Hall of Fame
Beulah Detwiler Gundling developed her physical skills before, during, and after her years at Coe College and went on to an outstanding national and international career in solo synchronized swimming. Beulah Detwiler, later to marry Henry Gundling, received her degree from Coe in 1938. Her interests were physical education and zoology and her academic and personal accomplishments were many and varied. She also liked music and dancing and the talents developed in these activities were later merged with her swimming ability. Beulah Detwiler's commitment to physical activity was demonstrated during her Coe years when she walked from her home in Cedar Rapids to the college, eight miles a day, five days a week. It was estimated that she covered 5,120 miles before she received her degree. Beulah Detwiler was 14 when she learned to swim at the YMCA. She became proficient in all the strokes and swam competitively. When Beulah Detwiler and Henry Gundling were married, they became a team, she was the performer, he was the manager. Their success was measured by the worldwide recognition Beulah Detwiler Gundling received. She never lost as a competitor in solo synchronized swimming. Several pages would be needed to list all the victories and honors Beulah Gundling collected. Briefly, she won the first title in the United States for outdoor solo syn- synchronized swimming; she captured the first Canadian solo title and the first world solo title; she later won the first gold medal awarded by the Pan American Games. Beulah Gundling made swimming in synchronization with music an aquatic art.
