Marion M. Perkins
1984 Special Award of Recognition
Marion was a sports editor of the Cranston Herald from 1947 to 1967. During her tenure at the Herald, she covered all of the sports, but had a special fondness for swimming.
“Perk”, as she was affectionately known, had a love affair with the Cranston East Swimming program coached by Ed Golden. Swimming was a new sport to the high school in the 1950’s, when a swimming pool was built at the new Park View Junior High School in Cranston, along with the new pool at the Gladstone Elementary School. “Perk” watched swimming grow from a junior high program to an outstanding high school program. She wrote of their victories and their losses-rarely missed a swim meet- whether it be a dual meet, or the highly competitive New England Interscholastic meets, which Cranston East dominated for a number of years.
She featured many individuals, but Ed Golden’s teams were her top priority. She also followed the many Cranston East swimmers during their college careers, which expanded her knowledge on the collegiate level.
It may never be known, but one wonders if some of the success of swimming in Cranston and throughout the state could be traced back to the publicity given the sport by Marion Perkins in her columns.