Voting Station

Katherine Rawls

Please vote to return to collections.

Swimmer

The Resume

    (June 28, 1917-April 8, 1982)
    Born in Nashville, Tennessee
    Swimmer and diver
    Won a bronze medal in the 4x100 relay at the 1936 Berlin Olympics
    Won silver medals in 3 meter springboard diving at the 1932 Los Angeles and 1936 Berlin Olympics
    Won 33 US national titles: 28 in swimming, 5 in diving
    AP Female Athlete of the Year (1937)
    Inaugural inductee into the International Swimming Hall of Fame (1965)

Why she might be annoying:

    She was nicknamed 'Little Miss Minnow.'
    As a child, she and her siblings appeared in exhibitions as 'Rawls' Water Babies.'
    Six months after her parents announced her engagement to ad exec William Starr, she secretly married pilot Theodore Thompson (1938).

Why she might not be annoying:

    At age 14, she beat reigning US champ Eleanor Holm in the 300-meter medley, setting a new world record.
    She had an eight-year undefeated streak in medley events (1930-38).
    She became a pilot and was one of the initial members of the Women's Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron, transporting military cargo in WWII.

Credit: C. Fishel


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    For 2024, as of last weekly ranking, Out of 1 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2023, Out of 3 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 5 Votes: 20.0% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 10 Votes: 60.0% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 1 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 6 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 2 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 15 Votes: 40.0% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 3 Votes: 66.67% Annoying
    In 2015, Out of 12 Votes: 25.00% Annoying
    In 2014, Out of 9 Votes: 66.67% Annoying
    In 2013, Out of 24 Votes: 41.67% Annoying
    In 2012, Out of 22 Votes: 13.64% Annoying
    In 2011, Out of 16 Votes: 37.50% Annoying
    In 2010, Out of 25 Votes: 44.00% Annoying