Jerry Holan


Gerald Ray Holan is an American former competition swimmer who represented the United States at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, Finland.
Holan was 1949 National High School Champion in the 100-yard breaststroke, swimming for Proviso Township High School in Maywood, Illinois, and won the National YMCA 200-yard breaststroke championship that year. He started college at Iowa State but dropped out within two weeks and later attended The Ohio State University. Holan was an All-American for the Buckeyes in 1951, 1952, and 1953, helping them win the Big 10 300 yard medley relay all three years. In 1953 he won the Big 10 200 yd breaststroke and was NCAA Champion in the 200 yard butterfly, before that stroke used a dolphin kick. He also helped Ohio State win NCAA titles in the medley relay in 1951 and 1953.
He swan in the 1952 US Olympic swim trials in the 200 Meter Breaststroke finishing second behind Bowen Stassforth. At Helsinki, Holan set an Olympic record of 2:36.8 in his initial heat, smashing Joe Verdeur's record of 2:39.3. However, he failed to qualify in the semis by.2 seconds for the Olympic final. Subsequently, he did however finish first at the 1952 Outdoor AAU National Championships in the 110 Yard Breaststroke and second in the 220 Yard Breaststroke competing with Bowen Stassforth for the top spot in both events. Holan's second place clocking of 2:35 flat at the nationals in the 220 yd breaststroke would have put him in medal contention earlier in Helsinki.
After graduating from Ohio State with a business degree, Holan began work for Bell Telephone. He left for a tour of duty in the Korean War, as an artillery officer with the US Army, but returned after the war to work for Bell for his entire business career. Holan was inducted into the Ohio State Hall of Fame.