Walter Laufer

Pre-Olympic competition highlights Rising to national prominence at San Francisco's National Outdoor AAU Swimming Championships in 1924, he won the individual medley and backstroke events. In 1925, he again performed well at the Seattle AAU National Outdoor Championships, placing first in the 225-yard backstroke event.

A multi-stroke swimmer, Laufer held ten AAU indoor titles that included freestyle, backstroke and Individual Medley events.

By the completion of his swimming career in 1930, Laufer had earned 19 national titles, and set 4 world records.

He died at 78 on July 16, 1984 in Midland, Texas at the home of his son Walter Jr., and was buried in the Spring Grove Cemetery in Cincinnati, Ohio. He was survived by his wife Wanda, son Walter Jr., two daughters, and seven grandchildren. Services were held July 19 at Spring Grove's Norman Chapel.

Honors With his exceptional performance as high points scorer at the Chicago AAU National Championships in 1926, journalists selected Laufer as "Swimmer of the Year".