Tedford H. Cann
Encyclopedia
Tedford Harris Cann was a champion American swimmer and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor
. He served as an officer in the United States Naval Reserve
during World War I
and earned the medal for saving his sinking ship.
, into a family of accomplished sportsmen. His father, Frank Cann, was the director of physical education at New York University
(NYU), which both Tedford and his older brother Howard Cann
attended. Howard was an Olympic shot put
ter, a college basketball
and football
player, and the NYU men's basketball coach for 35 years.
Cann's swimming career began while he was still a teenager. He attended the High School of Commerce in New York City where he was Captain of the Basketball and Swimming Teams and competed in the New York Championships. Like his older brother he became a member of the Epsilon Chapter of the Omega Gamma Delta Fraternity. At age 17 he defeated Hawaii
an swimmer Duke Kahanamoku
, an event which he later declared was a greater thrill than being awarded the Medal of Honor. While a student at New York University, Cann also excelled in track and field
, basketball, and football, where he played halfback
as well as becoming a member of the Fraternity of Phi Gamma Delta
.
, initially as a Seaman
. On November 5, 1917, while he was a member of the crew of the patrol vessel , Seaman Cann voluntarily swam into a flooded compartment and repeatedly dived beneath the surface until he had located and closed the leak that endangered the ship. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for this act.
In April 1918, Cann was commissioned as an ensign
in the Reserves, continuing to serve on the USS May into July. He spent the rest of World War I as an officer on the and left the service shortly after the conflict's end.
and later the Detroit Athletic Club
. On April 10, 1920 in Detroit, Michigan
, he set the world record in the 200 meter freestyle
(then called the 220 yard freestyle) with a time of 2:19.8, breaking the previous record of 2:21.6 set by Norman Ross
in 1916. His record would stand until 1922, when Johnny Weissmuller
swam the distance in 2:15.6. Also in 1920, Cann won the Amateur Athletic Union
National Championships in the 50, 100 and 200 meter races, becoming the first person to win all three of those titles in a single year.
He had qualified for and was preparing to participate in the 1920 Summer Olympics
in Antwerp when he was involved in a serious car accident. On September 10, 1920, Cann and two other Olympic-hopefuls were in a taxicab
in New York City
, returning home from a late night out, when the driver crashed into an elevated railroad pillar. One of Cann's fellow passengers was fatally injured, and Cann's leg was broken in six places. He missed the Olympics due to his injury, which required him to use crutches for more than a year and left him with a permanent limp. Although he was never able to swim as fast as he had before the accident, Cann took up water polo
with much success. He participated in the 1924 Summer Olympics
in Paris
and played with The New York Athletic Club national champion polo team up to the early 1930s.
Cann died at age 65 and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery
, Arlington County, Virginia
. Four years later, in 1967, he was posthumously inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame
for his accomplishments as a swimmer.
Citation:
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
. He served as an officer in the United States Naval Reserve
United States Navy Reserve
The United States Navy Reserve, until 2005 known as the United States Naval Reserve, is the Reserve Component of the United States Navy...
during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and earned the medal for saving his sinking ship.
Early life
Cann was born in Bridgeport, ConnecticutBridgeport, Connecticut
Bridgeport is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. Located in Fairfield County, the city had an estimated population of 144,229 at the 2010 United States Census and is the core of the Greater Bridgeport area...
, into a family of accomplished sportsmen. His father, Frank Cann, was the director of physical education at New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
(NYU), which both Tedford and his older brother Howard Cann
Howard Cann
Howard Gardsell Cann was an American sportsman best known as the long-time men's basketball coach at New York University. He was also an Olympic shot putter and a college basketball and football player.- Playing career :...
attended. Howard was an Olympic shot put
Shot put
The shot put is a track and field event involving "putting" a heavy metal ball—the shot—as far as possible. It is common to use the term "shot put" to refer to both the shot itself and to the putting action....
ter, a college basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
and football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player, and the NYU men's basketball coach for 35 years.
Cann's swimming career began while he was still a teenager. He attended the High School of Commerce in New York City where he was Captain of the Basketball and Swimming Teams and competed in the New York Championships. Like his older brother he became a member of the Epsilon Chapter of the Omega Gamma Delta Fraternity. At age 17 he defeated Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
an swimmer Duke Kahanamoku
Duke Kahanamoku
Duke Paoa Kahinu Mokoe Hulikohola Kahanamoku was a Hawaiian swimmer, actor, lawman, early beach volleyball player and businessman credited with spreading the sport of surfing. He was a five-time Olympic medalist in swimming.-Early years:The name "Duke" is not a title, but a given name...
