Paula Jean Myers-Pope (November 11, 1934 – June 9, 1995) was an American diver and four-time

Olympic medalist This article includes lists of all Olympic medalists since 1896, organized by each Olympic sport or discipline, and also by Olympiad. Medalist with most medals by sport Summer Olympic sports Sports that will appear in the 2028 Summer Olympics ar ...

in three

Summer Olympic Games The Summer Olympic Games, also known as the Summer Olympics or the Games of the Olympiad, is a major international multi-sport event normally held once every four years. The 1896 Summer Olympics, inaugural Games took place in 1896 in Athens, ...

(1952, 1956 and 1960).

Education

Myers was born and raised in

La Verne, California La Verne is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 31,334 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. History The area was home to Native Americans. The European history of the area dates back to the ...

, and attended high school in nearby

Covina Covina (Help:IPA/English, /koviːnə/) is a city in the San Gabriel Valley region of Los Angeles County, California, United States, about east of downtown Los Angeles The population was 51,268 according to the 2020 United States census, 2020 ...

, where she was Freshman Class Treasurer, member of the Senior Class Council, the Girls’ Athletic Association and the California Scholastic Federation.

Olympics

Myers-Pope was a member of the USA Olympic Diving Team three times, in

1952 Events January–February * January 26 – Cairo Fire, Black Saturday in Kingdom of Egypt, Egypt: Rioters burn Cairo's central business district, targeting British and upper-class Egyptian businesses. * February 6 ** Princess Elizabeth, ...

1956 Events January * January 1 – The Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, Anglo-Egyptian Condominium ends in Sudan after 57 years. * January 8 – Operation Auca: Five U.S. evangelical Christian Missionary, missionaries, Nate Saint, Roger Youderian, E ...

and

1960 It is also known as the "Year of Africa" because of major events—particularly the independence of seventeen African nations—that focused global attention on the continent and intensified feelings of Pan-Africanism. Events January * Janu ...

. She won four medals in her three trips to the Olympics.

1952 Olympics

At 17 years of age, Myers won a silver medal in the 10-meter tower event at the

1952 Summer Olympics The 1952 Summer Olympics (, ), officially known as the Games of the XV Olympiad (, ) and commonly known as Helsinki 1952, were an international multi-sport event held from 19 July to 3 August 1952 in Helsinki, Finland. After Japan declared in ...

Helsinki Helsinki () is the Capital city, capital and most populous List of cities and towns in Finland, city in Finland. It is on the shore of the Gulf of Finland and is the seat of southern Finland's Uusimaa region. About people live in the municipali ...

Finland Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, ...

. Teammate, Pat McCormick won the gold and teammate, Juno Stover-Irwin won the bronze.

1956 Olympics

Myers won a bronze medal in the same event, 10-metre platform, at the

1956 Summer Olympics The 1956 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XVI Olympiad and officially branded as Melbourne 1956, were an international multi-sport event held in Melbourne, Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia, from 22 November to 8 December ...

, in

Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

. Teammate, Pat McCormick won the gold, again, but this time she flip-flopped with teammate, Juno Stover-Irwin, who won the silver medal this time.

1960 Olympics

Myers-Pope won two silver medals at the

1960 Summer Olympics The 1960 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XVII Olympiad () and commonly known as Rome 1960 (), were an international multi-sport event held from 25 August to 11 September 1960 in Rome, Italy. Rome had previously been awar ...

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

, one in the 3-meter springboard event and one in the 10-meter tower. In both events, Miss

Ingrid Krämer Ingrid Gulbin ( Krämer then Engel-Krämer, born 29 July 1943) is a diving (sport), diver from East Germany, a multiple Olympic champion who won Olympic gold medals in both springboard and platform. Career Krämer competed in the 1960 Summer Oly ...

from

East Germany East Germany, officially known as the German Democratic Republic (GDR), was a country in Central Europe from Foundation of East Germany, its formation on 7 October 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with West Germany (FRG) on ...

won the gold medals this year.

