A four-time Olympic medal winner and unquestionably one of the greatest
United States women divers in Olympic history, Mrs. Pope, who lives in Ojai,
possesses a long list of amateur diving achievements.

At the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki, she won the silver medal in the platform
diving event; in the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne, she won the bronze medal
in the same event; and in the 1960 Olympics in Rome, she won the silver medal in both the platform and spring board. In addition, she scored a grand slam in 1957 by winning all five United States national diving titles held in-
doors and outdoors. She was the first woman to do a double-twisting, one- and-a-half somersault and an inward, two-and-a-half somersault off the high diving platform in competition.

As a member of the 1955 and 1959 Pan American teams, Mrs. Pope won two gold medals (1959) in the 3- and 10-meter diving events. Altogether she held 17 national diving titles from the one-, three- and ten-meter events.

She is currently a member of the 1984 Olympic spirit team working for the Los Angeles Olympic Organization Committee.

Paula Jean and Karl Pope were married in 1958. In 1959 she earned her degree in dental hygiene at USC. They now live in Ojai with their five children, and manage the Ojai Valley Racquet Club, where Paula continues to teach diving.