Iris Cummings facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Iris Cummings
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Cummings c. 1944
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| Born | December 21, 1920 Los Angeles, California, U.S.
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| Died | January 24, 2025 (aged 104) |
| Occupation | Competitive swimmer, aviator |
| Known for | Last surviving participant of the 1936 Summer Olympics, co-founder and director of Bates Aeronautics Program at Harvey Mudd College |
| Height | 5 ft 4.5 in (164 cm) |
Iris Cummings (born December 21, 1920 – died January 24, 2025), also known as Iris Critchell, was an amazing American athlete and pilot. She swam for the United States at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, Germany.
After being a top swimmer, she joined the first Civilian Pilot Training Program at the University of Southern California in 1939. During World War II, she bravely served as a pilot with the Women's Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron (WAFS) and later the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP). After the war, she taught flying to veterans.
Iris and her husband, Howard Critchell, started the Bates Aeronautics program at Harvey Mudd College in 1962. She was also a certified FAA Pilot Examiner and won many awards for her work in aviation.
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Early Life and Olympic Dreams
Iris Cummings was born in Los Angeles in 1920. She went to Redondo Union High School. She loved sports and started swimming competitively in 1933. She quickly won many local swimming events. When it was too cold to swim, she stayed active by cycling.
In 1934, Iris joined the Los Angeles Athletic Club. In 1936, she became the American national champion in the 200-meter breaststroke. This win helped her get chosen for the United States team for the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin. However, she had to raise her own money to travel to the Games. This meant she spent a lot of time collecting funds instead of training.
At the Olympics, she competed in the women's 200-meter breaststroke. She didn't make it past the first round, but she remained the national champion in her event until 1939. She stopped competing in 1939, thinking the 1940 Summer Olympics might not happen. In 1941, she earned a degree in science and math from the University of Southern California.
Flying for Her Country
In 1939, Iris Cummings was one of the first people accepted into USC's Civilian Pilot Training Program. She learned advanced flying skills and earned her pilot's license in 1940. By the time she graduated in 1941, she had enough training to become a flight instructor.
In December 1942, Iris joined the Women's Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron (WAFS). This group later became part of the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) in August 1943. During World War II, she was a civilian pilot who flew military aircraft. She flew planes like the P-38, P-51, and P-61 (the Black Widow). Her job was to move these planes from factories to military bases.
The WASP program ended on December 20, 1944. After this, she married Howard Critchell, who was also a military pilot. They stayed married for over 70 years until his death in 2015.
A Pioneer in Aviation Education
After the war, Iris was asked to return to USC. She helped create and teach a flying program for soldiers returning home. She continued to be a flight instructor and helped develop courses for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
She also loved racing airplanes! In 1957, she won the All Woman Transcontinental Air Race. She won $800, which was a lot of money back then.
In 1962, Iris joined Harvey Mudd College. With the Bates Foundation, she started the school's Bates Aeronautics Program. She ran the program with her husband until he retired in 1979. She continued to lead it alone until she retired in 1990. Even after retiring, she taught aviation classes until 1996. Some of her students became astronauts, like George Nelson and Stanley G. Love.
Iris was an FAA Pilot Examiner for over 20 years. This meant she tested other pilots to make sure they were safe. In 1972, she was named the Flight Instructor of the Year for her area.
In 2000, Iris was added to the National Flight Instructors Hall of Fame. She received the Federal Aviation Administration's Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award in 2006 for her dedication to airplane safety. In 2007, she received the Nile Gold Medal for her lifelong work in aviation education.
Even after her official retirement, she stayed busy. She gave lectures, worked as a consultant, and helped manage the special collection of aviation books at Harvey Mudd College. Since 1952, she was a member of the Ninety-Nines, an organization that supports women pilots.
Iris Cummings was the last known person who competed in the 1936 Olympics and any pre-World War II Olympics. She passed away on January 24, 2025, at the age of 104.
Images for kids
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Cummings c. 1944
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Cummings in 1944
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Critchell receives an SMC coin from SMC Vice Commander Brigade General Neil McCasland, March 28, 2007
