Katherine Rawls
Encyclopedia
Katherine Louise Rawls (later Katherine Rawls Thompson, June 14, 1917 (?) in Nashville, Tennessee
– April 8, 1982) was a multiple United States
national champion in swimming
and diving
in the 1930s.
, from a 25-foot (7.6m) platform. During her swimming career she was sometimes called Katy Rawls and nicknamed The Minnow. Her sisters Dorothy (later Mrs Williams), and Evelyn (McKee), were also Florida
state champion swimmers. collectively known as "Rawls' Diving Trio",. Together with sister Peggy (Wedgworth) and brother Sonny, a champion diver, the children went to junior contests and exhibitions, as "Rawls' Water Babies".
Rawls caused a sensation at the 1931 U.S. National Championships aged just 14, when she beat star Eleanor Holm
in the 300m individual medley in a new world record
,
and the next day beat champion Margaret Hoffman in the 220yds
breaststroke
.
Rawls moved from Hollywood, Florida
to Fort Lauderdale in 1932. She received sponsorship from Miami Beach
to attend the trials for the 1932 Olympics
, and was sometimes misidentified with that city. At the trials, she surprisingly failed to qualify in the 200m breaststroke: told by her coach to conserve her strength and aim for the third and last qualifying spot, she narrowly finished fourth. After her loss, she rowed across to the springboard diving, where she surprisingly beat champion Georgia Coleman
. She scratched from the high diving because of high winds. She finished second to Coleman at the Olympics
.
Rawls beat Coleman again at the National championships that September: one of four victories, the maximum then possible at one meet. She enjoyed sustained success thereafter, often competing in exhibition and carnival events, including a "swim decathlon
" in 1934 before a crowd of 50,000, in which she won every event. By 1935, the New York Times made her favorite in seven of the nine events in the upcoming Nationals, depending on which she chose to compete in. Her best swimming events were the individual medley and the distance events, neither of which were Olympic event
s in the 1930s. (The medley used only three strokes: the butterfly stroke
was not separated from the breaststroke until 1952.)
She succeeded instead in qualifying for the 100m freestyle
in the 1936 Olympics
, finishing seventh in the individual and third in the relay. In the springboard diving competition
, she suffered a shock defeat on the last dive, to teammate Marjorie Gestring
, who was herself just 13. Subsequently Rawls concentrated on swimming rather than diving.
In 1937, hours after disembarking at San Francisco after a swimming tour of Japan
, she commenced a three-day streak at the Nationals which produced an unprecedented four individual swimming titles. For this she was named Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year for 1937, and polled third for the James E. Sullivan Award
. In 1938 she retained all four National titles. At the time she was holder of 18 national swimming records in breaststroke, freestyle, and medley events, and had been undefeated in medley races for eight years.
Rawls retired from swimming in 1939, but returned to diving for the trials for the 1948 Olympics
, placing fifth with 108.56 points. Second of the three qualifiers was eventual gold medalist Victoria Draves on 111.14, with Marjorie Gestring fourth on 110.67.
to an advertising
executive named William Starr. On May 18, 1938, unbeknown to her mother, Rawls married Theodore H. Thompson, an airplane pilot
. She began working at the Thompson School of Aviation in Fort Lauderdale. She had qualified as a pilot while still swimming. While continuing to swim at exhibitions, she did not compete at the 1939 Nationals, and retired from swimming when the 1940 Olympics
ware cancelled owing to the outbreak of World War II
. She was one of the initial 28 pilots who formed the Women's Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron in 1942, stationed at Detroit, transporting military cargo by air as part of the U.S. war effort. In 1943, her husband reportedly sued her for divorce
, but dropped the charges as caused by a "misunderstanding" and anticipated her return from Detroit to his farm in Florida. Rawls was a swimming instructor for 20 years at White Sulphur Springs
, West Virginia
.
In 1965, she was one of the inaugural inductees to the International Swimming Hall of Fame
, and officially opened its pool in Fort Lauderdale, near the former Casino Pool where she had trained in the 1930s. She died from cancer
in 1982 after several years of illness.
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
– April 8, 1982) was a multiple United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
national champion in swimming
Swimming (sport)
Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
and diving
Diving
Diving is the sport of jumping or falling into water from a platform or springboard, sometimes while performing acrobatics. Diving is an internationally-recognized sport that is part of the Olympic Games. In addition, unstructured and non-competitive diving is a recreational pastime.Diving is one...
in the 1930s.
Swimming career
Rawls learned to swim aged two in Saint Augustine, Florida, and took up diving aged seven in TampaTampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
, from a 25-foot (7.6m) platform. During her swimming career she was sometimes called Katy Rawls and nicknamed The Minnow. Her sisters Dorothy (later Mrs Williams), and Evelyn (McKee), were also Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
state champion swimmers. collectively known as "Rawls' Diving Trio",. Together with sister Peggy (Wedgworth) and brother Sonny, a champion diver, the children went to junior contests and exhibitions, as "Rawls' Water Babies".
