The History of the Dartmouth Men’s Swim Team: A Narrative
The History of the Dartmouth Men’s Swim Team: A Narrative
From the Author: This paper was written for the Dartmouth swimmers so that they may learn more about their team and its history starting with the time it moved from lakes and ponds to the Spaulding Pool. It is the author’s wish that it might be passed along to new Dartmouth swimmers as the years move on. Also, special thanks to Ron Keenhold for his informative and accurate interview. The material for this paper was a bit obscure, but his words offered narrative and guidance as to where to look next. It could not have been completed without him.
History of Dartmouth Swimming
What Dartmouth Swimming Means:
The Dartmouth Men's Swim Team is an entity that has played a tremendous role in the lives of many young men. Nearly 77 years old in 1996, the team has grown powerful, struggled, and is fighting its way back again. The team has a long and colorful background beginning in 1920 under its first coach, Sidney Hazelton. Since then, the team has seen only four other head coaches while maintaining a tradition of success. Since joining the Eastern Seaboard Intercollegiate League (EISL) in 1937,[1] the swim team has remained a constant in comparison to other swimming programs around the country. Politics, either internally or nationally, have not had a devastating effect on the team outside of WWII. Compiling 56 winning seasons, honoring 53 All-Americans, earning 41 individual Eastern Seaboard Championship titles, Dartmouth Men's Swimming is rich in a winning tradition[2]. Dartmouth has also hosted the Eastern Seaboard Championships four times: 1964, 1970, 1975, and 1981. Many of the Karl B. Michael Pool records were set at these meets. The team’s growth and development is testimony to a school that values its athletics and an athletic department concerned about the needs of its swimmers. With such a powerful academic background, Dartmouth has been able to provide an environment suitable for the elite student-athlete.
Sidney Hazelton: Coach Of Dartmouth 1920-1939
In 1921, the Spaulding Pool opened its waters to the Dartmouth Swim Team.[3] Named after Governor Rolland Harty Spaulding,[4] its donor and Dartmouth graduate, the Spaulding Pool was modeled after YMCA pools of that era. The main design schema was cleanliness. The Spaulding designers mainly wanted beauty, efficiency, and most importantly, sanitation. The dimensions were 75 ft. x 30 ft. It had a water polo design: there was 60 ft. of water 6 ft. in depth or more, and then the rest of the pool was shallow so beginning swimmers could enjoy Spaulding's gift as well. The pool was comprised of 3/4 in. ceramic tiles attempting to convey a "cool cleanliness" for which the designers aspired. Upon seeing the greys and greens, a patron would notice the "freshness of the pool" and immediately want to go swimming in it. The main ornaments of the pool were low relief dolphins arranged to make a circular medallion on which "DC" is inscribed. There were windows at either end, stone and tile spectator stands raised above one side of the pool, and an elaborate adjacent shower room. Additionally, there was plenty of deck space.[5]
This new pool provided Coach Hazelton a medium in which he could teach his swimming technique and sportsmanship to his team. As a Dartmouth undergraduate (class of 1909), Sidney was active in the student government, a member of Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity, and was in the Dragon senior society. He was also a baseball pitcher in 1906 and 1907. After graduation, he returned to Dartmouth in 1920 to instruct in french and physical education and coach swimming. Though he never had much but mediocre talent,[6] over the course of his 19 year coaching tenure, Sidney was able to obtain a record of 84-68 (winning pct. of .553). His favorite quote was: “better do nothing intelligently than do something stupidly.”[7] One of his captains was R. Jackson Smith who was later one of the designers of the Karl B. Michael Pool. In the twenties, it was not uncommon for a coaching staff of an athletic department to be small in number. Dartmouth was no exception. While Sidney coached men's swimming, he was also the coach for football, baseball and soccer in one capacity or another. It was remarked of him: “Sid does everything at Dartmouth except play the chimes and instruct the cheerleaders.”[8] He was a multifaceted individual who brought his athletic programs to a higher level of competition in his time.[9]
Karl B. Michael: Coach of Dartmouth 1940-1942, 1946-1970
In 1927, Coach Hazelton came across a Dartmouth diver by the name of Karl Michael. Karl was a class of 1929, and in his sophomore year, he was the national fancy diving champion. He helped his team attain success through his 3 years at Dartmouth. Though he was a gifted diver, "Mike" enjoyed college more creatively and athletically more than academically. President of the Glee Club, an active member in the "DKE" fraternity, and national diver, Mike did not graduate from Dartmouth. His senior spring he left campus to pursue a coaching career.
