High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Iris C. Cummings Critchell (born December 21, 1920) is an American aviator and former Olympic swimmer who competed at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin. After an active athletic career in swimming, which included a reign as United States national 200m breaststroke champion from 1936 to 1939, she was accepted into the University of Southern California`s first Civilian Pilot Training Program in 1939. After graduation she worked as a flight instructor prior to being selected to serve her country during World War II as a member of the Women Airforce Service Pilots. Following the conflict she returned to California, where she developed and taught a curriculum on civilian flight for veterans returning from the war at the University of Southern California.