Paula Jean Myers-Pope

Paula Jean Myers-Pope (November 11, 1934 – June 9, 1995) was an American diver and four-time Olympic medalist, in three different Summer Olympic Games, (1952, 1956 and 1960), and she is from La Verne, California, United States of America.[1]

Paula Pope, Ingrid Kramer and Elizabeth Ferris at the 1960 Olympics

Paula Jean Myers-Pope
Myers-Pope with husband Karl Pope
Personal information
Birth namePaula Jean Myers
BornNovember 11, 1934 (1934-11-11)
La Verne, California, U.S.A.[1]
DiedJune 9, 1995 (1995-06-10) (aged 60)
Ojai, California, U.S.A.
Alma materCovina High School[2]
Sport
SportDiving[3]
Event(s)Platform, 3m springboard
University teamOhio State University Buckeyes and University of Southern California Trojans
ClubKappa Alpha Theta and
Sammy Lee Swim Club[4]
Coached byRusty Smith (1948-1951)
Lyle Draves (1952-1957)
Sammy Lee (1958-1960, 1964)[5][6]
Achievements and titles
Olympic finals4 times in finals, each time earning a medal (see medal list below).
Medal record
Women's diving
Representing the  United States
Olympic Games
Silver medal – second place 1952 Helsinki Platform
Silver medal – second place 1960 Rome 3m Springboard
Silver medal – second place 1960 Rome Platform
Bronze medal – third place 1956 Melbourne Platform
Pan American Games
Gold medal – first place 1959 Chicago 3m Springboard
Gold medal – first place1959 ChicagoPlatform

Early years / high school years

Myers was born and raised in La Verne, California, and attended high school in nearby West Covina, where she was Freshman Class Treasurer, member of the Senior Class Council, the Girls’ Athletic Association, and California Scholastic Federation.[1]

Olympics

Myers-Pope was a member of the USA Olympic Diving Team three times, 1952, 1956 and 1960. She won four medals in her three trips to the Olympics.[1][4][5][7]

1952 Olympics

At 17 years of age, Myers won a silver medal in the 10-meter tower event at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, Finland. Teammate, Pat McCormick won the gold and teammate, Juno Stover-Irwin won the bronze.[5]

1956 Olympics

Myers won a bronze medal in the same event, 10-metre platform, at the 1956 Summer Olympics, in Melbourne, Australia. Teammate, Pat McCormick won the gold, again, but this time she flip-flopped with teammate, Juno Stover-Irwin, who won the silver medal this time.[5]

1960 Olympics

Myers-Pope won two silver medals at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, Italy, one in the 3-meter springboard event and one in the 10-meter tower. In both events, Miss Ingrid Krämer from East Germany won the gold medals this year.[4][5][7][8]

1964 Olympic Trials

Myers-Pope had gone into retirement from competitive diving and not been in a pool from the 1960 Olympic Games until April, 1964. At the U.S. Olympic trials, at Astoria Pool, in Queens, New York, in September, 1964, she finished eighth and retired again from competitive diving.[9]

Pan American Games

Myers-Pope won two gold medals at the 1959 Pan American Games, in both the 10-meter tower and 3-meter springboard for Team USA.[4][5][7]

College years

Myers first attended Ohio State University in the mid 1950s, and ultimately graduated with a degree in dental hygiene from the University of Southern California and became a dental hygienist.[1] When Miss Myers entered USC on a leadership scholarship as there were no collegiate women's athletic programs at the time. She was inducted into the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority in 1954. She won 11 AAU Championships.[4]

Life and career

In 1984 Mrs. Myers-Pope retired from her career in dental hygiene, and proceeded to co-operate a family owned business, the Ojai Valley Racquet Club, with her husband in Ojai, California.[1][4][5][7] In 2008, they applied for a major renovation, including a luxury inn, for their Ojai Valley Racquet Club.[10] She died at the age of 60 in 1995.[1]

Personal life

Between the 1952 and 1956 Olympics, Myers joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.[11] She married Karl Pope (a USC basketball player) in 1958.[5] The couple had two sons and three daughters.[1]

Legacy

Myers-Pope was the first woman to sue double twisting 1 1/2 somersault and inward 2 1/2 somersault in competition off the 10 meter.[5] She was the Los Angeles Times Woman of the Year in 1960,[1][12] and she has been inducted into the following Halls of Fame:

See also

References
  1. "Paula Jean Myers Pope; Olympic Medalist". Los Angeles Times. June 13, 1995. p. EVB4.
  2. "Mrs. Paula Jean Myers-Pope | Covina High School | Hall of Fame". www.c-vusd.org. 1952. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
  3. Jorgensen, Loren (July 18, 1992). "`TRIALS & TRIUMPHS' ISN'T JUST GOLLY-GEE-WHIZ LOOK AT CHAMPS". www.deseret.com. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
  4. "Paul Jean MYERS-POPE Biography, Olympic Medals, Records and Age". olympics.com. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
  5. "ISHOF.org | Paula Jean Myers Pope (USA) 1979 Honor Diver". ishof.org. 1979. Archived from the original on August 4, 2019. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
  6. Smith, David F. (December 3, 2016). "Sammy Lee, 2-time Olympic diving champion, dies at 96". www.theintelligencer.com. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
  7. "Olympedia - Paula Jean Myers-Pope". Olympedia.org. OlyMADMen. Retrieved January 5, 2022.
  8. Kane, Martin (September 5, 1960). "SPLENDOR AND SPLEEN - AS THE OLYMPICS BEGAN, GOOD WILL FLOURISHED AMID AWESOME PAGEANTRY, BUT A FLAP WAS JUST HOURS AWAY". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved October 5, 2023.
  9. The New York Times Archives (September 7, 1964). "Form's What Counts; Webster and Linda Cooper Take Diving Finals and Gain Olympic Berths; PLACES ALSO WON BY VITUCCI, GOMPF; Mrs. Talmage, Miss Bush Make Women's Squad—Mrs. Pope Retires Again". www.nytimes.com. p. 15. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
  10. Ramos, Julian J. (January 10, 2008). "City may get luxury inn, racquet club". santamariatimes.com. Retrieved October 5, 2023.
  11. Deseret News 1999-2000 Church Almanac. Salt Lake City, UT: Deseret News. 1998. p. 555. ISBN 1573454915.
  12. "2007 Inductees For USC Athletic Hall of Fame Announced - USC Athletics". usctrojans.com. October 14, 2006. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
  13. "Alumni / The CHS Hall of Fame". 1952. Retrieved October 5, 2023.
  14. "Special Recognition Awards - VC Sports Hall of Fame". venturacountysportshalloffame.org. 1988. Retrieved October 5, 2023.
  15. Wolf, Scott (July 7, 2014). "Pete Carroll Makes USC Hall Of Fame". Los Angeles Daily News. Retrieved October 4, 2023.

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