Bowen Dow Stassforth (August 7, 1926 – November 22, 2019) was an American competition swimmer who won a silver medal in the 200 m breaststroke at the 1952 Olympics and set two world records in the 200-yard (long course) breaststroke. and one world record in the 100 meter (long course) breaststroke Biography Born in Los Angeles on August 7, 1926, Stassforth was an eight-time All-American in swimming at the University of Iowa. At the conclusion of his career in 1952, he concurrently held 16 national breaststroke records in distances from 200 yards to 500 meters in 20 yard, short course and long course pools. He was also the 1952 Iowa AAU Athlete of the Year and Iowa AAU's nominee for the James E. Sullivan Award. In his early life, Bowen had an intense fear of water, which was the result of having his head put under water by his caretaker. After his parents discovered this, swimming lessons commenced with several different instructors, all of whom were unsuccessful in helping him overcome his fear of water. Finally, swimming lessons with Thelma Payne of the Los Angeles Athletic Club were able to help him overcome his fear of water. His athletic career as a swimmer began at Los Angeles High School (1942–44) as well as the Hollywood Athletic Club during which time he finished second at the 1943 California State Meet in the 200 yard breaststroke to his teammate Harry Messenheimer. In August 1944, while still in high school, Bowen enlisted in the U.S. Navy. His vision throughout his life was poor. Consequently, in order to join the Navy, he memorized the eye chart for his initial physical. During basic training, his vision problems were discovered by his superiors. As a result, he was subsequently assigned to teach swimming and water survival skills to enlisted sailors on North Island in San Diego. He was honorably discharged in 1946. Bowen swam in the era when the accepted arm motion of the breaststroke was optional with either the contemporary underwater breaststroke or the over the water arm motion now known as the butterfly. The leg movement was the frog kick. In 1953, the stroke was bifurcated into the breaststroke and the butterfly using a dolphin kick. As a result, any records he held were subsequently wiped off the record books. At his first AAU National Outdoor Championship meet in 1945, representing Fleet Air Wing