Ned Denison, chairperson of the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame, formally inducted a long-forgotten trail-blazing swimmer Pauline Jackson as an Honor Contributor – Administrator in the IMSHOF Class of 2024.
She was honored today at the Class of 2024’s International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame ceremonies in Cancún, Mexico – along with the following luminaries of the sport:
- Penny Lee Dean, EdD – ISHOF Poseidon Award
- Massimo Giuliani – ISHOF Irving Davids/Captain Roger W. Wheeler Memorial Award
- Melissa Cunningham Roberts – The Dale Petranech Award for Services to IMSHOF
- Leonie Beck, Honor Swimmer, Germany, 2024
- Ros Hardiman, Honor Swimmer, Great Britain, 2024
- Allan do Carmo, Honor Swimmer, Brazil, 2024
- Sam Greetham, Honor Administrator, Great Britain, 2024
- Catherine Vogt Kase, Honor Coach, United States of America, 2024
- Lynton Mortensen, Honor Swimmer, Australia, 2024
- Pauline Jackson, Honor Administrator, United States of America, 2024
- Dr. Evgenij Pop Acev, Honor Swimmer, Macedonia
- Courtney Moates Paulk, Honor Swimmer, USA
- Arianna Bridi, Honor Swimmer, Italy
- Suzanne Heim-Bowen, Honor Swimmer, USA
- Dan Simonelli, Honor Coach, USA
- Simone Ruffini, Honor Swimmer, Italy
Pauline Jackson Legacy
Denison explained about a remarkable woman, almost completely unknown among contemporary swimmers, “Pauline is honored as a Contributor – Administrator in the IMSHOF, specifically as one of the first Black swimmers to compete in elite marathon races over 100 years ago, at a time when many competitions barred participation by Blacks.
As a New Yorker, she must have seen and been inspired by the coverage of the Manhattan Island circumnavigation swim by IMSHOF Honoree Ida Elionsky in 1916 and the successful English Channel crossing of IMSHOF Honor Swimmer Gertrude Ederle in 1926. In 1926, at the age of 35, Pauline entered and won her first open water swim. She set her sights on the English Channel and the Black press supported her intent, hopeful that a successful swim would promote racial equality.“
She was accepted in 1927 into the Wrigley Ocean Marathon across the Catalina Channel. In the photo above at the start of the Wrigley Ocean Marathon Swim on Santa Catalina Island, Jackson was listed as swimmer #36.
Her acceptance in the first Catalina Channel crossing attempt in history was a major news topic in New York and Los Angeles at the time. Unfortunately, Jackson was unable to raise the funds to travel across the country, pay for extended lodging in California, and secure a trainer and tracking boat for the event.
While the financial obstacles were too much to overcome, Jackson also faced an even more barrier to participation: the substantial color barriers in place during the 1920’s. Travel at the time could be highly difficult and dangerous for Blacks—especially single women traveling across the country. In many U.S. states, segregation and Jim Crow laws made it impossible to find a hotel, restaurant, or even restrooms that accommodated Blacks. While Black sportswriters expressed disappointment that Jackson failed to show up for the Catalina Channel crossing, they continued to praise her as the ‘champion Black woman swimmer’ and supported her aspirations.
She completed in the 1927, 1928 and 1931 Wrigley Marathon Swims held at the Canadian National Exhibition. She was the first and only Black (male or female) to participate in the marathons of 1927 and 1928, and the only Black woman to compete in the 1931 swim. In the combined male/female 21 mile event in 1927 there were 173 starters. Only 3 finished in 9°C (48°F) waters and Pauline lasted 6 hours swimming a total of 11 miles. She outperformed almost all other starters including the favorite Canadian IMSHOF Honor Swimmer George Young – which was again major news. In 1928 she completed 7.5 of the 10 miles and in 1931 she completed 9 of the 10 miles before being pulled with cramps.“
Steven Munatones imagined, “While she willingly pitted herself against the world’s best marathon swimmers of her day at the world’s most competitive and difficult races, we do not even know what pools she was allowed into. She faced nearly insurmountable odds, unimaginable in modern-day America, but her bright smile that we see from the few existing photographs of her and her heartfelt passion for marathon swimming were clearly evident from her participation in these races.
She was known for her cold-water tolerance, but we can imagine that was probably because she was only able to train in the open water throughout the year.
Bill “Bojangles” Robinson (1878 – 1949) was an American tap dancer, actor, and singer, the best known and the most highly paid black American entertainer in America during the first half of the 20th century.
Robinson was as generous as he was talented and well-known; he helped many entertainers and athletes during his career – although he ultimately died in poverty. Robinson played a role in financially helping many athletes – including the 4-time 1936 Olympic gold medalist Jesse Owens and Pauline.
While Owens was ranked by ESPN as the 6th greatest North American athlete of the 20th century and the highest-ranked in his sport, and was on the six-man shortlist for the BBC’s Sports Personality of the 20th Century, very few people remember Pauline.“
But now the icon from long ago has been honored by her fellow open water swimmers in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame.
© 2024 Daily News of Open Water Swimming
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