FOR THE RECORD: Coached New Trier High School 1946-1976, Waubonsie Valley High School 1977-1987 to 475 wins, 14 State Championships, and 204 All-Americans; President of NISCA, Secretary-Treasurer of NISCA, Chairman of the National Federation Rules Committee, and on the USS Board of Directors.  He was the founder of the Illinois Swimming Coaches Association, the Illinois Official's Organization, and the Illinois Diving Clinic.  President of ISHOF 1975-1977.

As a Coach, Dave was extremely successful.  His teams in the huge New Trier program, not only won swimming meets but they manned Dave's innovative station method of teaching swimming, served in his famed guards program, and developed circle swimming to get the maximum number of swimmers into an organized workout.  Many of these things were started by others, in particular by his predecessor Edgar Jackson, but Dave was the tireless promoter who carried them out both at New Trier and at Waubonise, and ultimately wherever people would invite him in the door of their pools or up to their lecture podiums.  he has toured an extensive lecture circuit over the years.

His swimmers won 1218 meets.  He coached 158 individual high school All-Americans, 47 All-American relay teams, won 14 Illinois State Meets and set 405 national high school records.  His 1961 team ranks among the top high school teams ever, producing two Olympians and placing third in the AAU Nationals.

Dave is the only man who has served on all the diverse rules committees, each of which caters to its own objectives.  He served on 18 local, national and international committees and organizations.  He is Mr. NISCA.  Again, he didn't found the National Interscholastic Swimming Coaches Association, but got it organized and kept it growing and working as President and Treasurer.  He acted as the swimmers' well-informed national high school liaison man to and between the Olympics Swimming Committee, the Boy Scouts, the High School Federation, the College Coaches Swimming Forum, the NCAA, etc.  He was President of the International Swimming Hall of Fame and at least a dozen other organizations making up the Council of National Cooperation for Aquatics where he also served on the Board.  Through all his missionary work there were the 2000 children he taught to swim each year.  David H. Robertson stands high among all contributors to swimming.