Burwell Otis Jones (March 23, 1933 – February 6, 2021)[1] was a physician specializing in dermatology, and a former American competition swimmer.

[2] He was a 1951 Pan American Games gold and bronze medalist, and a recurring age group National champion in United States Masters Swimming into his later years.

[8] At the 1951 Pan American Games held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, he won the bronze medal in the men's 100-meter backstroke, and a gold medal in the men's 4×200-meter freestyle relay event, alongside teammates Dick Cleveland, Ronald Gora and Bill Heusner.

[9] At the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, Finland, Jones swam for the gold medal-winning U.S. team in the preliminary heats of the men's 4×200-meter freestyle relay.

[8] He swam and served as captain in his senior year for the Michigan Wolverines swimming and diving team under coaches Matthew Mann and Gus Stager in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) where he competed from around 1952 to 1955.

[10][11] In his freshman year at Michigan in 1951, at the National AAU championships, he swam a time of 3:52.2, breaking the American record for the 300-meter medley, which then consisted of 100 meters each of butterfly, back, and freestyle.

[12] Jones was a four-time NCAA champion, mostly in the 150-yard individual medley, a five-time All-American, and a nominee for the prestigious Sullivan award given to the greatest single athlete of the year.

[5] Jones tried to stay in top competitive condition, and at age 27, despite a five-year retirement from swimming, he attempted to make the 1960 U.S. Olympic team, but failed to qualify in the 200-meter freestyle despite improving on his earlier times.

[3] Significantly, he was highly instrumental in the creation of U.S. Masters Swimming in 1970,[13] and was an exceptional age group swimmer, beginning to compete in 1971.

[19] Jones claimed that in 1974, he had lost very little speed, and later at 55 broke six national records at the Southern Masters Swimming Championships in the 55-59 age group in St. Petersburg, Florida in April 1988.