Barbara Jensen

Barbara Jensen learned to swim at the Jewish Community Center in San Francisco. At age 12, she swam for the Crystal Plunge Pool in San Francisco and then went to Athens Athletic Club in Oakland, later to return to Crystal Plunge in 1949. Jensen broke the American record for the 100 metre backstroke in 1945 when only 15-years-old. She was an All-American swimmer from 1948-50 and was a member of the 1949-50 US overseas squads and was high point winner at the indoor and outdoor Nationals in 1949, winning the 1949 AAUs outdoors in the 110 yd and 220 yd backstroke, and indoors in the 220 yd backstroke. In 1949 she was runner-up for the Sullivan Award.

After raising her family, Jensen returned to school and earned a Masters’ degree in Sociology at age 44 from Saint Xavier University in Chicago. In 1972 Jensen also returned to Masters’ Swimming while living near Chicago. She became an All-American Masters’ Swimmer from 1972-79, winning 42 national titles and setting eight age-group US or world records in the backstroke. She then took a break in 1980 for health reasons but returned to the pool for competition in 1997, winning her age-group in the 50, 100, and 200 backstroke in 1997, and again making the All-American Masters’ Swim team in 1997, and 2000-01.