See main article: 1959 Pan American Games.
The Swimming competition at the 3rd Pan American Games was held in Chicago, United States during the Games' run in 1959. It consisted of 16 long course (50 m) events: 8 for males and 8 for females.[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]
In these Games, the U.S. swept all gold medals in swimming.
A world record was broken by the U.S. in the women's medley relay, with a time of 4:44.6.
| 100m freestyle | Jeffrey Farrell  USA | 56.3 | Elton Follett USA | 57.2 | William Woolsey USA | 57.6 |
| 400m freestyle | George Breen USA | 4:31.4 | George Harrison USA | 4:31.8 | Eugene Lenz USA | 4:34.9 |
| 1500m freestyle | Alan Somers USA | 17:53.2 | George Breen USA | 17:55.0 | Gary Heinrich USA | 18:30.6 |
| 100m backstroke | Frank McKinney USA | 1:03.6 | Charles Bittick USA | 1:04.2 | Louis Schaeffer USA | 1:05.3 |
| 200m breaststroke | Bill Mulliken USA | 2:43.1 | Kenneth Nakasone USA | 2:43.2 | Manuel Sanguily  Cuba | 2:44.3 |
| 200m butterfly | Dave Gillanders USA | 2:18.0 | Michael Troy USA | 2:18.3 | Eulalio Ríos  Mexico | 2:22.5 |
Free Relay | Dick Blick Peter Sintz John Rounsavelle Frank Winters | 8:22.7 | Raúl Guzmán Alfredo Guzmán Jorge Escalante Mauricio Ocampo | 8:56.4 | Cameron Grout Edward Cazalet William Campbell Thomas Verth | 9:00.4 |
Medley Relay | Frank McKinney Kenneth Nakasone Mike Troy Jeff Farrell | 4:14.9 | Cameron Grout Bob Wheaton Steve Rabinovitch Peter Fowler | 4:23.3 | Eulalio Ríos Alejandro Gaxiola Jorge Escalante Roberto Marmolejo | 4:25.0 |
| 100m freestyle | Chris von Saltza USA | 1:03.8 | Molly Botkin USA | 1:05.7 | Joan Spillane USA | 1:05.8 |
| 200m freestyle | Chris von Saltza USA | 2:18.5 | Shirley Stobs USA | 2:22.9 | Joan Spillane USA | 2:23.0 |
| 400m freestyle | Chris von Saltza USA | 4:55.9 | Sylvia Ruuska USA | 5:03.4 | Donna Graham USA | 5:03.5 |
| 100m backstroke | Carin Cone USA | 1:12.2 | Sara Barber  Canada | 1:12.3 | Christine Kluter USA | 1:12.4 |
| 200m breaststroke | Anne Warner USA | 2:56.8 | Patty Kemper USA | 3:00.1 | Anne Brancroft USA | 3:01.3 |
| 100m butterfly | Becky Collins USA | 1:09.5 | Nancy Ramey USA | 1:10.4 | Molly Botkin USA | 1:12.3 |
Free Relay | Molly Botkin Joan Spillane Shirley Stobs Chris von Saltza | 4:17.5 | Margaret Iwasaki Helen Hunt Sara Barber Sandra Scott | 4:31.9 | Blanca Barrón María Luisa Souza Gloria Botella Rebeca García | 4:37.0 |
Medley Relay | Carin Cone Anne Brancroft Becky Collins Chris von Saltza | 4:44.6 WR | Margaret Iwasaki Janice Shepp Sara Barber Sandra Scott | 4:58.7 | Blanca Barrón Eulalia Martínez Gloria Botella Rebeca García | 5:18.7 |