Nancy Lethcoe

Nancy Lethcoe
Born	1940 Seattle
Nationality	American
Occupation	Teacher, activist

Nancy Lethcoe (born in Seattle, 1940) is a teacher and political activist currently living in Valdez, Alaska. She represented the United States at the Olympic Games in swimming in 1956. Lethcoe campaigned for the Alaska State House District 12 in the November 2008 elections, but failed to win the seat from incumbent John Harris.^[1]

Early life

Lethcoe was born in Seattle and grew up on Mercer Island, Washington. Her grandfather, Edwin Ramey, worked on the early steamships bringing gold rushers to Nome with stops in Valdez, Alaska.

Education

She graduated from the University of Washington in 1962 after spending junior year at the University of London's Bedford College. In 1967, she received a masters from the University of Wisconsin and later obtained her doctorate.

Olympic medalist

Lethcoe represented the United States in the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne, Australia, where she won a silver medal in the 100 m butterfly.^[2] Upon meeting members of the Hungarian Women's swimming team, she learned that they had been outside the country when the revolution occurred.^[3] She invited Suzie Ordogh, who was also 16, to come and live with her family. After the Olympics Nancy went on to hold two World Records for butterfly in 1958 and 1959.

Lethcoe was one of three Olympic heroes from Alaska to be honored by the US Olympic committee on their Road to Beijing website.^[4]

Teaching career

Lethcoe taught philosophy part-time at Alaska Methodist University and the Anchorage Community College before teaching full time at Stanford University. From 1974 to 2004, the Lethcoes owned and operated Alaska Wilderness Sailing and Kayaking, offering guided trips in Prince William Sound.^[5]

In 1980, Lethcoe and her husband Jim moved to Valdez to teach part-time at Prince William Sound Community College.

Literary career

In 1984 Lethcoe and her husband started Prince William Sound Books. They researched, wrote, and published the books Cruising Guide to Prince William Sound, Glaciers of Prince William Sound, Geology of Prince William Sound, Prince William Sound's Weather and Climate,the Valdez Gold Rush Trails, and a History of Prince William Sound. The Lethcoes also published books by other authors on topics relating to greater Prince William Sound area. Lethcoe is an expert on the local and natural history of Valdez and Prince William Sound and is featured expert in the Valdez Museum's DVD, Between the Glacier and the Sea.^[6]

Volunteer activities

In the early 1980s Lethcoe worked on the land management planning process for the Chugach National Forest. Her activities resulted in the halting of clear-cutting in Prince William Sound. She also spoke out against a proposed road to Whittier.^[7][8]

After the 1989 EXXON Valdez Oil Spill, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration invited Lethcoe to represent the public on its shoreline clean-up committee that advised the Coast Guard and Exxon.

In 1989, she received the Celia Hunter award for work on tracking legislative bills related to the oil spill.^[9] The Alaska Legislature honored both Jim and Nancy Lethcoe for "their years of dedication and work on behalf of Alaska . . . [their] volunteer work during the Prince William Sound Oil Spill when they sought to work with all parties through mediation and diplomacy instead of divisiveness and antagonism."

Lethcoe helped to found the Alaska Wilderness Recreation and Tourism Association and became its first President. ^[10]

Personal life

She married Jim Lethcoe in 1962. She survives both her husband and her daughters. Nancy Lethcoe currently lives in Valdez, Alaska, on her sailboat, the Arctic Tern III.

References

1. ^ Don Hunter (November 5, 2008). "Leadership scramble begins with races undecided". Anchorage Daily News website. http://www.adn.com/2008/11/05/580140/leadership-scramble-begins-with.html. Retrieved July 12, 2010. 
2. ^ Sports Illustrated Vaults, April 21, 1958, A Worldwide Roundup Of The Sports Information Of The Week < (Suzie Ordogh and Nancy Lethcoe break records). [1]
3. ^ Sports Illustrated Vaults, January 07, 1957, American Welcome: Hungarian Olympians, looking for new homes, reach the U.S. after the flight from Melbourne.
4. ^ US Olympic Committee, Road to Beijing, Alaska, Nancy Ramey Lethcoe.
5. ^ Prince William Sound Natural History Web Page (retrieved 6/21/08)
6. ^ Between the Glacier and the Sea, DVD published by the Valdez Museum, Valdez AK, 2008
7. ^ Prince William Sound Sub Area Contingency Plan Sensitive Areas
8. ^ A proposed new road to Prince William Sound raises the question Outside Magazine
9. ^ Alaska Conservation Foundation - Past Award Winners, Celia Hunter Award, 1989.
10. ^ Woodring, Jeannie. "Ecotourism: exploring the last frontier of travel". Alaska Business Monthly, May 1, 1994. Ecotourism: exploring the last frontier of travel. Retrieved on July 1.

Persondata
Name	Lethcoe, Nancy
Alternative names
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Date of birth	1940
Place of birth	Seattle
Date of death
Place of death