmer long before he knew how to swim.


Ralph started his swimming career under Ed Mongeon, at the Pawtucket Boys’ Club in 1936. As a high school sophomore, he ranked among the top 10 high school swimmers in the nation. As a junior he ranked in the top 3 of the nation, and as a senior at Pawtucket High Ralph ranked #1 in the nation. As a closing feat to his brilliant high school career, Ralph defended his national freestyle record, and in doing, set a new national record for a long course pool. Ralph held the Pawtucket High School record for 27 years!

Ralph resumed his career at Brown after the war, and set a New England Intercollegiate record in the sprint events under Joe Watmough, who was the new coach at Brown after the war. Ralph graduated in 1949 Pre Med. In 1984 Ralph was inducted into the RI Aquatic Hall of Fame.


He met his future wife at his very first class at Brown, Art class. She was sitting in front of him and he always said that he fell in love with the curls on the back of her neck. After graduating they married and started a family. They welcomed a baby boy in 1952, Michael Gossler.

They also started American Trophy in the very house he was born in. The original entrepreneurs , no supplier in the industry would sell to my parents as they had ties to the local competition. Ralph designed and cast trophies out of post war scrap metal in the basement and my mother hand engraved plates with a vibra-tool. Soon they moved to downtown Providence and then to East providence.

American Trophy grew through the years, sustaining hundreds of kids as they went through college with their first job.


The years from 1994-1999 were exciting, tumultuous and ultimately bittersweet when we lost my Mom to cancer, but not before she saw us through the sale of the company to Peter Cameron and me. We purchased a beautiful building on Taunton avenue and moved into our flagship location at 110 Russell Avenue right on the Main Street going through the heart of East Providence.


He often remarked that he showed this building, the beautiful home for American Trophy, in his dreams to his parents. My father enjoyed his later years Riding his bike 20 miles a day, Painting, writing and working part time for the business. He had his work in a Gallery in Warren until very recently and has a memoir that is nearly finished.


He leaves his daughter and her husband Kristen Gossler and Peter Cameron and

his son and his wife Michael Gossler and Sarah Gossler.