Alan Robert Ford (December 7, 1923 – November 3, 2008) was an American competition swimmer, Olympic medalist, and former world record-holder in two events. Ford won a silver medal at the

1948 Summer Olympics The 1948 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XIV Olympiad and officially branded as London 1948, were an international multi-sport event held from 29 July to 14 August 1948 in London, United Kingdom. Following a twelve-year hiatus cau ...

in London, and was the first person to swim the 100-yard freestyle in under 50 seconds.

Biography

Born in the

Panama Canal Zone The Panama Canal Zone (), also known as just the Canal Zone, was a International zone#Concessions, concession of the United States located in the Isthmus of Panama that existed from 1903 to 1979. It consisted of the Panama Canal and an area gene ...

, he moved to

Sarasota, Florida Sarasota () is a city in and the county seat of Sarasota County, Florida, United States. It is located in Southwest Florida, the southern end of the Tampa Bay area, and north of Fort Myers, Florida, Fort Myers and Punta Gorda, Florida, Punta Gord ...

from

Midland, Michigan Midland is a city in Midland County, Michigan, United States, and its county seat. The population was 42,547 at the 2020 census. It is the principal city of the Midland metropolitan statistical area, part of the larger Saginaw-Midland-Bay City ...

. Ford attended U.S schools in the Panama Canal Zone, Mercersburg Academy, and graduated from

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...

with a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering in 1945. He served as an

ensign Ensign most often refers to: * Ensign (flag), a flag flown on a vessel to indicate nationality * Ensign (rank), a navy (and former army) officer rank Ensign or The Ensign may also refer to: Places * Ensign, Alberta, Alberta, Canada * Ensign, Ka ...

in the U.S. Navy during the final months of World War II. During his prep and university swimming careers, Ford held numerous national and world records. While at Yale, he trained under swimming coach Robert J. H. Kiphuth, an innovator who introduced dry-land exercises and interval training. Ford broke Johnny Weissmuller's 17-year-old world record in the 100-yard freestyle. In 1944, Ford became the first person to swim 100 yards freestyle in less than 50 seconds, swimming's equivalent of running a sub-four-minute mile in track.Bruce Weber,
Alan Ford, Top Freestyler in 1940s, Is Dead at 84
" ''The New York Times'' (November 16, 2008). Retrieved March 17, 2015. Ford became known as the "human fish," an unofficial title he took over from Weissmuller. This performance was unequaled for eight years. During his senior year at

, he was the captain of Yale Bulldogs swimming and diving team. In 1944, when Ford was in the prime of his swimming career, the 1944 Summer Olympics were cancelled because of World War II. That year he won national college titles in the 50-yard and 100-yard freestyle and the 150-yard backstroke. He came out of retirement after the war and returned to New Haven to train with Kiphuth. He had lost as much as 25 pounds of muscle and hadn't been in a pool for three years. After only six months of training, and quitting smoking during that time, he made the U.S. Olympic Team and won a silver medal at the

in London in the 100 meter freestyle losing to his teammate Wally Ris. At the US Olympic trials of the 1948 4x200-meter freestyle relay, several swimmers who had already qualified in other events slowed down in their heats or swam fast in the prelims and scratched themselves for the final to allow more swimmers to qualify for the US Olympic Team. Ultimately, coach Robert Kiphuth did hold a time trial shortly after the actual trials with eleven of the swimmers. This time trial had Jimmy McLane as first overall with a time of 2:11.0, Bill Smith and

Wally Wolf Wallace "Wally" Perry Wolf Jr. (October 2, 1930 – March 12, 1997) was an American attorney, bank director, competition swimming (sport), swimmer, water polo player, and Olympic champion. He competed in the 1948 Summer Olympics, 1948, 1952 Su ...

in 2:11.2, and Wally Ris in 2:12.4. This quartet was used for the Olympic final. The next four- Eugene Rogers in 2:14.2, Edwin Gilbert in 2:15.4, Robert Gibe in 2:15.6, and William Dudley in 2:15.9, were used in the Olympic prelims. The next three swimmers-

Joe Verdeur Joseph Thomas Verdeur (March 7, 1926 – August 6, 1991) was an American competition swimming (sport), swimmer, Olympic champion, and former world record-holder. Career Verdeur was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He had a sister, Theresa, a ...

who came in 2:16.3, Alan Ford in 2;16.4 and George Hoogerhyde in 2:17.4 were not used in the 4x200 freestyle relay. After his graduation from Yale, Ford went on to become a mechanical engineer. Ford designed and managed the construction of oil refineries, chemical, ore, and food-processing plants as well as petroleum and chemical storage facilities in the United States and abroad. Ford was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame as an "Honor Swimmer" in 1966. At the ceremonies, when Ford was introduced, someone in the audience booed loudly. The crowd broke into laughter when they realized it was Johnny Weissmuller. His swimming talents can still be seen in the 1940s film, ''Blue Winners''. Ford died of

emphysema Emphysema is any air-filled enlargement in the body's tissues. Most commonly emphysema refers to the permanent enlargement of air spaces (alveoli) in the lungs, and is also known as pulmonary emphysema. Emphysema is a lower respiratory tract di ...

on November 3, 2008, in Sarasota, Florida; he was 84 years old.

References

External links

*
Alan Ford (USA) – Honor Swimmer profile at International Swimming Hall of Fame
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ford, Alan 1923 births 2008 deaths 20th-century American engineers American male freestyle swimmers Deaths from emphysema World record setters in swimming Olympic gold medalists for the United States in swimming Swimmers at the 1948 Summer Olympics United States Navy officers Yale School of Engineering & Applied Science alumni Yale Bulldogs men's swimmers Medalists at the 1948 Summer Olympics Olympic silver medalists for the United States in swimming United States Navy personnel of World War II 20th-century American sportsmen

Biography

See also

References

External links