Nancy Ramey

Nancy Jane Ramey (born June 29, 1940), later known by her married name Nancy Lethcoe, is an American former competition swimmer, 1956 Olympic medalist, and former world record-holder in two events. After the Olympics, Ramey earned her doctorate and became a college instructor, environmental activist and political candidate. She and her husband Jim Lethcoe founded Prince William Sound Books. She authored books about Prince William Sound: Valdez Gold Rush Trails of 18 98-99, History of Prince William Sound,Cruising Guide to Prince William Sound, and Habitats of Change.

Biography
Ramey was born in Seattle and grew up on Mercer Island, Washington. At time of the 1956 Olympics, she was a student at Mercer Island High School.

As a 16-year-old, Ramey represented the United States at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, Australia, where she won a silver medal in the 100 meter butterfly event. In 1958 she set two world records in the 100 m and one in the 200 m butterfly; the same year she won five American and one Canadian national title. In 1959 she won a silver medal in the 100 m butterfly at the Pan American Games.

Later Ramey graduated from the University of Washington and earned M.A. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Wisconsin. In the 1970s she worked as an assistant professor of religious studies at Stanford University. After that she organized Alaskan wilderness safaris, together with her husband Jim Lethcoe.

<!-- Mostly unsourced text to be re-written and checked for copyvio: Upon meeting members of the Hungarian Women's swimming team, Ramey learned that they had been outside the country when the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 occurred. She invited Hungarian swimmer Zsuzsa Ördögh (a.k.a. "Suzie Ordogh"), who was also 16, to come and live with her family. After the Olympics, Ramey set two new world records in the 100- and 200-meter butterfly in 1958 and 1959.

Life after swimming
She graduated from the University of Washington in 1962, after spending her junior year at the University of London's Bedford College. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin–Madison with a master's degree in 1967, and subsequently earned her doctorate. She later became an assistant professor at Stanford University, and met and married Jim Lethcoe.

Lethcoe taught philosophy part-time at Alaska Methodist University and the Anchorage Community College before teaching full-time at Stanford University. From 1974 to 2004, the Lethcoes owned and operated Alaska Wilderness Sailing and Kayaking, offering guided trips in Prince William Sound.

In 1980, Lethcoe and her husband Jim moved to Valdez, Alaska to teach part-time at Prince William Sound Community College. In 1984 Lethcoe and her husband started Prince William Sound Books. They researched, wrote, and published the books Cruising Guide to Prince William Sound, Glaciers of Prince William Sound, Geology of Prince William Sound, Prince William Sound's Weather and Climate,the Valdez Gold Rush Trails, and a History of Prince William Sound. The Lethcoes also published books by other authors on topics related to the region. Lethcoe became an expert on the local and natural history of Valdez and Prince William Sound and is featured expert in the Valdez Museum's DVD, Between the Glacier and the Sea.

In the early 1980s Lethcoe worked on the land management planning process for the Chugach National Forest. Her activities resulted in the halting of clear-cutting in Prince William Sound. She also spoke out against a proposed road to Whittier.

After the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration invited Lethcoe to represent the public on its shoreline clean-up committee that advised the U.S. Coast Guard and Exxon.

In 1989, she received the Celia Hunter award for work on tracking legislative bills related to the oil spill. The Alaska Legislature honored both Jim and Nancy Lethcoe for "their years of dedication and work on behalf of Alaska . . . [their] volunteer work during the Prince William Sound Oil Spill when they sought to work with all parties through mediation and diplomacy instead of divisiveness and antagonism."

Lethcoe helped to found the Alaska Wilderness Recreation and Tourism Association and became its first President.

She married Jim Lethcoe in 1962. She is a teacher and political activist currently living in Valdez, Alaska. Lethcoe campaigned for the Alaska State House District 12 in the November 2008 elections, but failed to win the seat from incumbent John Harris.

She survives both her husband and her daughters. Nancy Lethcoe currently lives in Valdez, Alaska, on her sailboat, the Arctic Tern III. She was one of three former Olympians from Alaska to be honored by the U.S. Olympic committee on their "Road to Beijing" website.

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