1948
11th Place, Water Polo
1948 Olympic Games
London, United Kingdom
As a young man, Frank Walton was a swimmer at the University of Oregon and for the San Francisco Olympic Club. In 1927 he was considered “the best potential swimming star on the Pacific Coast.” He held the Southern Pacific AAU record for the 100-meter backstroke of 1:11.3 and was the national backstroke champion while a freshman at the University of Oregon.
Walton went to the 1928 Olympic trials and competed in the backstroke and freestyle but finished out of the money. By the time the 1932 Olympics rolled around, Walton was in the Marines and did not participate. However, he was still swimming, now for the Hollywood Athletic Club and beaten existing world and American records in the backstroke. (The records could not be verified so are not listed.)
Walton joined the Los Angeles Police Department in 1938 and played on the Los Angeles Athletic Club’s water polo team. In 1948 the LAAC won the right to represent the United States in the 1948 Olympic Games by crushing the Illinois Athletic Club, 9-2 in the finals of the Olympic trials.
In the first round of the Olympic water polo competition, the U.S. tied Belgium, 4-4. In the second round, the U. S. was eliminated from competition by Sweden, 7-0. The U.S. finished in 11th place.
Walton retired from LAPD as Deputy Chief in 1959 and joined the Outrigger in 1960 as a Nonresident member. When he moved to Hawaii he became active in OCC activities. He remained a swimmer and was active on the Club’s Golf and Public Relations Committees.