In Memory of…
Ted Bitondo, former University of the South swimming and diving coach and a member of the Tennessee Swimming Hall of Fame, died Monday, June 3, 2002, at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Nashville, Tennessee. He was 86. A longtime supporter of ISHOF, Ted was appointed to the History and Records Committee of ISHOF in 1965. He continued to be a member of ISHOF through the years and visited frequently. Ted’s heart was always in diving; as a diver, he won the 1940 National YMCA 3-Meter Diving Championship; as a coach, he held the head coaching position at the University of Florida from 1952-1957 and the head coaching position at Florida State for the 1957, ‘58 seasons. In addition, Ted was named the 1963 U.S. Pan American diving coach, 1967 Pan American Games diving judge and chairman of the NCAA Diving Rules Committee, 1966-1971. Ted’s accomplishments in the world of diving will be preserved at ISHOF for the future.
1991 ISHOF Honoree Richard “Dick” Cleveland passed away on July 27th in Hawaii at the age of 72. Born in Hawaii, Dick graduated from Punahou School and attended the University of Hawaii with an interim one-year stint in the Army before attending Ohio State from 1950-1954. He was a giant when it came to swimming, especially freestyle, amassing eight world records and thirteen American records. At one point he was only the second swimmer to break 50 seconds with his world record 49.2-second performance in the 100-yard free. Dick’s stellar career included six outdoor AAU titles, two indoor AAU titles, six NCAA titles, six Big Ten titles and seven international titles. Record firsts for Dick included first under 22 seconds in the 50 free (21.9, 1954); first under 57 seconds in the 100-meters long course (56.4, 1951); first under 55 seconds in the 100-meters short course (54.8, 1954); and five consecutive national AAU 100-meter outdoor titles to tie with Johnny Weissmuller. Dick counted tying Weissmuller, his induction into the International Swimming Hall of Fame and his Ohio State Hall of Fame induction among his career high points. Perhaps his greatest disappointment was not qualifying for the 1952 Olympic finals. He made the team but had also suffered a setback resulting in a tonsillectomy and dramatic weight loss. As an innovator in swimming, Dick is often credited with being the first to use weight lifting as conditioning for swimming. He used his weight lifting training to reach optimum competition strength and weight. The ISHOF staff enjoyed reminiscing about Dick’s 1991 induction and shared many fond memories of him. Our heartfelt sympathy to Pauline, Dick’s wife of many years.
Masters swimmer Bill Earley passed away suddenly on July 4, 2002 from a heart attack. Born in Portland, Oregon in 1936, Bill made swimming and the military important parts of his life. He received a degree in architecture from Yale University where he was an NCAA All American in 1957 and 1958 and then received a Navy Commission. Bill served on the USS Yorktown, and later as a commander he oversaw SEAL Team TWO, which became heavily engaged in combat operations in Vietnam. He received many military commendations and awards including the Legion of Merit and Bronze Stars. Active for many years in swimming, Bill was a current All-American and World Champion and a member of the national and world record relay teams with the San Diego Masters. He recently placed at the World Games in New Zealand and the short course nationals in Hawaii. Bill was the cofounder of the Coronado Masters Association and continued to serve as an officer for the CMA. He was a voting delegate to the United States Masters Swimming Association and served on its legislative committee. Bill was selfless with his time and often volunteered and financially supported the Coronado High School men and women’s water polo teams. Masters swimmers and many others in aquatics will surely miss Bill.
BUD FARMER
Sadly, the swimming community lost coaching legend Bud Farmer in September at age 65. Bud was multitalented, having coached basketball and baseball during his long athletic career, but perhaps his greatest strength was poolside where he helped mold the lives of many championship swimmers including Tripp Schwenck and Mitzi Kremer. "We called him Coach because he was always teaching, even beyond the pool deck," said former swimmer Rob Butcher. "He didn't know how to work a VCR or a microwave but he know how to encourage and inspire people."
A Daytona Beach resident for many years, Bud most recently coached at Father Lopez High School where he won over 160 dual meets and lost only three in nine seasons. Athletes and fellow coaches admired his dry sense of humor and his ability to "figure out" swimmers and have them reach their potential.
He coached collegiately in the '70s and '80s and guided the Daytona Beach Community College women's team to three National Junior College Athletic Association titles. He was a three-time NJCAA coach of the year, and many of his athletes were All-Americans. Bud was an assistant coach for the U.S. team at the 1979 Mexico City World University Games.
His wife Nancy, their five children and many grandchildren survive him.
