OCALA, FL (352today.com) – Ocala swimming legend, Newton A. Perry, will be honored for his outstanding contributions to swimming, film and military training, with a plaque on Downtown Ocala’s Walk of Fame. January 6, 2026, was declared Newton A. Perry Day, by the City of Ocala. Mayor Ben Marciano delivered a proclamation lauding the famed swimmer as a Hometown Hero at the Ocala City Council meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026.
Perry was raised and educated in Ocala and Marion County and graduated from Ocala High School at age 14. Perry taught swimming lessons at Silver Springs for 25 cents, and at age 16 he became Ocala High School’s swim coach and a celebrated athlete.
Perry’s family moved to Ocala in 1922. He would walk six miles on a dirt road to Silver Springs and swim every day. When he graduated eighth grade, he was told by his English teacher that he wouldn’t amount to anything, and he may as well drop out of school; taking his teacher’s advice, he did three years of manual labor, hauling some of the brick that was used at Osceola Middle School.
Perry’s exceptional athleticism drew the attention of the Dean of American Sports Writers Grantland Rice, who was also a filmmaker and featured Perry in more than 100 short films, in which Perry demonstrated remarkable underwater feats, such as eating bananas, drinking soda and performing other stunts, while holding his breath for nearly four minutes, said Marciano.
in 1941, Perry set the world record for deep diving without equipment, 187 feet, according to resource publication “Images of America: Ocala.”
It was through these incredible feats that Perry attracted the attention of major Hollywood studios, providing him with opportunities to serve as consultant on aquatic scenes in cinematic adventure thrillers, “Tarzan Finds a Son” and “Tarzan’s Secret Treasure,” which were filmed at Silver Springs and Wakulla Springs.
He trained swimmers, and through his expertise, he helped design and execute complex underwater sequences that showcased Florida’s natural beauty. Perry’s reputation grew globally, and he would play a pivotal role in another movie series that is synonymous with Silver Springs, “The Creature from the Black Lagoon,” persuading Universal Studios to film in Florida’s crystal-clear springs, and recommending local swimmer, native Floridian, Ricou Browning, to portray the titular Gill-man in the underwater scenes during the movies, said Marciano.
Perry also taught his nephew Don Schollander, who won five Olympic Gold medals, four in 1964 and one in 1968, in swimming, as well as an Olympic Silver medal. Schollander was the Associated Press Athlete of the Year in 1964 and earned plaudits as the top amateur athlete in the United States by winning the James E. Sullivan Award.
Perry’s expertise in water dynamics and visual storytelling left an indelible impression that resonates to this day in the film industry.
But Perry’s influence is far more reaching than just sport and film. During World War II, he was called upon by the man known as the G.I.’s General, Gen. Omar Bradley, to contribute to the training of the U.S. Navy’s elite underwater demolition team, the forerunners of today’s Navy Seals, said Marciano.
Perry’s industrious nature and indefatigable work ethic found him teaching more than 120,000 people to swim during the course of his life. The Ocalan’s legacy continues to be a presence within the community through Perry’s Swim Schools, that are operated by his daughters.