They found the drownproofing pool under the locker rooms

Akinji07

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https://www.myajc.com/sports/colleg...-room-renovation-pool/FtboljrkZoktqxcJLWRqjN/

Georgia Tech’s renovation of its football locker room encountered a little bit of school history.

In tearing up the locker-room space and evidently digging into the ground beneath, contractors were surprised to find the remnants of an old swimming pool, athletic director Todd Stansbury said Thursday at a quarterly meeting of the Georgia Tech Athletic Association.

They forgot, or they didn’t ask me about the pool that was underneath the football locker room,” said Stansbury, a member of Tech’s class of 1984.

The 25-yard natatorium was a part of Heisman Gymnasium, which was at the north end of what was then called Grant Field, now Bobby Dodd Stadium. Heisman Gym was demolished in 1995, making way for the eventual construction of the north stands.

The locker room and the football offices are housed underneath the stands. Tech began a $4.5 million renovation of the locker room in January, long a priority for coach Paul Johnson.

“They weren’t ready for (the pool) because it didn’t show up on any renderings, maps,” Stansbury said. “The old pool was a surprise they weren’t ready for.”

Stansbury said that the discovery of the pool has required some shoring work to support the construction of the ground-floor locker-room space. A Tech spokesman said that it will not delay the project, scheduled to be completed by the time the Yellow Jackets begin preseason practice in August.

Stansbury and thousands of other Tech grads have memories of the pool, which was home to the institute’s infamous Drownproofing class. According to the school’s alumni association, the class was developed in 1938 by Tech swimming coach Freddy Lanoue at the request of the U.S. Navy. When Stansbury brought up the matter at the meeting, other Tech grads in the meeting responded with knowing remarks.
 

ee8384

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There's words on the bottom of that pool. And the bones of more than a few Frosh.
 

eg1

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They taught me drownproofing during swimming lessons at the Cedar Park Pool in Pointe Claire, Quebec in the '70s. Closest thing to part of a Tech degree that I ever did ...
 

Graybeard Jacket

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I waited until I was about to graduate before taking the class. I wasn't sure I'd pass and I wasn't going to go through the grief unless I knew I was going to get out of the Institute. I am still grateful for the grace given by Coach Plaxico. He was a good man.
 

GSOJacket

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An iconic Tech class and a graduation requirement when I was there. It was dreaded by non-swimmers, and especially by some football players. I particularly remember the day of the underwater swim (two lengths of the 25 yard pool). The secret was to hyperventilate before you began and to swim efficiently rather than fast to conserve oxygen. I and another guy were among the first to finish, and Lannou appointed us 'lifeguards', instructing us to immediately rescue anyone in the pool upon command. We had two non-swimmer identical twin brothers in the class. They could paddle with their heads down but could not actually swim underwater. Late in the period after most had completed the swim, the first brother jumped in and began to paddle - slowly. He finally reached the far end of the pool and began the last leg. About ten feet from the wall, after about a minute 35 seconds, Lannou shouted out, 'Go get him!' I got there in probably less than five seconds. His face was blue, and he had almost passed out but was OK. Then his brother went with an almost identical result. About the same time, same place in pool, about to pass out, when the other 'lifeguard' stopped the effort. IMO, very courageous efforts by both twins (both of whom passed the course).
 

ThisIsAtlanta

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An iconic Tech class and a graduation requirement when I was there. It was dreaded by non-swimmers, and especially by some football players. I particularly remember the day of the underwater swim (two lengths of the 25 yard pool). The secret was to hyperventilate before you began and to swim efficiently rather than fast to conserve oxygen. I and another guy were among the first to finish, and Lannou appointed us 'lifeguards', instructing us to immediately rescue anyone in the pool upon command. We had two non-swimmer identical twin brothers in the class. They could paddle with their heads down but could not actually swim underwater. Late in the period after most had completed the swim, the first brother jumped in and began to paddle - slowly. He finally reached the far end of the pool and began the last leg. About ten feet from the wall, after about a minute 35 seconds, Lannou shouted out, 'Go get him!' I got there in probably less than five seconds. His face was blue, and he had almost passed out but was OK. Then his brother went with an almost identical result. About the same time, same place in pool, about to pass out, when the other 'lifeguard' stopped the effort. IMO, very courageous efforts by both twins (both of whom passed the course).
Controlled hyperventilation doesn't increase the O2 levels in your blood beyond normal levels, oddly enough. It decreases the pain stimulus associated with CO2 buildup, though, by starting that at a lower point. In terms of when you'll pass out, though, given the willpower to fight the pain, there isn't any difference.
 

gtnc72

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ahhhhhhhhh, drown-proofing. The zenith of the two year PE requirement. Aside from that course, I recall track in which I scored an A in the mile, B in the 880, C in the 440, D in the 220, and F in the 100. Slow as hell, but damn I could last.

Seems that the pool under the locker room is in keeping with the original stands under the current west.
 

cincyjacket

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The fact that the drownproofing pool was at the Heisman Gym was common knowledge I thought. I'm boggled that the contractors weren't told about that and they had to "discover" it.
 

GTRules

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It wasn’t called the Heisman Gym.

Geez Louise.

Edit: and maybe everybody thought they filled it up with dirt or something, like they should have.
 

LongforDodd

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The fact that the drownproofing pool was at the Heisman Gym was common knowledge I thought. I'm boggled that the contractors weren't told about that and they had to "discover" it.
There is probably a whole new set, perhaps generation, of managers at GT's Facilities Dept. and outside A/E's who might have knowledge of it. To compound the problem, records of it are digitized and are therefore harder to gain knowledge of. Thousands of drawings are now digital CAD drawings or scanned PDF's.
 
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