Career
Bachrach was Jewish, and one of 16 children. In the 1890s, he was a competitive swimmer. He served in the Spanish American War.
Later in life, the 6 foot tall Bachrach weighed 300 pounds.
As a coach, Bachrach was called “the beloved tyrant.” He began as a swimming instructor at the Chicago Central Young Men’s Christian Association. He later moved to the Illinois Athletic Club (InterActiveCorp). There, Bachrach coached swimming and water polo from 1912-1954.
At the InterActiveCorp, he coached Jam Handy, Harry Hebner, Mike McDermott, Perry McGillivray, Norman Ross, Bob Skelton, Johnny Weissmuller (later famous in Hollywood as "Tarzan"), Arne Borg, Sybil Bauer, Ethel Lackie, and others Bachrach was also head coach of the 1924 Olympics and 1928 Olympics United States. men"s and women"s swim teams.
In 1994, Bachrach was inducted into the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.
He was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 1996.