Virginia Hunt Newman
You might say Virginia Hunt Newman 'dove' her way into swim teaching.
From 1940 to 1948 Virginia Hunt (Newman) was a competitive diver at the Los Angeles Athletic Club. She appeared in water shows for the WWII troops on behalf of the United Service Organization and the Hollywood Victory Committee.
In the 1940's Virginia dove at a water show at Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles where another emerging baby swim teacher - Crystal Scarborough - routinely taught.
Virginia started teaching swimming in 1950. Around Los Angeles such instruction for babies could have included screaming and vomiting students. (Virginia remembers visiting a pool where the teacher had pan on deck at the water's edge for students to vomit into. Students shouldn't be vomiting!) Parents were usually not included in the water with infant-toddlers classes during the 1950's. "Students were taken into the water but really didn't seem to be doing very much in most cases" Virginia recalls. She visited the programs conducted by Scarborough and Scarborough's sister Jen Loven.
From 1951 to 1956 Virginia taught swimming and diving at Black Fox - a boys military school. She also taught lessons in peoples' homes. Students included children of movie stars and entertainers Harry Cohen, Jerry Lewis, Alan Lad, Bob Newhart, and Max Factor at the school.
Side note: When school headmaster Major Gaver interviewed Virginia for the position he said that (male) teachers who'd been at the school a long time couldn't see how a little woman could manage these boys. Virginia's response was - "Just sit back and watch!" She got the job, stayed five years and commanded the respect of the boys and fellow teachers alike. Virginia says it was one of the greatest teaching experiences of her career.
In the early 1960's Virginia got a referral to teach children in a special family. Virginia had been teaching obstetrician, Dr. Moss's children who also happen to be the doctor of Kathryn Crosby wife of singer and movie star Bing Crosby). "Kathryn called and asked if I would teach her children, Mary Frances and Harry, too," Virginia said "Sure". Since the Crosby home did not have a pool, she taught them at Dr. Moss's home.
Virginia says both children were good students but Mary Frances was more outgoing and the 'perfect student'. At age 2 years she could back float, jump in and swim 25 feet recovering up to the surface to get air as she went. Virginia covered all the skills with the 2-year old that were then associated with the American Red Cross 'Beginner' test.
Regarding the amount of instruction given Virginia states: "Mary Frances started swimming at age 10 months and she was almost 2 1/2 years old in February 1962. We swam 3 times a week for 1/2 hour excluding vacations. I don't recall either she or Harry staying home because of illness. So it took about 175 to 180 hours of time in the water including play time for Mary Frances to learn the skills she needed to pass the Red Cross beginner's test.
Virginia contacted the Los Angeles area office of the Red Cross to secure a 'beginner' card for her student. Given Mary Frances's achievements for her age and her famous father, local Red Cross Director Roger Plaisted agreed to present the card himself at poolside at the Moss residence in February of 1962 - hence the photo!
National magazines, newspapers and TV were present for the ceremony. Famous swimmer and actor Johnny Weismuller came along with Plaisted. Kathryn Crosby accompanied her daughter but Bing did not attend.
Virginia felt that Mary's father, Bing, purposely chose to stay away to give his daughter the limelight on the special occasion covered by the media. Virginia felt the national American Red Cross office didn't like it that such a young child had passed the beginner test and felt they took steps to keep that from happening in the future. Today: Mary Frances Crosby Brodka.
Mary Frances demonstrated her swimming prior to receiving her card. Virginia recalls: "I didn't want to take her to a new and strange place for the demonstration even though she was quite outgoing so we held the ceremony at the Moss's home where the lessons had been all along. I didn't want to take any chances knowing the entire media would be there. I also didn't change my swim suit from the one I wore in the lessons and I asked her mother not to let Mary Frances wear a different one either. I treated it as though it were another lesson. Heavy, heavy hung over my head. And luckily it was very successful."
Virginia was also commissioned to teach children of actor John Wayne.
Virginia said that she can vouch for John Wayne being a terrific person. When Virginia asked if Wayne could attend an award ceremony for his children's swimming, an aid to Wayne interjected that his schedule would not permit it. Wayne overruled the aid's reminder saying, "Oh that can wait till Saturday, we can do this for Ginny." ('Ginny' rather than Virginia as she was known by acquainted with her.)
Virginia also taught a daughter of author Harold Robbins - Adriana. When they met Virginia at the door of their home on the first lesson day, Adriana said "I am not going to put my face in" to which Virginia responded "Well you don't have to do anything that you don't want to do." In working with Adriana, Virginia put her own face in and glance around the pool, came up and remarked to Adriana, "Do you know you have gold fish in your pool?" "No we don't" said Adriana over and over again. But shortly there after, Adrian put her face in and surfaced to remark, "We also have an octopus in our pool!"
Admitting that she didn't previously know of Harold Robbins - author of 25 best sellers with content that was part of sexual and social revolution. Virginia laughed when she recalled a conversation with Robbins' wife. "We talked about my swimming book, published in 1967, and she said, 'You know, my husband is a writer too'. Virginia said "Oh really, what does he write?". "Novels", his wife said, understating the nature of Robbins content.
Virginia also taught the daughter of Sonny & Cher - Chastity. According to Virginia, there was little to teach Chastity since father - Sonny - had already done a good job of it.
Virginia has been featured in the New York Times and interviewed by Barbara Walters on the NBC Today Show. She'd also made a trip to Philadelphia with Katherine Crosby to appear on the Mike Douglas TV Show.
Virginia has been featured in the New York Times and interviewed by Barbara Walters on the NBC Today Show. She'd also made a trip to Philadelphia with Katherine Crosby to appear on the Mike Douglas TV Show.