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Ellis was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1947, [1] and grew up there. He began swimming at the recently integrated Highland Park pool in Pittsburgh and as a youth took a position as a lifeguard there. By the mid-1960's the Pittsburgh outdoor pools had hired several black lifeguards.
Feb 17, 2022 · Ellis started as a water safety instructor at the Sayre-Morrie Recreation Center in West Philadelphia, often working with youth who weren’t selected for other sports teams. Under Ellis’ guidance, PDR has grown into a premier competitive swim team that has become a model for urban swim programs across the United States.
Jim Ellis formed the PDR (Philadelphia Department of Recreation) Swim Team in 1971, which was the first African-American swim team in the United States. I was an age grouper back in the 1970s,...
In 1972, Jim decided to start a swim team for inner city kids under the Philadelphia Department of Recreation. The PDR swim team, as it was called, consisted mainly of African-American kids, which was unusual for the time – very few African-Americans were swimmers.
Mar 29, 2007 · NANCY GREENLEESE: I joined my first swim team in 1972. That's the same year math teacher Jim Ellis started his team at a Philadelphia recreation center. My swimming world was whitewashed.
Film's star, Oscar nominee Terrence Howard says swim coach Jim Ellis, whom he plays in the movie, inspired him to believe in himself
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Feb 7, 2024 · As the founder of the Philadelphia Department of Recreation Swim Team, he etched his name in history by establishing the nation’s first Black swim team in 1971.