1964 Olympic trials

Myers-Pope temporarily retired from competitive diving and not been in a pool from the 1960 Olympic Games until April, 1964. At the U.S. Olympic trials, at Astoria Pool, in

Queens Queens is the largest by area of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. Located near the western end of Long Island, it is bordered by the ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

, in September, 1964, she finished eighth and retired again from competitive diving.

Pan American Games

Myers-Pope won two gold medals at the

1959 Pan American Games The 1959 Pan American Games, officially known as the III Pan American Games and commonly known as Chicago 1959, were held in Chicago, Illinois, United States between August 28 and September 7, 1959. Host city selection One city initially su ...

, in both the 10-meter tower and 3-meter springboard for

Team USA The United States national team or Team USA may refer to any of a number of sports team representing the United States in international competitions. Olympic teams Additionally, these teams may compete in other international competitions such as ...

College years

Myers first attended

Ohio State University The Ohio State University (Ohio State or OSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio, United States. A member of the University System of Ohio, it was founded in 1870. It is one ...

in the mid-1950s, graduated with a degree in

dental hygiene Oral hygiene is the practice of keeping one's oral cavity clean and free of disease and other problems (e.g. bad breath) by regular brushing of the teeth (dental hygiene) and adopting good hygiene habits. It is important that oral hygiene be carr ...

from the

University of Southern California The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in ...

and became a

dental hygienist A dental hygienist or oral hygienist is a licensed dental professional, registered with a dental association or regulatory body within their country of practice. Prior to completing clinical and written board examinations, registered dental hygie ...

. When Miss Myers entered

USC USC may refer to: Education United States * Universidad del Sagrado Corazón, Santurce, Puerto Rico * University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina ** University of South Carolina System, a state university system of South Carolina * ...

on a leadership scholarship as there were no collegiate women's athletic programs at the time. She was inducted into the

Kappa Alpha Theta Kappa Alpha Theta (), commonly referred to simply as Theta, is an international Fraternities and sororities, sorority founded on January 27, 1870, at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. It was the first Greek-letter fraternity established ...

sorority in 1954. She won 11 AAU Championships.

Racquet club

In 1984, Myers-Pope retired from her career in dental hygiene, then co-owned and operated the Ojai Valley Racquet Club with her husband in

Ojai, California Ojai ( ; Chumashan languages, Chumash: ''’Awhaỳ'') is a city in Ventura County, California. Located in the Ojai Valley, it is northwest of Los Angeles and east of Santa Barbara, California, Santa Barbara. The valley is part of the east– ...

. In 2008, they applied for a major renovation, including a luxury inn, for their Ojai Valley Racquet Club.

Personal life

Between the 1952 and 1956 Olympics, Myers joined

the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Restorationism, restorationist Christianity, Christian Christian denomination, denomination and the ...

. She married Karl Pope (a USC basketball player) in 1958. The couple had two sons and three daughters. She died at the age of 60 in 1995.

Legacy

Myers-Pope was the first woman to use a double twisting 1 1/2 somersault and inward 2 1/2 somersault in competition off the 10 meter. She was the Los Angeles Times Woman of the Year in 1960, and she has been inducted into the following Halls of Fame: * Class of 1952, Covina High School Hall of Fame * In 1979, the

International Swimming Hall of Fame The International Swimming Hall of Fame and Museum (ISHOF) is a history museum and hall of fame, located at One Hall of Fame Drive, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States, operated by private interests and serving as the central point for the stu ...

(ISHOF). * In 1988, the Ventura County Sports Hall of Fame gave her a "Special Recognition Award". * In 2007, the University of Southern California Athletic Hall of Fame

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Myers-Pope, Paula Jean 1934 births 1995 deaths 20th-century American sportswomen American female divers Converts to Mormonism Dental hygienists Divers at the 1952 Summer Olympics Divers at the 1956 Summer Olympics Divers at the 1959 Pan American Games Divers at the 1960 Summer Olympics Latter Day Saints from California Medalists at the 1952 Summer Olympics Medalists at the 1956 Summer Olympics Medalists at the 1959 Pan American Games Medalists at the 1960 Summer Olympics Olympic bronze medalists for the United States in diving Olympic silver medalists for the United States in diving Pan American Games gold medalists for the United States in diving Sportspeople from La Verne, California University of Southern California alumni