On July 18, 2002, ISHOF Trustee and 1987 Gold Medallion recipient Willard Garvey passed away at age 81. An inspiration to many, Garvey made swimming a lifelong activity that was more than recreation and that, as he once said, helped bring the necessary balance in his physical and psychological style.
While still in high school, he helped found his hometown swim club in Wichita before going on to Wichita University and then to the University of Michigan, where he swam freestyle on the swimming powerhouse team under Coach Matt Mann. Willard went on to promote and compete in inter-allied swim meets in Europe while in World War II where he swam alongside some of the 1936 Olympians.
He approached life much the same way he did swimming, with eagerness, character, no-nonsense and total commitment in every aspect. The motto of his Garvey Enterprises empire was "find a need and fill it." This he did, serving at one time as the U.S.'s largest builder of homes around the world, provider of real estate and development in the downtown Wichita area, overseeing numerous successful businesses that included farming, ranching, natural resources, railroads and publishing.
ISHOF is proud and honored to have had the friendship and support of statesman, humanitarian, patriot...Willard Garvey.
ISHOF is saddened by
the loss of Ed Geisz, ISHOF International Congress member and long-time
friend and supporter of the Hall of Fame.
Ed passed away on Sunday, July 21, 2002, in the early evening at his
home in Cape May, N.J. Ed and his wife made South Florida their home in the
winter, and Ed always made a point of stopping in at ISHOF. He attended the ISHOF Congress meetings
each May and the Honoree Induction Ceremonies. Ed served as the head coach of the Villanova University
Wildcat men’s swim team for 37 years and during that time coached many great
swimmers including Jack Geoghegan, ISHOF Board member and immediate past vice
president of United States Masters Swimming and Dick McDonough, former ISHOF
Board member and world record holder. Ed also coached three Olympic swimmers,
Tom Artez, Olaf Von Schilling and Rick Girdler. Geisz’s career record, which spanned from 1953-1989, was
308-167-4. He was inducted into the
Pennsylvania Swimming Hall of Fame in 1973, the Villanova Varsity Club Hall
of Fame in 1975, and the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame in 1987. All of us at ISHOF will truly miss seeing Ed each year.
As a 19 year old, he led off the 800 freestyle relay that set a world record in Paris at the summer Olympic Games. Teammate Johnny Weissmuller, Tarzan, anchored the race. He was also a member of the American swim team at the 1928 Olympics in Amsterdam. Harry won three AAU national championships, was a member of three relay teams that set world records and captained the team that won gold at the 1927 Pan Pacific Games in Japan. His work in swimming extended far beyond personal participation and competitive accomplishments. Harry served as an official at the Helsinki and Melbourne Olympic Games. He was a leader in amateur sports for many years, helping found the AAU Southeast Association; initiating the Georgia Association in 1946; chairing the Georgia AAU Olympic Committee from 1952-1972; organizing a swimming program at Emory University; and establishing the CANUSA Games in 1948 with the help of the Mott Foundation. Harry was athletic director of Marist College in Atlanta from 1951-1953 and was active with the Atlanta Parks and Recreation Department for over 30 years. For most of his professional career he held various positions with Gulf Oil. The list of his accomplishments is long and these, along with his service as a leader and activator, earned Harry induction into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 1990. He was a beloved Hall of Famer and the staff enjoyed getting to know him during the immediate years following his induction.
Olympian and 1992 ISHOF Honoree, Jerry Heidenreich, passed away on April 18, 2002 at 51 years of age. Jerry had a stellar swimming career as an SMU four-time All- American; 1972 NCAA 200-yard freestyle champion setting an NCAA and American record of 1:38.35; and double gold, silver and bronze medallist at the 1972 Munich Olympics. Some say Jerry is best known for his sizzling 100-meter freestyle relay split on the world-record setting 400-meter freestyle relay, the fastest on the USA team and an effort that almost resulted in a famous swimmer pulling out of the 100-meter freestyle. Jerry dedicated much of his life to swimming. He formed Swim With American Masters (SWAM), a Masters program at Dr. Kenneth Cooper’s Aerobic Center in Dallas; coached high school swimming; taught swimming lessons; and published articles on swimming including “The 21 Top Laws of Swimming.” A Masters competitor, Jerry holds numerous American and World Masters swimming records. ISHOF Congress member and friend to Jerry, Robert Killeen, spoke for many when he said, “Jerry was a giant in the water with a mastery concerning technique. He will be missed.”
