International Swimming Hall of Fame


The International Swimming Hall of Fame and Museum is a history museum and hall of fame, located at One Hall of Fame Drive, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States, operated by private interests and serving as the central point for the study of the history of swimming in the United States and around the world. Exhibits include ancient art and both reproductions and original art depicting famous moments in swimming history, swimwear, and civil rights, as well as memorabilia and artifacts belonging to persons who have promoted or excelled in aquatics. It is recognized by FINA as the official hall for the aquatics sports.

History

In 1965, Johnny Weissmuller became the president of the International Swimming Hall of Fame, that with this charge in 1970 was present at the Commonwealth Games in Jamaica and was introduced to Queen Elizabeth.
ISHOF was incorporated in Florida as a non-profit educational corporation on November 23, 1964, with Buck Dawson, as its first executive director. Nine months later—in August 1965—a 50-meter pool, 25-yard diving well, and warm-up pool were completed. This initial part of the Swimming Hall of Fame complex was dedicated on December 27, 1965, witnessed by 4,500 swimmers and other spectators from all fifty states and eleven foreign countries. In 1968, the then-Swimming Hall of Fame became the first world-recognized hall of fame in any sport, when the 105-nation FINA Congress met at the Summer Olympics in Mexico City and endorsed the hall of fame as an "International Swimming Hall of Fame". On June 16, 1969, the organization's Articles of Incorporation were amended to reflect that the name was changed to "International Swimming Hall of Fame". The first members of the hall of fame—a class of twenty-one—were inducted in 1965. See the since 1965
In 2017, the International Swimming Hall of Fame merged its operations with Swimming World Magazine. The combination provided the International Swimming Hall of Fame with an outreach arm, that Swimming World can provide, to the athletes, coaches and volunteers around the world in aquatics.  Brent Rutemiller will become the Chief Executive Officer overseeing the merger.

Mission

The Hall of Fame is dedicated to promoting the benefits of swimming as both an essential life skill and sport, through the operation of the ISHOF museum and by immortalizing the achievements and contributions of those who have distinguished themselves in the following six branches of aquatic sports:


ISHOF inducts outstanding practitioners of these sports into the Hall of Fame as honorees in one of several categories: