Larry Griswold
Encyclopedia
Laurens V. Griswold (September 17, 1905 - August 24, 1996), known as "The Diving Fool", was an American gymnast & entertainer who was involved in the early development of the trampoline
.
Griswold was a college level gymnast
and tumbler while studying physical education
at the University of Iowa
. While coaching at an acrobatic school in New York, he enjoyed performing in vaudeville
shows. However, he decided to return to Iowa to become a teacher and in 1931, he became a gymnastics coach at the University of Iowa where he met George Nissen
who was also a skilled gymnast & tumbler.
In 1933, Griswold organized many of the skilled athletes at the university into a circus team, putting on shows. He also developed an act in the swimming pool which involved Griswold clown
ing and performing tricks on the diving board. This would later be developed into an entertaining routine which he performed professionally for years. In one of his most famous routines he would pretend to be a drunken, uncoordinated man who was constantly staggering off of the diving board and its ladder as he ostensibly got ready for a big dive. Audiences would gasp as he repeatedly "fell" from the board only to seemingly catch himself at the last moment.
Griswold & Nissen worked together to develop the first prototype trampoline
. Later they set up a company, the Griswold-Nissen Trampoline & Tumbling Company, to manufacture trampolines. However, initially sales were slow and Griswold sold out as his entertainment career was starting to thrive. In 1945, he found that he had to limit his immersion in water for health reasons and so changed his routine to use a trampoline disguised as a swimming pool in his diving act. This allowed him to play a wider variety of venues.
In the 1950s and 1960s, he took his physical clowning & acrobatic act all across the United States becoming one of the top draws in show business. He also performed on television variety shows, including "The Frank Sinatra Show". He toured internationally performing lavish shows in the United Kingdom
, France
and Japan
before settling down for several years as a regular performer in the Folies Bergères
. In 1973, he had a fall while performing in Chicago
and suffered a career ending injury. His show continued with replacement performers that Griswold had trained in preparation for his retirement.
His interest in trampolining
and education did not stop with the development of his entertainment career. In 1941, he wrote Trampoline Tumbling, the first textbook for the sport of trampolining
. In 1971, with George Nissen, he founded the United States Tumbling & Trampoline Association (USTA). They honoured him by inducting him into their Hall of Fame and by the naming of the Griswold-Nissen Cup for outstanding trampolinists.
Trampoline
A trampoline is a device consisting of a piece of taut, strong fabric stretched over a steel frame using many coiled springs. People bounce on trampolines for recreational and competitive purposes....
.
Griswold was a college level gymnast
Gymnast
Gymnasts are people who participate in the sports of either artistic gymnastics, trampolining, or rhythmic gymnastics.See gymnasium for the origin of the word gymnast from gymnastikos.-Female artistic:Australia...
and tumbler while studying physical education
Physical education
Physical education or gymnastics is a course taken during primary and secondary education that encourages psychomotor learning in a play or movement exploration setting....
at the University of Iowa
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...
. While coaching at an acrobatic school in New York, he enjoyed performing in vaudeville
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
shows. However, he decided to return to Iowa to become a teacher and in 1931, he became a gymnastics coach at the University of Iowa where he met George Nissen
George Nissen
George P. Nissen was an American gymnast and inventor who developed the modern trampoline and made trampolining a worldwide sport.-Background:...
who was also a skilled gymnast & tumbler.
In 1933, Griswold organized many of the skilled athletes at the university into a circus team, putting on shows. He also developed an act in the swimming pool which involved Griswold clown
Clown
Clowns are comic performers stereotypically characterized by the grotesque image of the circus clown's colored wigs, stylistic makeup, outlandish costumes, unusually large footwear, and red nose, which evolved to project their actions to large audiences. Other less grotesque styles have also...
ing and performing tricks on the diving board. This would later be developed into an entertaining routine which he performed professionally for years. In one of his most famous routines he would pretend to be a drunken, uncoordinated man who was constantly staggering off of the diving board and its ladder as he ostensibly got ready for a big dive. Audiences would gasp as he repeatedly "fell" from the board only to seemingly catch himself at the last moment.
Griswold & Nissen worked together to develop the first prototype trampoline
Trampoline
A trampoline is a device consisting of a piece of taut, strong fabric stretched over a steel frame using many coiled springs. People bounce on trampolines for recreational and competitive purposes....
. Later they set up a company, the Griswold-Nissen Trampoline & Tumbling Company, to manufacture trampolines. However, initially sales were slow and Griswold sold out as his entertainment career was starting to thrive. In 1945, he found that he had to limit his immersion in water for health reasons and so changed his routine to use a trampoline disguised as a swimming pool in his diving act. This allowed him to play a wider variety of venues.
In the 1950s and 1960s, he took his physical clowning & acrobatic act all across the United States becoming one of the top draws in show business. He also performed on television variety shows, including "The Frank Sinatra Show". He toured internationally performing lavish shows in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
before settling down for several years as a regular performer in the Folies Bergères
Folies Bergères
The Folies Bergère established in 1869 in Paris, France, is a music hall which was at the height of its fame and popularity from the 1890s through the 1920s. the institution is still in business.-History:...
. In 1973, he had a fall while performing in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
and suffered a career ending injury. His show continued with replacement performers that Griswold had trained in preparation for his retirement.
His interest in trampolining
Trampolining
Trampolining is a competitive Olympic sport in which gymnasts perform acrobatics while bouncing on a trampoline. These can include simple jumps in the pike, tuck or straddle position to more complex combinations of forward or backward somersaults and twists....
and education did not stop with the development of his entertainment career. In 1941, he wrote Trampoline Tumbling, the first textbook for the sport of trampolining
Trampolining
Trampolining is a competitive Olympic sport in which gymnasts perform acrobatics while bouncing on a trampoline. These can include simple jumps in the pike, tuck or straddle position to more complex combinations of forward or backward somersaults and twists....
. In 1971, with George Nissen, he founded the United States Tumbling & Trampoline Association (USTA). They honoured him by inducting him into their Hall of Fame and by the naming of the Griswold-Nissen Cup for outstanding trampolinists.