Frank Dooley

Ohio State University Dooley attended Ohio State University where he swam under Hall of Fame Head Coach Mike Peppe and was thrice a recipient of All American honors. Under Coach Peppe, Ohio State won NCAA Championships in 1949, 1950, and 1952, which included some of the years of Dooley's tenure with the swimming team. During summer breaks, Dooley trained and competed with the Ohio State Swim Club, also usually coached by Peppe, where he set world records in the 4x200 freestyle relay, and the 400 freestyle events. Dooley returned to Ohio State after attending the 1952 Olympics, and became a business administration graduate. Dooley swam for the gold medal-winning U.S. team in the qualifying heats of the men's 4×200-meter freestyle relay at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics where the US finals team later won the gold medal with a time of 8:31.1. He did not receive a medal, however, because under the Olympic swimming rules in effect in 1952, only relay swimmers who competed in the event final were medal-eligible. Japan won the silver medal with a time of 8:33.5, and France won the bronze with a time of 8:45.9. Dooley's 1952 Olympic teammate, native Hawaiian Ford Konno also attended Ohio State and trained under Mike Peppe.

Korean era military service After college, Dooley served in the Korean War, reaching the rank of Lieutenant. For a year, he served in Japan and Korea, and was one of the First Marine Air Wing's legal officers.

He died in Norfolk, Connecticut on November 14, 2022, at the age of 93, and was survived by his wife Suzanne, three daughters, and grandchildren. On Saturday, December 17th, a mass in his honor was held at 10:00 a.m. at Norfolk's St. Martin of Tours.