Rawls caused a sensation at the 1931 U.S. National Championships aged just 14, when she beat star Eleanor Holm
Eleanor Holm
Eleanor G. Holm was an American swimmer. An Olympic champion, she is best known for having been suspended from the 1936 Summer Olympics team, after she had attended a cocktail party on the transatlantic cruise ship taking her to Germany...
in the 300m individual medley in a new world record
World record
A world record is usually the best global performance ever recorded and verified in a specific skill or sport. The book Guinness World Records collates and publishes notable records of all types, from first and best to worst human achievements, to extremes in the natural world and beyond...
,
and the next day beat champion Margaret Hoffman in the 220yds
Yard
A yard is a unit of length in several different systems including English units, Imperial units and United States customary units. It is equal to 3 feet or 36 inches...
breaststroke
Breaststroke
The breaststroke is a swimming style in which the swimmer is on his or her chest and the torso does not rotate. It is the most popular recreational style due to its stability and the ability to keep the head out of the water a large portion of the time. In most swimming classes, beginners learn...
.
Rawls moved from Hollywood, Florida
Hollywood, Florida
-Demographics:As of 2000, there were 59,673 households out of which 24.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.5% were married couples living together, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.2% were non-families. 34.4% of all households were made up of...
to Fort Lauderdale in 1932. She received sponsorship from Miami Beach
Miami Beach, Florida
Miami Beach is a coastal resort city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States, incorporated on March 26, 1915. The municipality is located on a barrier island between the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay, the latter which separates the Beach from Miami city proper...
to attend the trials for the 1932 Olympics
1932 Summer Olympics
The 1932 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the X Olympiad, was a major world wide multi-athletic event which was celebrated in 1932 in Los Angeles, California, United States. No other cities made a bid to host these Olympics. Held during the worldwide Great Depression, many nations...
, and was sometimes misidentified with that city. At the trials, she surprisingly failed to qualify in the 200m breaststroke: told by her coach to conserve her strength and aim for the third and last qualifying spot, she narrowly finished fourth. After her loss, she rowed across to the springboard diving, where she surprisingly beat champion Georgia Coleman
Georgia Coleman
Georgia Coleman was an American diver who competed in the 1928 Summer Olympics and in the 1932 Summer Olympics....
. She scratched from the high diving because of high winds. She finished second to Coleman at the Olympics
Diving at the 1932 Summer Olympics - Women's 3 metre springboard
The women's 3 metre springboard, also reported as springboard diving, was one of four diving events on the diving at the 1932 Summer Olympics programme. For the first time, the competition was held exclusively from the 3 metre springboard...
.
Rawls beat Coleman again at the National championships that September: one of four victories, the maximum then possible at one meet. She enjoyed sustained success thereafter, often competing in exhibition and carnival events, including a "swim decathlon
Decathlon
The decathlon is a combined event in athletics consisting of ten track and field events. The word decathlon is of Greek origin . Events are held over two consecutive days and the winners are determined by the combined performance in all. Performance is judged on a points system in each event, not...
" in 1934 before a crowd of 50,000, in which she won every event. By 1935, the New York Times made her favorite in seven of the nine events in the upcoming Nationals, depending on which she chose to compete in. Her best swimming events were the individual medley and the distance events, neither of which were Olympic event
Swimming at the Summer Olympics
Swimming has been a sport at every modern Summer Olympics. It has been open to women since 1912. Along with track & field athletics and gymnastics it is one of the most popular spectator sports at the Games and the one with the largest number of events....
s in the 1930s. (The medley used only three strokes: the butterfly stroke
Butterfly stroke
The butterfly is a swimming stroke swum on the breast, with both arms moving simultaneously. The butterfly kick was developed separately, and is also known as the "dolphin kick"...
was not separated from the breaststroke until 1952.)
She succeeded instead in qualifying for the 100m freestyle
Freestyle swimming
Freestyle is an unregulated swimming style used in swimming competitions according to the rules of FINA. The front crawl stroke is almost universally used during a freestyle race, as this style is generally the fastest...
in the 1936 Olympics
1936 Summer Olympics
The 1936 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XI Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event which was held in 1936 in Berlin, Germany. Berlin won the bid to host the Games over Barcelona, Spain on April 26, 1931, at the 29th IOC Session in Barcelona...
, finishing seventh in the individual and third in the relay. In the springboard diving competition
Diving at the 1936 Summer Olympics - Women's 3 metre springboard
The women's 3 metre springboard, also reported as springboard diving, was one of four diving events on the diving at the 1936 Summer Olympics programme.The competition, held on Wednesday August 12, was split into two sets of dives held on the same day:...
