John Ferris

John Edward Ferris (July 24, 1949 – September 13, 2020) was an American competition swimmer, for Stanford University, a winner of two bronze medals in the 1968 Olympics in butterfly and medley events, and a one-time world record-holder.

S. Chavoor (c), and Olympians S. Pedersen (l) and D. Meyer (r) Ferris was born on July 24, 1949, in Sacramento, California, to James and Ida Ferris and attended Rio Americano High School in greater Sacramento. He did much of his early training at Arden Hills Swim Club in Sacramento under Hall of Fame Coach Sherm Chavoor who had coached many great American Olympians including Mark Spitz, Debbie Meyer, and Mark J. Burton, each of whom would also swim in the 1968 Olympics with Ferris. A standout at only around 15 while swimming for Arden Hills in June, 1964, Ferris swam a 55.2 for the 100-yard butterfly breaking an age group record in the Junior Olympics, while also placing first in the 100 freestyle with a 1:56.5. His sisters Carolyn and Joan also swam for Arden Hills, and Carolyn would later set age group records with masters swimming and coach the Woodlands Masters Swim Team in Houston.

World record 200 fly At 18, in what was likely his most noteworthy performance prior to the Olympics, he received a gold medal in the 200-meter butterfly at the 1967 World University Games, where he set a new world-record time of on 2:06.0 August 30, 1967 in Tokyo. His rival Mark Spitz broke his record six weeks later on October 8, 1967.

Stanford Following his August, 1967 world record breaking time in the 200-meter butterfly, Ferris attended Stanford University, beginning in September 1967, and graduating in 1973 with a major in creative writing. A rising power, Stanford had won the NCAA national team championship in 1967, the year before Ferris began his studies. Continuing his swimming career, Ferris trained and competed with the Stanford swimming and diving team in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) competition under Hall of Fame Coach James Gaughran. During his collegiate swimming career, Ferris earned NCAA championship titles three times, and captured 10 Pac-10 championship titles. Included in his NCAA Championship wins, was a national title in the 200-yard butterfly in 1969 where he swam a time of 1:49.61, and wins with Stanford's 400-yard medley relay squad in 1970 and 1971.

He became itinerant by around 1990, moving from place to place after his swimming career. He established a Tahitian tourist resort on a vacant rubber plantation, before coming back to California and finding work in a cut flower business in collaboration with a Dutch botanist. After starting a small mall in Malibu, California, he set up the Blue Guitar, a restaurant in Sun Valley, Idaho, where he served as the head chef. He ran a school to teach Chinese students English, and later researched a second novel.

Honors Ferris was a member of the Stanford University Sports Hall of Fame.