The swimming community will be celebrating the life and legacy of Olympian Adolph Kiefer today at 2017 Phillips 66 U.S. Nationals. Adolph would have turned 99 today.
He wanted his legacy to include a fund that would provide some help in the form of scholarship support to outstanding young people invested in swimming and swimming lessons for all.
At Adolph’s request, the Kiefer family with the YMCA of the USA (YUSA) have established the Adolph Kiefer Memorial Fund to continue to foster his devotion and passion for swimming. Through the generosity of Adolph and the Kiefer family, starting in 2018, the centennial of Adolph Kiefer’s birth, the YUSA and the Adolph Kiefer Memorial Fund will present Outstanding Athlete Awards to one male and one female swimmer at the YMCA Short Course Nationals. These awards recognize two swimmers each year for their excellence in academic achievement and commitment to healthy living and social responsibility through YMCA competitive swimming
Contribute To The Adolph Kiefer Fund
Gifts made in memory of Adolph Kiefer, to celebrate his contributions to swimming safety and instruction, will go towards financial assistance to local YMCAs and provide learn-to-swim lessons for children and families unable to afford them. Click here, Adolph Kiefer Memorial Fund, to donate to this fund and honor Adolph while supporting Adolph’s and the YMCA’s commitment to water safety for all.
Kiefer Passed Away This Past May
At the age of 98 in his home in Wadsworth, Illinois, Adolph Kiefer passed away. A member of the 1936 Olympic team, Kiefer was a man of many firsts throughout his long and storied life. As a 16-year-old he became the first man to break the one-minute mark while swimming in the 1935 Illinois High School Championships, posting a top showing of 59.8. The following year he lowered that time to a 58.5, which stood as the Illinois State High School record until 1960.
On April 6, 1940 he once again lowered his 100-yard back time, this time to a 57.9.
Those records were just the beginning for Kiefer, he went on to break 23 more records following his first sub-minute swim, including setting the world record for the 100-meter backstroke at a 1:04.8 on January 18, 1936 at Brennan Pools in Detroit, Michigan.
Kiefer served in the U.S. Navy during World War II, reaching the rank of Lieutenant and pioneering an intensive learn-to-swim program for soldiers. His “victory backstroke” became the outline of a program that included a heavy focus on water survival, including a requirement of 21 hours of water survival training for sailors. He relocated to Bainbridge, Maine during his time with the Navy where he oversaw the training of more than 130,000 naval swimming instructors. They would go on, in turn, to teach more than two million recruits how to swim and survive a sinking ship.
Following his years at Bainbridge, Kiefer established the company Adolph Kiefer & Associates, based out of Chicago. The company is credited for developing the first nylon swimwear in the 1940s and in the 1960s, quickly replacing the wool suits worn by many swimmers.
Kiefer continued to branch out his business, developing the first non-turbulent lane lines, of which he was awarded a patent. The lane lines were inspired by Yale’s legendary coach Bob Kiphuth. He also became the first to distribute Duraflex Diving Boards for his friend Ray Rude, now the only competitive diving board used world-wide.
Over the years, Adolf Kiefer & Associates became the official supplier to the USA Olympic Team and the Olympic Games. Kiefer continued to donate both his time and money to helping young children learn how to swim throughout the 90s.
A respected member of the swimming community, Kiefer was awarded many honors throughout his life. In 1965 he was a member of the inaugural class inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame and in 2007 was awarded a gold medal from the 1936 Olympic Games from USA Swimming. Additionally, he was nominated for a U.S. Medal of Freedom and was the last surviving gold medalist from the 1936 Olympic Games when he passed.
John, Aaron & Lenny.
Thanks for your support.
Would have been awesome.
Cheers,
Chuck