, an event which he later declared was a greater thrill than being awarded the Medal of Honor. While a student at New York University, Cann also excelled in track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
, basketball, and football, where he played halfback
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
as well as becoming a member of the Fraternity of Phi Gamma Delta
Phi Gamma Delta
The international fraternity of Phi Gamma Delta is a collegiate social fraternity with 120 chapters and 18 colonies across the United States and Canada. It was founded at Jefferson College, Pennsylvania, in 1848, and its headquarters are located in Lexington, Kentucky, USA...
.
Military service
He served in the Navy Reserve during World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, initially as a Seaman
Seaman
Seaman is one of the lowest ranks in a Navy. In the Commonwealth it is the lowest rank in the Navy, followed by Able Seaman and Leading Seaman, and followed by the Petty Officer ranks....
. On November 5, 1917, while he was a member of the crew of the patrol vessel , Seaman Cann voluntarily swam into a flooded compartment and repeatedly dived beneath the surface until he had located and closed the leak that endangered the ship. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for this act.
In April 1918, Cann was commissioned as an ensign
Ensign (rank)
Ensign is a junior rank of a commissioned officer in the armed forces of some countries, normally in the infantry or navy. As the junior officer in an infantry regiment was traditionally the carrier of the ensign flag, the rank itself acquired the name....
in the Reserves, continuing to serve on the USS May into July. He spent the rest of World War I as an officer on the and left the service shortly after the conflict's end.
Post-war life
Cann resumed his swimming career after the war. Coached by Matt Mann, Cann swam with The New York Athletic ClubThe New York Athletic Club
The New York Athletic Club is a private social club and athletic club in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA. It was founded in 1868 and currently has approximately 8,600 members.-History:...
and later the Detroit Athletic Club
Detroit Athletic Club
The Detroit Athletic Club , is a private social club and athletic club located in the heart of Detroit's theater, sports, and entertainment district. The clubhouse was designed by Albert Kahn and inspired by Rome's Palazzo Farnese. It maintains reciprocal agreements for their members at other...
. On April 10, 1920 in Detroit, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, he set the world record in the 200 meter freestyle
Freestyle swimming
Freestyle is an unregulated swimming style used in swimming competitions according to the rules of FINA. The front crawl stroke is almost universally used during a freestyle race, as this style is generally the fastest...
(then called the 220 yard freestyle) with a time of 2:19.8, breaking the previous record of 2:21.6 set by 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...
in 1916. His record would stand until 1922, when Johnny Weissmuller
Johnny Weissmuller
Johnny Weissmuller was an Austro-Hungarian-born American swimmer and actor best known for playing Tarzan in movies. Weissmuller was one of the world's best swimmers in the 1920s, winning five Olympic gold medals and one bronze medal. He won fifty-two US National Championships and set sixty-seven...
swam the distance in 2:15.6. Also in 1920, Cann won the 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...
National Championships in the 50, 100 and 200 meter races, becoming the first person to win all three of those titles in a single year.
He had qualified for and was preparing to participate in 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 Antwerp when he was involved in a serious car accident. On September 10, 1920, Cann and two other Olympic-hopefuls were in a taxicab
Taxicab
A taxicab, also taxi or cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, returning home from a late night out, when the driver crashed into an elevated railroad pillar. One of Cann's fellow passengers was fatally injured, and Cann's leg was broken in six places. He missed the Olympics due to his injury, which required him to use crutches for more than a year and left him with a permanent limp. Although he was never able to swim as fast as he had before the accident, Cann took up water polo
Water polo
Water polo is a team water sport. The playing team consists of six field players and one goalkeeper. The winner of the game is the team that scores more goals. Game play involves swimming, treading water , players passing the ball while being defended by opponents, and scoring by throwing into a...
with much success. He participated in the 1924 Summer Olympics
1924 Summer Olympics
The 1924 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the VIII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1924 in Paris, France...
in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and played with The New York Athletic Club national champion polo team up to the early 1930s.
Cann died at age 65 and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia, is a military cemetery in the United States of America, established during the American Civil War on the grounds of Arlington House, formerly the estate of the family of Confederate general Robert E. Lee's wife Mary Anna Lee, a great...
, Arlington County, Virginia
Arlington County, Virginia
Arlington County is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The land that became Arlington was originally donated by Virginia to the United States government to form part of the new federal capital district. On February 27, 1801, the United States Congress organized the area as a subdivision of...
. Four years later, in 1967, he was posthumously inducted into 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...
for his accomplishments as a swimmer.
Medal of Honor citation
Rank and organization: Seaman, U.S. Navy. Born: September 3, 1897, Bridgeport, Conn. Accredited to: New York. G.O. No.: 366, 1918.Citation:
For courageous conduct while serving on board the U.S.S. May, 5 November 1917. Cann found a leak in a flooded compartment and closed it at the peril of his life, thereby unquestionably saving the ship.
See also
- List of Medal of Honor recipients
- List of Medal of Honor recipients for World War I