There are very few people within the City University of New York (CUNY) system with as much celebration as Dr. Jane Katz.
A life long New Yorker, Dr. Katz has been involved within the CUNY system for the past 50 years.
After graduating from New York City’s own Seward Park High School in 1959, Dr. Katz entered the City College of New York (CCNY) where she pioneered CCNY’s first ever sport for women when she helped assemble a synchronized swimming performance team.
“Before I got there, there were no sports for women, they had nothing,” said Katz. “Women in sports have evolved so much through the years. There are many females out there who love to compete but didn’t have a platform to perform on.”
This was just the beginning for Katz. After graduating from CCNY in 1964, Katz traveled to Japan to perform as part of a performance team in the 1964 summer Olympics.
Synchronized swimming was not an Olympic sport yet, and didn’t become one until twenty years later, but Katz’ pioneering playing a crucial factor for the opportunities that came to past years later.
Upon returning to the United States later that summer, Katz was hired to help establish an aquatics program at Bronx Community College (BCC) where she stayed for 25 years. There, once again, Katz was critical in establishing swim programs for women. She developed another synchronized swimming team that performed at various venues. Katz also recalled a time in 1965 when she took over forty-five young women on a bus ride to perform in Canada.
By the mid seventies, Katz had made her mark in the aquatics world. She became the first female in the history of CCNY to be inducted in the CCNY athletics Hall of Fame when she was inducted in 1976.
In 1989, Katz then made another critical move. After having well established a reputation in helping women in sports and promoting swimming, she came to fellow CUNY institution, John Jay College of Criminal Justice who themselves were in the process of establishing an aquatics program after opening its pool.
After her arrival at John Jay, Katz established a swimming club team in 1995 which made the transition to varsity in 2001.
Through it all, Katz’ name has become legendary while being synonymous with swimming.
She has been inducted into several Hall of Fames, including the Metropolitan Swimming Hall of Fame and the International Swimming Hall of Fame. She has also earned countless awards for her commitment and dedication to swimming. Most recently, Katz was honored with the very prestigious Liberty Medal for her outstanding work to the reentry program, a program for troubled youth.
At sixty-six years old, Katz is still as active as can be. She still competes on a regular basis. This summer she competed in Israel for the Macabee masters swim team for seniors from July 12-25 where she won 10 gold medals and three silvers.
She also competed at the World Senior Games in Palo Alto, Calif. from Aug. 1-6 where she won the 50, 100 and 200 yard backstroke events.
In October 2009, Katz was the winner of the 200 meter backstroke and 1500 meter freestyle at the World Swim Games in St. George, Utah.
