Passages: Carol ‘Penny’ Taylor, Olympian and Long-Time Official and Coach, 96
Carol “Penny” Taylor, a 1948 Olympian and long-time coach and swimming official, died on Nov. 4. She was 96 years old.
Taylor was an influential figure in swimming for decades after her Olympic appearance at the London Games. She served in a number of capacities as an official and coach throughout her long career and was a pioneer for women’s participation in governance of the sport.
Taylor, who competed under her maiden name of Penny Pence, was born in Indianapolis. She swam for Lafayette Swim Club and attended Purdue University, earning a place on the U.S. Olympic team in 1948 in London.
A finalist for the Sullivan award in 1951, she was part of the American squad at the inaugural Pan Am Games that year in Buenos Aires. She swam breaststroke on the women’s 300 medley relay that won gold and took bronze in the women’s 200 breast. She won six national titles and held American records in three breaststroke events.
Upon retiring from competition, she coached for 35 years in the St. Louis area, starting in 1966. Among her prized pupils was sprinter Tom Jager, the seven-time Olympic medalist and five-time gold medalist. She led Ferguson-Ritenour YMCA to three women’s national club championships, then oversaw a 400-strong Parkway Swim Club, whose ranks included Jager.
Taylor worked in a variety of capacities for USA Swimming, serving as the team leader at the 1984 and 1992 Olympics. She was the head manager for the U.S. at the 1986 and 1991 FINA World Championships, then chef de mission for U.S. delegations in all aquatic sports at eight Worlds from 1998-2013. She served as a volunteer deck marshal at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta.
Taylor also swam extensively in masters events for 40 years, holding age-group records in breaststroke. She was inducted to the American Swimming Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2013. She was a charter member of the organization and its first female Board of Directors member. In 1999, she won the United States Swimming Award. She was inducted to the Purdue Athletic Hall of Fame in 2006. In 2012, she was awarded the Paragon Award by the International Swimming Hall of Fame.
