Frank Chamberlain was a specialist in short distance freestyle swimming and gained a reputation while studying at Yale University as one of the best Ivy-league competitors. At the trials for the 1952 Helsinki Olympics, however, he finished fourth in the 200 metres freestyle and was only an alternate on the 4x200 metre freestyle squad. That team would go on to win gold at the Games, but Chamberlain did not swim in any of the rounds and thus did not take home a medal. He graduated from Yale the following year and joined the United States Army, where he continued to swim. After attempting unsuccessfully to qualify for the delegation to the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, he retired from active competition. He later worked as a manufacturing executive in Kentucky.