The William H. Johnson Natatorium is the home of John Carroll University Men's and Women's Swimming & Diving. Opened in 1975, the facility bears the name of the late William Johnson.
The swimming pool is four feet deep at both ends and five feet deep at midpoint. It contains six lanes designated for competitions. The facility features a state-of-the-art Colorado Timing System, as well as a forced-air jet bubbling system. The diving pool is 40 x 40 feet and holds two 1-meter boards and one 3-meter board.
In the 45 years since, the pool has seen more than its share of success. JCU Women's Swimming & Diving has captured 20 OAC Championships, while the Blue Streaks' men's squad has tallied 17 OAC Championships. No JCU program has won more OAC crowns than the Swimming & Diving program. The pool has become synonymous with excellence for the Blue Streaks.
From 1990-2007, the Johnson Natatorium served as the host pool for the OAC Championships, as JCU was the only school in the conference with a separate diving well and a three-meter board on which to stage the diving events. In 2008, the event moved to its current site, the Ocasek Natatorium on the campus of the University of Akron.
The idea of a pool at JCU was first envisioned by Father John Weber in the 1930s. His idea did not come alive for four decades. In 1963, JCU's Executive Committee, which bore the banner "Decade of Progress," envisioned the pool to be built by 1970. The year came and went without a pool, but in summer 1973, construction began. The pool opened on September 2, 1975 and was later dedicated on Sunday, October 19, 1975. Less than two weeks after the dedication, varsity coeducational swimming practice began. The program enjoyed success during the 1970s before breaking out with 4 straight Presidents' Athletic Conference Championships from 1986-89. Then, the Blue Streaks' run of success in the Ohio Athletic Conference began with the 1989-90 campaign.
The facility's namesake, the late William Johnson, helped to make the pool a reality. Johnson served as a John Carroll trustee, championing the pool's cause. Johnson, who was president of White Consolidated until his death in 1972, saw the need for expanding John Carroll's athletic facilities.
