Legend In Action
John "Pump" McLaughlin, a longtime swimming coach at the Butler YMCA, teaches Terry Baptist and other boys how to swim on June 8, 1964, during the YMCALearn to Swim campaign. Nearly 450 boys participated. McLaughlin began teaching swimming at the YMCA in 1957 and coached the swim team from 1959 to 2004. It is said McLaughlin taught 50,000 children to swim during his long career, including two-time Olympic medalist Eric Namesnik. Today, a life-sized statue of McLaughlin stands outside the YMCA on North Washington Street, where they are teaching a new generation of children to swim.
