International Swimming Hall of Fame facts for kids
The ISHOF museum building
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| Established | November 23, 1964 |
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| Location | Fort Lauderdale, Florida |
| Type | Hall of fame |
The International Swimming Hall of Fame and Museum (ISHOF) is a special place in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA. It's like a museum and a hall of fame all in one! ISHOF is where you can learn about the history of swimming from all over the world.
You can see ancient art and pictures showing famous moments in swimming history. There are also old swimwear items and things that belonged to amazing swimmers and people who helped aquatic sports grow. The museum also has exhibits about civil rights related to swimming.
FINA (Fédération Internationale de Natation), which is the world's swimming organization, officially recognizes ISHOF. It is the main place for celebrating achievements in swimming and other water sports.
Contents
History of the Hall of Fame
The International Swimming Hall of Fame started in Florida on November 23, 1964. It was set up as a non-profit group to teach people about swimming. Buck Dawson was its first leader.
Early Years and Growth
Just nine months later, in August 1965, a large swimming complex was finished. This included a 50-meter pool, a diving well, and a warm-up pool. The complex officially opened on December 27, 1965. About 4,500 people, including swimmers from many countries, came to see it.
In 1965, the famous swimmer Johnny Weissmuller became the president of ISHOF. He even met Queen Elizabeth in 1970 while representing the Hall of Fame.
Becoming International
In 1968, the Hall of Fame became the first world-recognized hall of fame for any sport. This happened when the FINA Congress, with members from 105 countries, met at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City. They agreed to call it the "International Swimming Hall of Fame." On June 16, 1969, its name was officially changed to reflect this.
The very first group of twenty-one amazing people were added to the Hall of Fame in 1965. You can find a full list of all honorees since 1965 on their website.
Recent Changes
In 2017, the International Swimming Hall of Fame joined forces with Swimming World Magazine. This partnership helps ISHOF reach more athletes, coaches, and volunteers around the world. Brent Rutemiller became the Chief Executive Officer to lead this new team.
What ISHOF Does
The Hall of Fame has two main goals: its mission and its vision.
ISHOF's Mission
The main goal of ISHOF is to work with swimming groups worldwide. They want to save, teach, and celebrate the history of water sports. They also strongly support the Every Child A Swimmer program. This program works to make sure all children learn to swim before kindergarten. This helps prevent childhood drowning, which is a serious problem.
ISHOF's Vision
ISHOF wants to be the main place globally for sharing different cultures through water sports. They aim to show off events, get more people involved in aquatic sports, and create educational programs. These programs teach swimming as a very important life skill.
Honoree Nominations
The Hall of Fame chooses new members each year. A special committee, with help from ISHOF staff, manages this process. People can be nominated in nine different categories for their achievements in water sports.
Nomination Categories
- Swimming
- Open Water/Marathon Swimming
- Diving
- Water Polo
- Artistic Swimming (Synchronized Swimming)
- Paralympics
- Coach
- Contributor (someone who helped aquatics in other ways)
- Pioneer (someone who was a trailblazer in the sport)
You can find out how to submit nominations on the ISHOF website.
Members of the Hall of Fame
See also
- Aquatic Hall of Fame and Museum of Canada
- List of Swimming World Swimmers of the Year
- List of FINA Athletes of the Year
- Every Child a Swimmer