Longtime Big Ten coach Bill Heusner passed away in August at the age of 75. Bill’s coaching career spanned many years as head swimming coach at Northwestern, Illinois, Southern Illinois and Minnesota. Post coaching, Bill could often be found on the pool deck as an NCAA official and made an impact on many. With a Ph.D. in Kinesiology from the University of Illinois, Bill was professor emeritus at Michigan State where he taught for 27 years. He received a Bachelor degree in math and physics and a Masters in physical education from Northwestern University. ISHOF executive director emeritus Buck Dawson said of Bill, “What a great scientist and perennial NCAA official. I’m sure he would have won nationals the year after he decided to retire from coaching and go into teaching at Michigan.” His wife Eleanor, three daughters and two grandchildren survive Bill. A graduate scholarship has been established in Bill’s memory at Michigan State University where he had been a mentor to many students.
Bruce Hutchinson
Dr. Bruce “Hutch” Hutchinson, founder of the Southern Connecticut State University (SCSU) swim program passed away on June 22nd at the age of 68. In 1960, he founded the Owl’s program and spent 37 seasons as the men’s swim coach. His teams won 36 straight seasons (2 unbeaten) before he retired in 1997. An All-American swimmer at Springfield College, he went on to coach NCAA champions and over 100 All-Americans. Bruce’s honors have been numerous including induction into the Springfield College Hall of Fame in 1990, “Distinguished Coach” recognition by the College Swimming Coaches Association of America, the Gold Key Award by the Connecticut Sportswriters Alliance in 1996 and induction into SCSU’s Alumni Sports Hall of Fame in 1997. Also in 1997, SCSU honored Bruce by renaming its pool facility the Bruce Hutchinson Natatorium. He was also former chairman of the NCAA Division II swimming committee. His wife Sharon, two children and four grandchildren survive Bruce. A scholarship in Bruce’s memory has been established with the SCSU Foundation.
Cor Kint
Sadly, ISHOF staff members lost a friend when Dr. Robert H. McCollum, affectionately known as “Dr. Bob,” passed away on June 15, 2002, from a long illness. Dr. Bob was born May 7, 1935, in Little Rock and made Fayetteville, Arkansas his home for most of his life. An avid Razorback fan, his interest in swimming grew over the years as he treated athletes from the University of Arkansas and served as a guest coach on several occasions for dual meet and championship events. It was often joked that Dr. Bob had a perfect meet record and was one of the winningest coaches in championship meet history when, as guest coach, his Razorback relay team dove in the water at the U.S. Open to break a world best in the 400-freestyle relay (S.C.). Dr. Bob served as an ISHOF board member from 1991-1992 and continued as a Congress member until his death. At the request of the ISHOF/Asia board of directors, Bob accompanied ISHOF staff on a 1994 goodwill trip to Japan as an ISHOF representative. A loyal and trusted friend to many, Dr. Bob was like a father to many athletes in need. He is remembered for his love of horse racing, sport fishing and collegiate sports. He held a special place in his heart for the disciplines of swimming and diving and for their participants. Dr. Bob will certainly be missed but definitely not forgotten.
A fantastic friend and trustee of ISHOF, Alex “Al” McKee, passed away in August. As Buck Dawson put it, “Al was one of the first to come to bat for ISHOF, and as a committed supporter and promoter, he often garnered financial support for ISHOF from others. He could be found working behind the scenes and was the consummate organizer and committee member, quite involved in the Philadelphia Suburban Swim Team.” Al was an All-American on Ohio State’s national championship team in 1938 and 1939, but when World War II caused the cancellation of the 1940 Olympics, Al was called away from swimming and into the U.S. Army. He and wife Toddy’s nine children carried on the family aquatic tradition by swimming competitively, many of them nationally ranked. Son Tim McKee, a 1998 ISHOF Honor Swimmer inductee, competed in the 1972 and 1976 Olympics, winning three silver medals. Al and his family carried his spirit of giving into other arenas, serving as volunteers for the Hugh O’Brien Youth Leadership Foundation, the Delaware Valley Children’s Charities and distributing Christmas gifts to underprivileged children in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania. Among other positions, Al was a trustee of the Robert P. Smith Charitable Trust, the president of the Middle Atlantic Amateur Athletics Union and a U.S.O.C. member. Son Kevin McKee spoke of his family’s philosophy of giving in 1997 by saying, “We were taught by our parents at a young age to be thankful and appreciative of our God given talents and abilities. Helping people in their time of need or those less fortunate is one of the truly meaningful things we can do in life.” Al McKee was truly a giving individual who will remain in our hearts and minds.
