About
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WHO WE ARE
- The International Swimming Hall of Fame (ISHOF), Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established in 1965. Its museum is the “Official Repository for Aquatic History” as deemed by Fédération Internationale de Natation (FINA) – the governing body for Olympic aquatic sports.
Mission
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Inspire By inducting worthy aquatic heroes and Olympic champions into the International Swimming Hall of Fame and honoring achievements and contributions made to the world of aquatics.
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Immortalize In 1965 FINA (now World Aquatics) – the governing body of all competitive swimming worldwide, sanctioned the International Swimming Hall of Fame as the official repository for the preservation and recording of aquatics history, to preserve and record notable aquatics events in our library that are related to the history of the human race’s relationship with water.
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Imagine Our spiritual purpose is “Every Child a Swimmer”. Imagine a world without drowning, by Raising Awareness for water safety, advocating for legislation for water safety, and providing financial resources for swimming lessons for families that cannot afford them. ISHOF believes that swimming is an essential life skill. Swim education should be accessible to everyone. Through our Every Child A Swimmer (ECAS) program, we provide grants to swim schools serving in-need communities and families and advocate for life saving legislation.
ISHOF PAST
Ft. Lauderdale’s swimming heritage dates back to the Civitan raft off Las Olas Beach and the Olympic-sized Casino Pool which opened in 1928. In the early 1960’s, the city created the Swimming Hall of Fame non-profit organization. In 1965, a 50M pool and a 25Y diving well, as well as the original Hall of Fame museum were completed. Soon after, the City and the ISHOF organization joined together to build the West ISHOF museum building that opened in December of 1968. That same year, the Fédération Internationale de Natation (FINA) – the governing body for Olympic aquatic sports – designated the ISHOF museum as the “Official Repository for Aquatic History”. By 1985, it was estimated that the ISHOF brought $20M annual economic impact to the City which encouraged an expansion of the museum. This coupled with the prestige of the aquatic facilities brought world class swim events and athletes to compete at the aquatic complex whereby increasing ISHOF’s worldwide visibility.
ISHOF PRESENT
In 2020, the City committed $46 Million to the renovation of the Fort Lauderdale Aquatic Center. The City also approved the replacement of the south administration building and locker rooms, along with the construction of a 27-meter high dive tower. This will be the only tower of its kind in the western hemisphere. This renovation of the aquatic center will undoubtedly bring the facility back to its world class competition status and reestablish Fort Lauderdale as the premier location for competitive aquatic sports, not just in the United States but around the world.
ISHOF FUTURE
To develop an architecturally stunning building that will house a fully updated and modern display of aquatics sports history; aquarium; event spaces with 360° views of the intracoastal; aquatic center and Atlantic Ocean; a café; a restaurant; teaching pool; welcome center; meeting rooms and office space; and on-site parking. In addition, ISHOF’s vision is to launch a brand-new website that will include a virtual museum that will showcase the hundreds of thousands of artifacts to viewers worldwide.
For Information on Legacy Opportunities and how you can be a part of ISHOF’s future, email Treasurer@ishof.org.
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