Jack Taylor began swimming at the Downtown Akron YMCA and also swam for the Firestone Swim Club. He starred at The Ohio State University, winning 14 individual Big 10 titles. He started out as a distance swimmer but later changed over to the backstroke. Taylor won NCAA titles in the 1,500 freestyle in 1950, 100 yard backstroke in 1952, 150 yard backstroke in 1950, and the 200 yard backstroke in 1951. He won AAU titles outdoors and indoors in 1948 in the 1,500 metre freestyle, and indoors in 1951 in the 100 and 200 yard backstroke.
After graduating from Ohio State Taylor joined the Navy and became a fighter pilot, reaching the rank of lieutenant. On 30 May 1955, he crashed and died while practicing night carrier landings in his AD-4 Skyraider at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
United States