Capt. Ransom J. Arthur M.D. Award

Recipient:	Ransom J. Arthur
Year:	1973
LMSC:	San Diego - Imperial

The award itself is named after Capt. Ransom J. Arthur, Medical Corps, U.S. Navy, who after many years of perseverance and tenacity, was able to bring to reality the Masters Swimming program. Ransom was a scholar, a healer, an athlete, an author, a professional military man, and a person who dedicated himself to the betterment of mankind. Most of all, he was a person concerned with the physical health of the American adult. It became apparent to Ransom early in his medical career that far too many young Americans were dying from heart attacks. He knew that our sedentary way of life was a major contributing factor, and he also knew that a sensible regimen of hard physical exercise could greatly diminish the untimely deaths of many Americans.

It was through Ransom’s concern for his fellow man that he set out to establish a program of physical exercise through competitive swimming for people age 25 and older. Ransom made every effort to convince organized sporting groups of the value of competitive swimming for the adult, and for years his idea was rejected, scorned, and derided. Eventually he met John Spannuth from the American Swim Coaches Association, who instantly saw the value of such a program and helped facilitate competition. In 1970 the first Masters swim meet took place in Texas . . . and the rest is history! Were it not for Ransom Arthur’s vision, none of us would be participating in the great program of U.S Masters Swimming today.