, she suffered a shock defeat on the last dive, to teammate Marjorie Gestring
Marjorie Gestring
Marjorie Gestring was a competitive springboard diver from the United States who won the gold medal in 3-meter springboard diving at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, Germany at the age of 13 years, 268 days—the youngest person ever to win an Olympic gold medal.With the cancellation of the...
, who was herself just 13. Subsequently Rawls concentrated on swimming rather than diving.
In 1937, hours after disembarking at San Francisco after a swimming tour of Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, she commenced a three-day streak at the Nationals which produced an unprecedented four individual swimming titles. For this she was named Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year for 1937, and polled third for the James E. Sullivan Award
James E. Sullivan Award
The James E. Sullivan Award, presented by the American Amateur Athletic Union , is awarded annually in April to "the outstanding amateur athlete in the United States". Often referred to as the Oscar of sports awards, it was first presented in 1930. The award is named for the AAU's founder and past...
. In 1938 she retained all four National titles. At the time she was holder of 18 national swimming records in breaststroke, freestyle, and medley events, and had been undefeated in medley races for eight years.
Rawls retired from swimming in 1939, but returned to diving for the trials for the 1948 Olympics
1948 Summer Olympics
The 1948 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XIV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in London, England, United Kingdom. After a 12-year hiatus because of World War II, these were the first Summer Olympics since the 1936 Games in Berlin...
, placing fifth with 108.56 points. Second of the three qualifiers was eventual gold medalist Victoria Draves on 111.14, with Marjorie Gestring fourth on 110.67.
U.S. National championships
Rawls won a total of 33 U.S. national titles: 5 in diving and 28 in swimming, both indoors at the Spring Nationals and outdoors at the Summer Nationals.- 1931 Summer: 1st in 300m medley, 220yd breaststroke; 2nd in springboard diving
- 1932 Summer: 1st in 300m medley, 220yd breaststroke, 880yd freestyle, springboard diving
- 1933 Spring: 1st in 300yd medley, lowboard diving
- 1933 Summer: 1st in 300m medley, springboard diving; 2nd in 220yd breaststroke
- 1934 Spring: 1st in 300yd medley, lowboard diving; 2nd in highboard diving
- 1934 Summer: 1st in 300m medley, springboard diving
- 1935 Spring: 1st in 300yd medley, 100yd breaststroke, 100yd freestyle; 2nd in 220yd freestyle
- 1935 Summer: 1st in 300m medley, 220yd breaststroke
- 1936 Spring: 1st in 300yd medley, 100yd breaststroke
- 1936 Summer: 1st in 300m medley
- 1937 Spring: 1st in 300yd medley, 100yd breaststroke; 2nd in 500yd freestyle
- 1937 Summer: 1st in 300m medley, 440yd, 880yd, & mile freestyle
- 1938 Spring: 1st in 300m medley, 100yd breaststroke
- 1938 Summer: 1st in 300m medley, 440yd, 880yd, & mile freestyle
Later life
In November 1937, Rawls' parents announced her engagementEngagement
An engagement or betrothal is a promise to marry, and also the period of time between proposal and marriage which may be lengthy or trivial. During this period, a couple is said to be betrothed, affianced, engaged to be married, or simply engaged...
to an advertising
Advertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
executive named William Starr. On May 18, 1938, unbeknown to her mother, Rawls married Theodore H. Thompson, an airplane pilot
Aviator
An aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...
. She began working at the Thompson School of Aviation in Fort Lauderdale. She had qualified as a pilot while still swimming. While continuing to swim at exhibitions, she did not compete at the 1939 Nationals, and retired from swimming when the 1940 Olympics
1940 Summer Olympics
The anticipated 1940 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XII Olympiad and originally scheduled to be held from September 21 to October 6, 1940, in Tokyo, Japan, were cancelled due to the outbreak of World War II...
ware cancelled owing to the outbreak of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. She was one of the initial 28 pilots who formed the Women's Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron in 1942, stationed at Detroit, transporting military cargo by air as part of the U.S. war effort. In 1943, her husband reportedly sued her for divorce
Divorce
Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
, but dropped the charges as caused by a "misunderstanding" and anticipated her return from Detroit to his farm in Florida. Rawls was a swimming instructor for 20 years at White Sulphur Springs
White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia
White Sulphur Springs is a city in Greenbrier County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 2,444 at the 2010 census.-Geography:White Sulphur Springs is located at ....
, West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
.
In 1965, she was one of the inaugural inductees to the International Swimming Hall of Fame
International Swimming Hall of Fame
The International Swimming Hall of Fame and Museum is a history museum and hall of fame, located at One Hall of Fame Drive, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States, operated by private interests serving as the central point for the study of the history of swimming in the United States and around...
, and officially opened its pool in Fort Lauderdale, near the former Casino Pool where she had trained in the 1930s. She died from cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
in 1982 after several years of illness.
External links
- Film appearances by Katherine Rawls from the Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...