Jim McGowan: He never gave up

AT DAWN on Sept. 27, 1986, Jim McGowan thrust his body into the cold water off Dover, England, in a quest to swim the 22-mile English Channel. Cameras filmed the unusual event for a worldwide audience. Unlike previous swimmers, McGowan, 54, was paralyzed from the chest down.

With a steady backstroke, he covered nearly three miles before becoming disoriented. Unable to continue, McGowan was pulled from the turbulent waters by his support team.

Though he failed to become the first disabled person to swim the channel, there were no regrets. "The only failure . . . is the failure of not trying," he insisted. "Besides, I knew that there was probably another paraplegic out there who was inspired by my effort. That made it all worthwhile."

McGowan, who lived in Newtown, Bucks County, died last week at the age of 76.

Disabled at 18, he still explored a full range of interests that included singing, sports and writing. His remarkable success in each area captured the attention of a worldwide audience and inspired many others.

McGowan was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., in 1932. His father, a former Negro Leaguer, cultivated his son's love for baseball. When Jackie Robinson broke baseball's color barrier in 1947, the 15-year-old set his sights on a major league career. Over the next few years, McGowan played in the Kiwanis League, distinguishing himself as a hard-hitting first baseman. At 18, he played semi-pro ball against men nearly twice his age and performed so well the Dodgers offered him a contract.

On the verge of realizing his dream, McGowan found himself in the middle of a gang war. Trying to make peace, he was stabbed in the lower abdomen and paralyzed from the waist down. Instead of feeling sorry for himself, he turned to music, becoming lead singer of the Four Fellows, whose "Soldier Boy" was high on the R&B charts in 1955.

After his singing career ended, McGowan moved to Philadelphia where he became a night-shift lab tech. He enrolled at Temple and began to play wheelchair basketball.

In 1981, McGowan began a career as an advocate and role model for the disabled. He organized and participated in the world's first all-disabled rowing regatta on the Schuylkill. Then he made the first of 20 sky dives.

Impressed by the paraplegic's determination, Gov. Dick Thornburgh tapped McGowan to head the Committee for the Disabled of the state Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. It was during this time that he made his historic quest to cross the English Channel.

McGowan's advocacy for the disabled wasn't limited to sports. He was responsible for improving access for the disabled at the King of Prussia Mall, Valley Forge national park, the Free Library of Philadelphia and Temple's Ambler Campus, where he became assistant director of disabled services in 1987.

BEYOND that, McGowan was a gifted writer, with three books to his credit: "Hear Today, Here to Stay," on his life as a singer, "Walking on Air," on his skydiving experience and a highly regarded biography of Thomas Garrett, a Wilmington, Del., Underground Railroad agent. At the time of his death, he was working on a biography of black abolitionist Harriet Tubman.

McGowan's example reminds us that life is full of obstacles. What's important is how we meet the challenges that confront us. That McGowan faced his own challenges with dignity, perseverance and optimism is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit. *

William C. Kashatus can be contacted at bill@historylive.net.