Josephine McKim

Josephine McKim
Personal information
Full name Josephine Eveline McKim
National team  United States
Born (1910-01-04)January 4, 1910
Oil City, Pennsylvania
Died December 10, 1992(1992-12-10) (aged 82)
Woodstock, New York
Sport
Sport Swimming
Strokes Freestyle
Club Carnegie Library Athletic Club

Josephine Eveline McKim (January 4, 1910 – December 10, 1992), also known by her married name Josephine Chalmers, was an American swimmer who won three medals at the 1928 and 1932 Olympics. In 1928 she won the bronze medal in the 400-meter freestyle event. She also swam in the first heat of 4×100-meter freestyle relay, but was replaced by Eleanor Garatti in the final. Four years later she won the gold medal in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay and was fourth in the 100-meter freestyle. During her career McKim set five world records in various freestyle events.

McKim served as the body double for Maureen O'Sullivan in a deleted nude underwater scene from MGM's adventure film, Tarzan and His Mate (1934), which has since been restored to home video releases. She also had a bit part in Universal's Bride of Frankenstein (1935) as a mermaid, one of Dr. Pretorius' "miniaturized" people. This role was reprised in Columbia's The King Steps Out. She also appeared with her Olympic teammate Buster Crabbe in "Lady Be Careful" (1936). Both attended the University of Southern California. Later she had a stage career on Broadway (1938 to 1942) appearing in "Family Portrait" (1939) with Judith Anderson and Tom Ewell at the Morosco Theater and a Lee Strasburg production "Dance Night" (1938) among several others. Her husband, Gordon Chalmers, was also on the U.S. Olympic swim team of 1932, and went on to become a swimming coach at Lafayette College and Lehigh University in Pennsylvania and, after World War II, the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Later he became athletic director at Iowa State and Indiana State. They had two daughters, Margot and Donna, a collegiate gymnast. Her older sister, Musa McKim Guston, was the spouse of painter Philip Guston and a painter in her own right, as well as a published poet.

McKim was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame as an "Honor Swimmer" in 1991.

She and her sister were born in Oil City, Pennsylvania, and both died in Woodstock, New York in 1992.

See also

External links

U.S. women's 4×100-meter freestyle relay team at the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam. Josephine McKim is first from right.
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