Fred Newton (1903 – 1992) was an American swimmer who was known for being the first person to swim the full length of the Mississippi River.
Over the course of 176 days in 1930, Newton swam from Minneapolis, near the source of the Mississippi River, to New Orleans, a city at its mouth.
At age 27, he began the swim on July 6, 1930, in Minneapolis with his brother, Byron, following in a rowboat with supplies.
They stopped in towns along the way, with Newton painting signs for room and board.
In his later career, Newton became an insurance salesman and then started a company selling orthopedic products.