Elizabeth “Pat” Ryan (1923-1998) was the daughter of Dr. William J. and Elizabeth Ryan. Dr. Ryan was Superintendent of the Summit Park Sanitorium, Pomona, where the family lived. She began swimming at a young age, and joined the Women’s Swimming Association in New York at age 9. Pat began competing as an amateur, and qualified for the 1936 Olympics in Berlin at the age of 13. At the Berlin games, she swam as part of the 400 meter freestyle relay team, winning a bronze medal. Following the games, she continued to compete at the national level. Ryan was poised for a second Olympics, but the 1940 games were cancelled upon the outbreak of World War II. Ryan retired from competitive swimming around this time, but continued to make charitable appearances.
Scope of Collection
This scrapbook contains newspaper images, articles, letters and ephemera related to Elizabeth Ryan. It was made available for digitization thanks to Marita Doherty, Elizabeth’s sister, and Peter Scheibner of the Rockland County Sports Hall of Fame.
