The Dual Life of Robert Cleon Spiess Robert Cleon Spiess, known also by the moniker Robert Spies, embodied a life lived at the intersection of athletic prowess and artistic fervor. Born in Solotvynets, Ukraine, in 1891, his early years were marked by an engagement with the rigorous discipline of sport. While history remembers him for his notable career on the tennis court—competing at the 1912 Summer Olympics and achieving success at W…