Highlights from Yale Library’s collection of materials related to swimming and diving at Yale will be on view during an open house on Friday, Jan. 31 from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Hosted by the Manuscripts and Archives department, the event will take place in the reading room of Sterling Memorial Library, 120 High St. It is free and open to the public.
The Yale swimming program was established in 1899. In the subsequent 115 years, Yale swimming and diving has had a legacy of success in collegiate athletics.
During the 20th century, the men’s swimming and diving team won four NCAA championships, 30 Eastern Intercollegiate Swim League championships, and several Amateur Athletic Union championships under the famed coaches Robert J.H. Kiphuth and Phil Moriarty.
The women’s swimming and diving team attained varsity status in 1974. In 40 years of competition, the women’s swim team has captured five Women’s Ivy Championships. Yale swimmer Emily deRiel ’96 won the silver medal in the modern pentathlon in the 2000 summer Olympics, and swimmer Deborah Gruen ’10 won bronze medals in the 2004 and 2008 Paralympic Games.
Several Yale coaches and swimmers have represented the United States in the summer Olympics, winning a total of 17 gold, seven silver, and five bronze medals.
Yale Library’s Manuscripts and Archives department has a diverse collection of material documenting the history of swimming and diving at Yale. The collection includes team and individual athlete records, correspondence, statistics, reports, scrapbooks, photographs, films, and a variety of publications. A comprehensive guide to these sources can be found online.
