Harry Holiday

Harry Holiday, Jr. (July 2, 1923 – February 16, 1999) was a world record holder in the backstroke at the University of Michigan in the 1940s and the president of steelmaker American Rolling Mill Co. (Armco) from 1974 to 1986.

He missed the opportunity to compete in the Olympic games which were cancelled in 1940 and 1944 due to World War II.

In 1940, he finished second in the Canadian two-mile freestyle championship, 30 yards behind the winner, even though he swam backstroke the entire way.

In February of 1941, coached by John Miller, he led the Mercersburg Academy swim team to victory against the Penn State Freshman and set a pool record in the 100-yard backstroke of 1:01.5.

As a Senior in March 1941, earning the most creditable time of the meet, he led Mercersburg to their second U.S. Prep School Championship, swimming backstroke in a winning medley trio.

Harry received the Vanderberg Trophy in his Senior year at Mercersburg for "exerting the best influence on the swimming team".

Equally outstanding in academics, Holiday was one of only ten Mercersburg area preparatory students of the Class of 1941 initiated into the Cum Laude National Honor Society.

Holiday enrolled at Michigan in 1941 and became eligible for the varsity swim team in 1943.

At the end of 1942, U-M swimming coach Mann predicted that his 18-year-old, 6’ 5” sophomore, Harry Holiday, would break every backstroke record.

Mann said, "Holiday is the best the world has ever seen on his back and one of the finest of all time in the free-style."

In an exhibition in late 1942, Holiday swam the 100-yard backstroke in 57 seconds, two-tenths of a second under the world record.

In the 150-yard backstroke, he swam at 1:33 –- a full second under the NCAA record.

Holiday was the NCAA backstroke champion in 1943 and 1947, won six NCAA swimming championships, and set seven world records and 18 American records.

In a January 1943 meet against Ohio State, Holiday finished three quarters of a length ahead of the nearest competitor in the 150-yard backstroke with a time of 1:35.9, one second ahead of the conference record.

He also broke the world record in the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 57.3 seconds, won the 50-yard freestyle, and swam the winning leg of the 300-yard medley relay.

In early February 1943, Holiday received word that his U.S. Army reserve unit would be called to active duty in June.

In a meet against Michigan State in February 1943, he set more records, including an NCAA record for the 150-yard backstroke (1:31.4).

He also swam his leg of the 300-yard medley in a time of 56.9, three tenths of a second under the world record.

At the Big Ten meet in March 1943, he swam the 150-yard backstroke in 1:31.7 to set a conference and NCAA mark.

He also paced the U-M team to an NCAA record in the 300-yard medley.

At the National AAU swimming championship in April 1943, Holiday finally went head-to-head with world-record holder Adolph Kiefer.

Holiday beat Kiefer in the 150-yard backstroke at the AAU meet.

The defeat was the first for Kiefer in eight years.

In his first two months of varsity competition, Holiday broke two of Adolph Kiefer's world records, lowering the 100-yard backstroke mark to 57 seconds and the 200-meter standard to 2:22.9.

In August 1943, the NCAA also recognized Holiday as the holder of the new world record in the 150-yard backstroke with a mark of 1:31.5.

Holiday was called into active duty in the Army, leaving for combat training in Texas in 1943, and served until 1946.

Holiday was named as a swimmer to the 1944 Olympic team, but the games were cancelled due to World War II.

He was unable to compete for Michigan swimming in 1944, 1945, or 1946.

In June 1946, he competed for the University of Hawaii, setting new Hawaiian records in the 200-yard medley and 150-yard backstroke event.

He returned to Michigan in 1947.

That year, he set world and American records in the 140-yard individual medley, the 300-meter and 40-yard backstroke events.

He was the favorite at the 1947 NCAAs but was forced to withdraw after contracting the flu.

As a Senior, Holiday was named captain of the Michigan team and led them to the NCAA National Championship meet held at Ann Arbor.

He swam on the winning 300-yard medley relay team, and for the third consecutive year won place on the All-America swimming team.

Despite losing three years of his U-M swimming career to the war, Holiday set seven world records as a swimmer in the 100-yard backstroke, 200-meter backstroke, 440-yard backstroke, 300-meter individual medley, and in three relay events.

He worked for Armco from 1949 until his retirement in 1986.

He was the company's president from 1974 to 1986, adding the title of chief executive officer in 1979 and chairman in 1982.

A native of Butler, Pennsylvania, Holiday trained with the University of Michigan's Hall of Fame swimming coach Matt Mann, a British Empire Champion swimmer in his youth.

While still in high school at Mercersburg Academy, Holiday attended Mann's Camp Chickope for several summers in Northern Ontario, near Burk's Falls, which focused on swimming skills.

He was inducted into the University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor in 1981 and the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 1990.