History

The idea for a swimming hall of fame originated in discussions among coaches meeting at the annual Fort Lauderdale Swim Forum beginning shortly after World War II.

The hall opened in 1965 with the induction of 26 charter members during an international swimming meet at the city's Casino Pool. However, at that time it existed only on paper, like many new sports halls of fame.

Its first facility was a $1 million pool that opened in 1966 for the second induction ceremony. Two years later, after receiving formal sanction from the Federation Internationale de Natation Amateur (FINA), it became an international hall of fame and FINA Secretary Harold Henning presided over the dedication of its building.

Although the pool-auditorium hosted several major swim meets and annual inductions, the rest of the building remained essentially a shell for several years, despite the hall of fame's fund-raising efforts.

Then two Canadian coaches, Howard Firby and Nick Thierry, suggested an annual Swim-a-Thon to raise additional funding. The event, which is still conducted annually, was an immediate success, bringing in money for participating swim clubs as well as for the hall of fame and museum.

Thanks to that funding, and a grant from the city of Fort Lauderdale, the building was completed and museum exhibits were in place by 1974.

The city owns the building and grounds, while the hall of fame, museum, and extensive library are operated by a chartered, non-profit corporation, Swimming Hall of Fame, Inc. Inductions take place during a weekend in early May.

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