One of the most prominent goalscorers in American soccer during the 1950s, both for U.S. national teams and for the Kutis powerhouse from St. Louis.
Looby was a star with Kutis from the beginning of that team’s prominence, having played for teams sponsored by the Kutis funeral home as early as 1950, and was a key member of the team throughout its run of national cup victories He played in the final in each of Kutis’ six consecutive victories in the National Amateur Cup, from 1956 to 1961, and he scored goals in both legs of the two-game U.S. Open Cup final against New York Hakoah in 1957.
The forward played eight games in the U.S. national team, between 1954 and 1959, and scored six goals in those games. Twice he scored two goals for the United States in a full international, against Haiti in a World Cup qualifier in 1954 and against Iceland in a friendly in 1958.
Looby’s greatest exploits for the United States may have come at the amateur level, as a star of the United States team that won the bronze medal in the 1959 Pan-American Games. That Pan-Am Games team featured a forward line of Looby, Ed Murphy and Al Zerhusen, who combined to scored 24 goals in six games. Looby had six of those goals. He also played for the United States in both the 1956 Olympic Games and the qualifying round of the 1960 Olympic Games.
Inducted in 2001.
