Margaret Hoffman

Margaret Hoffman was born on 19 June 1911, in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania, to Mr. and Mrs. E. A. Hoffman.[3][4]

Hoffman was described as having a "natural athletic ability", being picked in late 1927 as a student with "good free style prospect" by the Scranton Swimming Association. In 1928, she was selected to compete in the Middle Atlantic championships in Philadelphia, winning the heat, in her first breaststroke race, and setting a meet record. She lost by a "slight margin" in the final.[5]

The same year she would compete in the 1928 Summer Olympics finishing third in her first heat, and fifth in the final of the women's 200-metet breaststroke event. She was the only American point winner in the event at Amsterdam.[5]

Four years later Hoffman competed in the Los Angelis games while at the same time completing her studies at Mount Holyoke College.[6] She won both the first and third trials of the 200-meter breaststroke, setting a new American record of 3:12:3 in the process.[7][6] However she would go one to finish fifth in the final.[8]

After completing her undergraduate degree she received a masters from Temple University. In later life chaired Physical Education at the Wyoming Seminary, before becoming a mathematics teacher Shipley school. She died on 25 March 1991.[4]