Aileen Riggin Soule
Beloved Masters swimmer Ray Taft passed away in July at the age of 82. Ray’s aquatic career began as an AAU swimmer at the Crystal Plunge in San Francisco in the 1930s and continued throughout his entire life. An AAU swimmer in his youth, Ray went on to coach age group and Masters swimming, formed Taft Swim School in the mid-fifties and the San Mateo Marlins Masters swim team with wife Zada in the early 1970s. Ray had a stellar career as a Masters swimmer, setting over 50 world records and over 60 national records and winning at least 28 national championships. His accomplishments earned him induction into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 1996 as an Honor Masters Swimmer. In addition, Ray and Zada were the 1979 recipients of the Captain Ransom J. Arthur Award given annually to the person(s) doing the most to further the objectives of Masters swimming. Ray Taft has been a dominant figure in Masters swimming for over thirty years, and ISHOF is pleased to honor his legacy by highlighting his many achievements and contributions.
Longtime Fort Lauderdale, Florida, resident and local sports hero, Stella Taylor died late Tuesday at Palm Court Convalescent Home after complications of an aggressive brain tumor. She was 73. Stella was born in England in 1929 and left home at the age of 16. She worked in a London hospital as a nurse's aid and then moved to Canada and eventually to Buffalo, NY where she spent four years at Sisters of Mercy Convent preparing to be a nun. By the early 1960s, she moved to Fort Lauderdale where the International Swimming Hall of Fame's Buck Dawson saw the potential for Stella to be a marathon swimmer. "She devoted a large part of her life to marathon swimming," said Bob Duenkel, longtime friend and coach to Taylor. She trained with the Northeast High School Swim team during the 1970s, then with the Fort Lauderdale Swim Team and Pine Crest Swim Team. Stella's swimming successes included crossing the English Channel on two separate swims, and holding the Guinness Book of Records "Oldest Woman to Swim the English Channel" (1974-1994); swimming around the barrier island of Broward County, 21 miles in the Intracoastal Waterway from the International Swimming Hall of Fame north to Hillsborough Inlet, south in the Atlantic Ocean to Port Everglades and back to the Hall of Fame. She completed a 65-hour fresh water swim in the Hall of Fame pool, and 51 hours in the Atlantic Ocean's salt water during an attempt to swim from the Bahama Islands to the coast of Florida, a swim she attempted three times. She completed a 27-hour crossing of Lake George, NY, in 56-degree water from the northern most end of the lake south to Fort William Henry in the Village of Lake George. She crossed Scotland's Loch Ness and competed in Egypt's Nile River and the Aswan Dam swims. She has crossed Volusia County's Lake Monroe, swam through the murky canal system of Everglades City, and the competed in the ocean-bay swim of Atlantic City. Billed as the "swimming nun" (although she never took her final vows), Stella always promoted Fort Lauderdale while appearing on numerous radio and television programs including the "Today Show" with Tom Brokaw. She received the keys to the cities of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and Atlantic City, New Jersey. According to her longtime friend Joy Raymond, "Stella was most proud of her 18-Year Medallion in Alcoholics Anonymous. Stella was also a champion outside the pool."
Sadly, ISHOF learned of the passing of 1990 ISHOF Honor Swimmer Albert Vande Weghe on August 13, 2002. He was 86 and had been suffering with an ongoing illness. Al learned to swim at five years of age at Greenpond, New Jersey and began competitive swimming at Paterson Central High School in 1931, first as a diver and freestyler and finally as a backstroker. At Paterson, he was the first man under a minute in the 100-yard backstroke. While at Princeton University where he earned a degree in chemical engineering, Al set six world backstroke records. He also had nine American backstroke records, three American medley relay records and won a total of five nationals in backstroke. Undefeated in college swimming, Al went on to finish second to backstroke legend Adolph Kiefer at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. Later, Al continued his career competing in Masters events and consistently set records for his age group. Besides his outstanding competitive record, Al is credited with introducing the backstroke flip turn at the A.A.U. Nationals in 1934, which revolutionized the event. He and Mickey Vogt had developed it while practicing at the Newark Athletic Club in late 1933. Al said he always had trouble swinging his heavy legs around with the old turn so he started bringing them out of the water. It was easier and faster for him so he used it thereafter. It was later adapted to freestyle. His many honors include selection as top New Jersey Amateur Athlete (1936); top New Jersey Collegiate Athlete (1939); Princeton’s Outstanding Scholar Athlete (1940); and recipient of Princeton’s Roper trophy (1940) for outstanding achievement in studies, extra curricular affairs and athletics. Return to Home Page |
