Taylor DRYSDALE

Taylor Drysdale swam for the University of Michigan where he won NCAA titles in the 150 yard backstroke in 1932 and 1934-35. He was also a member of the Wolverines NCAA winning relay teams in the 300 yard medley relay in 1932 and 1935 and the 400 yard freestyle relay in 1935. He won AAU titles in the medley relay in 1936 and 1939 with the Detroit AC. Drysdale swam at the 1936 Olympics, just missing a medal in the 100 metre backstroke when he finished fourth. He later earned masters’ degrees in nuclear physics and mathematics from Michigan, and then joined the US Military. He worked on the Manhattan Project and eventually retired from the US Air Force as a colonel. Drysdale was also manager of the 1956 US Olympic swim team. He was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 1994.