Adolph Kiefer was an American swimmer and the first man in the world to swim 100 yards backstroke under 1 minute. His backstroke records stood for 15 years. Kiefer established Adolph Kiefer & Associates in Chicago, which has been providing swimmers with training and safety equipment ever since. His company was responsible for the development of the Nylon Tank Suit in 1948, a marked improvement over the wool and cotton suits available at the time.