Passages: Two-Time Olympian Susan Pitt Anderson Dies at 76; Impact Felt In and Out of Pool
The swimming world is in mourning at the news that Susan Pitt Anderson, a two-time Olympian, passed away on Friday, November 22. Pitt Anderson had an impact on the sport first as an elite athlete and later in coaching and administrative roles. A native of New Jersey, Pitt Anderson was highly influential on swimming in the Garden State, including as the founder of Scarlet Aquatics.
As a standout for the Summit YMCA, Pitt Anderson emerged as a national and international standout in the early 1960s. During the 1963 season, she set a world record in the 200-meter butterfly when she posted a time of 2:29.1 during competition in Philadelphia. That performance improved the previous world record (2:30.7) by more than a second and provided momentum heading into the Olympic year of 1964.
Courtesy: Mike Unger
Although the 200 butterfly was not part of the Olympic program for the 1964 Games in Tokyo, Pitt qualified to represent the United States in the 400 medley relay. In her Olympic debut, she participated in the preliminary heats of the 400 medley relay, helping Team USA advance to the final. The United States squad captured gold in the final, but due to rules at the time, Pitt Anderson did not receive an Olympic medal for her efforts.
With no collegiate sports opportunities for women in the 1960s, Pitt Anderson stepped away from the sport and enrolled at the University of Vermont. However, after a year, she recognized that her times were still competitive with the top performers in the U.S. With that knowledge as fuel, Pitt Anderson left Vermont and returned to training and eventually was named to Team USA as an alternate for the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City. She was selected as a team captain for the Red, White and Blue.
“I came back to New Jersey to train with Frank Elm, who had always been my coach and coached not only the Rutgers varsity, but also a successful club team, Scarlet Jets, which is who I swam for,” Pitt Anderson told the Rutgers Foundation for a feature article. “I didn’t do as well in the ’68 Olympic Trials as I hoped, but it was good enough to make the 1968 team as an alternate.”
Courtesy: Mike Unger. Susan Pitt Anderson – Top Right
Following her days as an international star, Pitt Anderson remained a force in the Masters scene, setting records in the next chapter of her career. More, she took her love of the sport to the coaching and administrative ranks. Pitt Anderson founded Scarlet Aquatics and prior served as a coach for the Raritan Valley YMCA. Her coaching stops allowed Pitt Anderson to impact young swimmers, both from an athletic standpoint and through her influence as a mentor.
Additionally, Pitt Anderson served as USA Swimming’s Director of Programs and Services and was a longtime contributor as an LSC consultant.
Pitt Anderson was in attendance over the summer when the United States Olympic Trials for the Paris Games were held at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The event, in addition to selecting the U.S. squad for the Olympic Games, offered the opportunity for past stars of American swimming to gather, reminisce and have the chance to be celebrated by fans in Indy.
Courtesy: Tiny Randazzo. Susan Pitt Anderson – Top Row, Fourth from Right
Susan will be sorely missed, she was a true pioneer and trailblazer in the field of Women’s swimming. Under her coaching, swimming was fun and easy. She inspired me to become a swim coach.