1. Joseph Thomas Verdeur was an American competition swimmer, Olympic champion, and former world record-holder.
14 Facts About Joe Verdeur
1. 2.
Joe Verdeur had a sister, Theresa, and a brother, Edward.
3.
Joe Verdeur's mother was Polish American, who was born in Poland as Sophie Machalowska.
4.
Joe Verdeur's father died when Joseph was six years old.
5.
Joe Verdeur attended North Catholic High School in Philadelphia, and led the North Catholic Falcons swim team to three consecutive Catholic League championships and two city championships.
6.
Joe Verdeur set the record with a time of 2:35.6 in Bainbridge's 25 yard indoor pool at the National AAU Indoor Championships.
7.
Joe Verdeur subsequently continued to reset this world record several times over in short course pools.
8.
However, Robert Brawner won the race with a time of 2:29.3 for the full 220 yards beating Joe Verdeur who was second in 2:29.4.
9.
At the US Olympic trials of the 1948 4x200-meter freestyle relay, Joe Verdeur was one of several swimmers who had already qualified in other events who slowed down in their heats or swam fast in the prelims and scratched themselves for the final to allow more swimmers to qualify for the US Olympic Team.
10.
The next three swimmers-Joe Verdeur who came in 2:16.3, Alan Ford in 2;16.4 and George Hoogerhyde in 2:17.4 were not used in any capacity in the 4x200 freestyle relay.
11.
Joe Verdeur was named Swimmer of the Year by Sport Magazine in 1948 and 1949.
12.
Joe Verdeur was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 1966, the La Salle University Athletic Hall of Fame in 1961, North Catholic Hall of Fame in 1991, The Helms Foundation Hall of Fame, the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame in 2005, and the National Polish American Hall of Fame in 2009.
13.
Joe Verdeur died of cancer in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania in 1991, aged 65.
14.
Joe Verdeur was survived by his wife Mary Ellen Verdeur and their five children.