Tedford Cann
| Tedford Harris Cann | |
|---|---|
Ensign Tedford H. Cann, c. 1918
|
|
| Nickname(s) | "Ted" |
| Born |
September 3, 1897 Bridgeport, Connecticut |
| Died | January 26, 1963 (aged 65) Port Chester, New York |
| Buried at | Arlington National Cemetery |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/branch | United States Naval Reserve |
| Years of service | 1916–1918 |
| Rank | Ensign |
| Unit |
USS May (SP-164) USS Noma (SP-131) |
| Battles/wars | World War I |
| Awards | Medal of Honor |
| Other work | World record holder in swimming, Olympian |
Tedford Harris Cann (September 3, 1897 – January 26, 1963) was a champion American swimmer and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor. He served as an officer in the United States Naval Reserve during World War I and earned the medal for saving his sinking ship.
Cann was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, into a family of accomplished sportsmen. His father, Frank Cann, was the director of physical education at New York University (NYU), which both Tedford and his older brother Howard Cann attended. Howard was an Olympic shot putter, a college basketball and football player, and the NYU men's basketball coach for 35 years.
Cann's swimming career began while he was still a teenager. He attended the High School of Commerce in New York City where he was captain of the basketball and swimming teams and competed in the New York Championships. Like his older brother he became a member of the Epsilon Chapter of the Omega Gamma Delta Fraternity. At age 17 he defeated Hawaiian swimmer Duke Kahanamoku, an event which he later declared was a greater thrill than being awarded the Medal of Honor. While a student at New York University, Cann also excelled in track and field, basketball, and football, where he played halfback as well as becoming a member of the Fraternity of Phi Gamma Delta.
He served in the Navy Reserve during World War I, initially as a Seaman. On November 5, 1917, while he was a member of the crew of the patrol vessel USS May (SP-164), Seaman Cann voluntarily swam into a flooded compartment and repeatedly dived beneath the surface until he had located and closed the leak that endangered the ship. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for this act.
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