Jack Cody was an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 swimming coach in Oregon

Oregon

Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...

. He coached at the Multnomah Athletic Club

Multnomah Athletic Club

The Multnomah Athletic Club is a private social club and athletic club in Portland, Oregon, United States.Founded in 1891, the club has expanded greatly from its beginnings. It now fills two buildings totaling , making it the largest indoor athletic club in the world...

 in Portland, Oregon

Portland, Oregon

Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...

 for more than 30 years, winning 3 national championships and producing 15 Olympic swimmers.

Early career

A diver, Cody came to the Multnomah Athletic Club in 1913 and his coaching brought national prominence to Constance Meyer. He was the first coach of Norman Ross

Norman Ross

Norman Ross was a swimmer from the United States notable for winning five events at the Inter-Allied Games in June, 1919, held at Joinville-Le-Pont near Paris and three gold medals at the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp. He set thirteen world records and held eighteen U.S...

, a swimming world record setter and multiple gold medal winner at the 1920 Summer Olympics

1920 Summer Olympics

The 1920 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the VII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event in 1920 in Antwerp, Belgium....

. In those same Olympics, his diving students Thelma Payne

Thelma Payne

Thelma R. Payne was an American diver who competed in the 1920 Summer Olympics.In 1920 she won the bronze medal in the 3 metre springboard competition.-External links:*...

, Hap Kuehn, and Louis Balbach

Louis Balbach

Louis James Balbach was an American diver who competed in the 1920 Summer Olympics.He was born in San Jose, California, the son of Louis Augusta Balbach and Nettie Viola Balbach Louis James Balbach (May 23, 1896 – November 1943) was an American diver who competed in the 1920 Summer...

 all medaled in diving

Diving at the 1920 Summer Olympics

At the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp, five diving events were contested. The women's 3 metre springboard competition was added to the Olympic programme...

.

"Cody's Kids"

His greatest fame came from 1939 to 1949 with the emergence of a group of his students who came to be known as "Cody's Kids": Nancy Merki

Nancy Merki

Nancy Merki is a former competitive freestyle swimmer from the United States. Despite contracting polio at a young age, she went on to set numerous amateur swimming records in her career, most in her early teens, and went on to compete in the 400 meter freestyle at the 1948 Summer Olympics in...

, Brenda Helser

Brenda Helser

Brenda Helser de Morelos is a former competitive freestyle swimmer from the United States who won a gold medal in the 4×100 meter freestyle relay at the 1948 Summer Olympics in London, England....

, Suzanne Zimmerman

Suzanne Zimmerman

Suzanne Winona Zimmerman is a former competitive backstroke swimmer from the United States who won a silver medal in the 100 meter backstroke at the 1948 Summer Olympics in London, England....

, Joyce Macrae, Geneva Klaus, and Mary Anne Hansen, who dominated U.S. girls amateur swimming, winning three national Amateur Athletic Union

Amateur Athletic Union

The Amateur Athletic Union is one of the largest non-profit volunteer sports organizations in the United States. A multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs.-History:The AAU was founded in 1888 to...

 swimming titles (in 1943, 1944, and 1949), 42 individual championships, and 16 relay championships, setting numerous records along the way.

The cancellation of the 1940

1940 Summer Olympics

The anticipated 1940 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XII Olympiad and originally scheduled to be held from September 21 to October 6, 1940, in Tokyo, Japan, were cancelled due to the outbreak of World War II...

 and 1944 Summer Olympics

1944 Summer Olympics

The anticipated 1944 Summer Olympics, which were to be officially known as the Games of the XIII Olympiad, were cancelled due to World War II...

 due to World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

 prevented the swimmers from having a chance to appear in the Olympics at their peak of their careers, though Zimmerman and Helser did win medals in the 1948 games

Swimming at the 1948 Summer Olympics

At the 1948 Summer Olympics in London, 11 swimming events were contested, six for men and five for women. All swimming events took place at the Empire Pool. There was a total of 249 participants from 34 countries competing.-Medal table:-Men's events:...

.

Legacy

Cody retired from the MAC in 1949 and moved to Los Angeles, where he continued teaching and coaching. He died in Santa Monica, California

Santa Monica, California

Santa Monica is a beachfront city in western Los Angeles County, California, US. Situated on Santa Monica Bay, it is surrounded on three sides by the city of Los Angeles — Pacific Palisades on the northwest, Brentwood on the north, West Los Angeles on the northeast, Mar Vista on the east, and...

 on April 11, 1963. He is a member of the International Swimming Hall of Fame

International Swimming Hall of Fame

The International Swimming Hall of Fame and Museum is a history museum and hall of fame, located at One Hall of Fame Drive, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States, operated by private interests serving as the central point for the study of the history of swimming in the United States and around...

, the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame

Oregon Sports Hall of Fame

The Oregon Sports Hall of Fame honors Oregon athletes, teams, coaches, and others who have made a significant contribution to sports in Oregon. The first class was inducted in 1980, with new inductees added in the fall...

, and the American Swimming Coaches Association Hall of Fame.