Terri Lee Schrepel Biography
By Jim Schrepel

Terri Lee was born November 29, 1927, in Lincoln, Nebraska, the daughter of Harry N. and Violet V. Gradwohl (Founder of the Terri Lee Doll Company in 1946), both deceased.

She was educated in the Lincoln Public Schools and graduated from Lincoln High School in June 1945. She attended the University of New Mexico (1945/46); the University of Nebraska (1959/60) and Northern Virginia Community College, Alexandria, Virginia (1970s). In her youth, she also studied classical ballet (11 years) and in the 1960s studied modern dance (3 years).

She married in 1945; had two daughters - - Connie Lynn (1946 - Present) and Linda Lee (1948 - 1995) and divorced in 1950. Her second marriage in late 1951 lasted over 47 years.

In 1951, Terri began designing many of the Terri Lee doll clothes that made up the famous Terri Lee wardrobe and continued doing so until the Terri Lee doll factory in Apple Valley, California, was destroyed by fire in 1957. Terri was an accomplished seamstress and pattern designer. The fashion of Terri Lee, the doll, was indeed the creative genius of Terri Lee, the namesake. During that same period, Terri conducted numerous Terri Lee Fashion Shows in various parts of the country. Also, in subsequent years, she made frequent appearances at doll collector conventions.

In 1958, she embarked on a second career in the fitness field. She began as an instructor of land exercises but soon found that her forte was water ballet and water exercise after attending a highly stimulating symposium conducted at Northwestern University by world-famous Beulah Gundling, co-founder of the International Academy of Aquatic Art.

From 1962 - 1968, Terri focused primarily on developing and teaching more effective water exercise programs that students would also enjoy doing. As a result of these efforts, she was invited to teach water exercise and swimming classes for patrons at Elizabeth Arden's Maine Chance Farm (Resort) during the summer of 1968, During this six-year period, Terri had become increasingly aware that her water workouts had proven highly effective in improving overall body fitness. This realization prompted her to write the very first authoritative book on water exercise (Aquacises: Water Exercise for Fitness and Figure Beauty) which was published in 1969. It featured exercises that anyone of any age could do without injury to their joints and without being able to swim. It was a great success, especially after receiving a glowing endorsement by Vogue Magazine.

From 1970 to 1990, Terri continued teaching throughout the metropolitan Washington, D.C. area while simultaneously devoting 13 years to doing research for her second book (Aquacises: Terri Lee's Water Workout Book) which was published in 1984. This book is a virtual encyclopedia of water exercise which, to this day, remains the "bible" for water exercise instructors and students alike. After moving to Scottsdale, Arizona, in 1990, she updated the book with the intention of promoting it and limited her teaching to private instruction. However, her illness (Alzheimer's Disease) began to manifest itself and she was reluctantly forced to retire from all professional activity in 1992. In late 1995, major surgery related to her illness left her unable to walk or talk for the rest of her life.

Terri was instrumental in preserving the original molds of the Terri Lee doll and protecting the Terri Lee name, always with the hope that someday the doll would be reborn and could grace the households of little girls. She would be pleased to know and understand the latest plans for a 50th Anniversary edition and re-introduction of the doll that is now coveted by collectors throughout the world.

On November 12, 1998, following a relatively minor, but unsuccessful, illness-related surgical procedure, Terri Lee passed away.

# # #Note: Photos and Interviews available upon request.