Homestead Olympic Swimmers

The Carnegie Library of Homestead opened in the late 19th century. The library houses a swimming pool where children of steel workers learned to swim and to compete in the sport of swimming. Four young women from the Homestead Swim team represented the US in Olympic competition in 1928, 1932, and 1936. 

Susan Laird Scavey (1918-1933-Homestead, PA), began swimming at Homestead Library pool when she turned 14 qualified for the 1928 Olympics. Laird finished fifth in the women's 100-meter freestyle. She helped the American relay team quality for the women's 4 x 100 meter freestyle relay. 

Josephine Eveline McKim Chalmers (1910-19920Oil City, PA), represented the United States in the 1928 and 1932 Summer Olympics. McKim earned a Bronze for the 400 meter freestyle in 1928 and in 1932 a Gold for relay. 

Anna Mae Gorman Lindberg (Homestead, PA), began swimmingiat the Homestead Library Pool when she was 11. At 16, she qualified as an alternate to the 1932 Olympic relay team. After the Olympics, Gorman swam for the Homestead relay. 

Lenore Knight Wingard (Frostburg, MD 1911-2000), taught herself to swim at Homestead Library pool. She competed in both the 1932 and 1936 Olympics. In 1932, she lost the silver by a tenth of a second in a race so close it took judges 15 minutes to declare the winner. Knight won a bronze in the 1936 games. She held seven world records, 23 National AAU titles and 24 American records. 

In 2004, a Pennsylvania Historical Marker, "Homestead LIbrary Atletic Club Swim Team," was dedicated, homor past and present participants including the 4 women who qualifired for the Olympics in the early 20th century.