17 Facts About Katherine Rawls

Katherine Louise Rawls, known by her married names Katherine Thompson and Katherine Green, was an American competition swimmer and diver.

Katherine Rawls was the United States national champion in multiple events during the 1930s.

Katherine Rawls was a 1932 Olympic silver medalist in 3-meter springboard diving and in the 1936 Olympics repeated as a silver medalist on the 3-meter board, while capturing a bronze medal as part of the 4x100 freestyle relay team.

Katherine Rawls caused a sensation at the 1931 US National Championships at just 14, when she defeated star Eleanor Holm in the 300m individual medley setting a new world record, and the next day defeated reigning champion Margaret Hoffman in the 220 yard breaststroke.

Katherine Rawls moved from Hollywood, Florida to Fort Lauderdale in 1932.

Katherine Rawls received sponsorship from Miami Beach to attend the trials for the 1932 Olympics, and was sometimes misidentified with that city.

Katherine Rawls scratched from the high diving because of high winds.

At the 1932 Olympics, Katherine Rawls competed in the 3 metre springboard diving event, and finished second to Georgia Coleman for the silver medal, losing to a rival she had recently beaten in the US trials.

Katherine Rawls enjoyed sustained success thereafter, often competing in exhibition and carnival events, including a "swim decathlon" in 1934 before a crowd of 50,000, in which she won every event.

Katherine Rawls succeeded in qualifying for the 100-meter freestyle in the US trials for the 1936 Summer Olympics by winning the 100-meter event.

Katherine Rawls retired from swimming in 1939, but returned to diving for the trials of the 1948 Olympics, placing fifth with 108.56 points.

Katherine Rawls won a total of 33 US national titles: 5 in diving and 28 in swimming, both indoors at the Spring Nationals and outdoors at the Summer Nationals.

In November 1937, Katherine Rawls' parents announced her engagement to advertising executive William Starr.

On May 18,1938, unbeknown to her mother, Rawls married Theodore H Thompson, an airplane pilot.

Katherine Rawls was one of the initial 28 pilots who formed the Women's Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron in 1942, stationed at Detroit, transporting military cargo by air as part of the US war effort.

Katherine Rawls was a swimming instructor for 20 years at The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia.

Katherine Rawls died from cancer in 1982 after several years of illness.