Mike was from New Haven, and it was easy for him to find an assistant coach's position at Yale under his mentor, the famous Bob Kiputh. At Yale, Mike spent approximately ten years working with Bob and learning about coaching competitive swimming and diving. In the summer of 1939, Coach Hazelton announced his retirement, and Dartmouth invited Karl B. Michael to be its new head coach.
Within two years from when he started, the Second World War had begun and Mike enlisted in the navy. While in the navy, he was a Lt. Commander who instructed over 100,000 men who were going out to sea in swimming. In his absence, Dartmouth appointed Frank Worthen, an undergraduate on the team, to player-coach them through the 1942-1943 season. Frank accepted, and being one of Mike's best swimmers, contributed to the Dartmouth winning tradition with a record of 6-3 for that season (winning pct. of .667). Though Mike was in Oklahoma instructing swimming for the armed forces, the men's swim team was still winning. Worthen's coaching was short-lived, however, as the intensity of the war increased. Dartmouth shut down its swim team for the next two years leaving blank spaces on the walls where team pictures are and on plaques where recipients' names are supposed to be. These war inflicted absent seasons were the seasons of 1943-44, and 1944-45.[10]
Soon thereafter, Karl B. Michael returned to coach for 26 more years. In 1951, Mike was able to get an up and coming swimmer, John C. Glover ('55) to join in the Dartmouth Swimming tradition. By his junior year, John had established himself both in and out of the water. He was accepted into the Amos Tuck School where he was going to be a part of a competitive program in which the participants would take their fourth and fifth year classes at Tuck. After their fourth year, they would get their B.A. as they normally would and then at the end of their fifth year, they would receive their MBA. It was called the 3-2 program. He was also active in student government, and was the leader of the organization. In addition to his scholastics, his swimming was outstanding: he had won the 100 free at NCAA’s (49.5)[11], and heading into the Olympics of 1956 in Melbourne, Australia, he had the fastest 100 free in the country. Hopes were high for John and his life seemed to be one of complete success. At his Tuck commencement, he had lunch and socialized with his class one last time. After that, he drove home to New Haven to train with Bob Kiputh at Yale. Yale had one of few 50-meter (Olympic size) pools in New England which John needed to train for Olympic Trials. Immediately upon arrival in New Haven John met Bob for practice. John said that he felt a bit weak, but wanted to loosen up in the pool anyway. After swimming to the other end of the pool, John died. His heart had failed and he could not recover. Dartmouth and its swim team deeply mourned the loss of such a fine student/athlete at such a young age.[12]
Karl Michael had quite an impressive résumé which included contributions such as National Collegiate Swimming Rules Committee President, Olympic Swimming Coaches’ Association President, College Swimming Coaches Association President, Chief Starter for the NCAA’s several years, and in 1956 he coached the U.S. Olympic Diving Team.[13] In the fall of 1957, Mike hired Bobby Klotworthy on as the team’s new assistant and diving coach. Mike knew Bobby from the 1956 Olympic diving team. Bobby did not last long, however, as he was hired in the next fall by Princeton University as their head men’s swimming coach. Desperately needing an assistant, Mike then hired Gunter Mund, another ‘56 Olympic connection for Mike. Gunter was capable, but a bit shortsighted. He had a hard time accepting responsibility for the next three years under Mike. At the end of his third year as assistant, Gunter was a member in the flying club at Dartmouth. He loved flying airplanes. In the spring of 1961, Gunter had flown the Dartmouth airplane to Denver, Colorado. Trying to return, he crashed after takeoff and was essentially run out of Dartmouth by the administration and by Mike. Once again, Dartmouth needed a new assistant coach. This time Mike found the stability he was looking for. He hired a man who was coaching teams at country clubs in Connecticut. This man was also a former NCAA diver from Lehigh University. In the summer of 1961, Mike hired Ron Keenhold as his new assistant coach in charge of diving and the freshmen team.[14] Ron is still with Dartmouth now 35 years later.[15]
December of 1963 was an exciting time for Dartmouth Swimming. It was at this time that the new Karl B. Michael Pool was completed. The pool was the dream of Mike and Jackson Smith, a Dartmouth alum and architect. Jackson had been the Dartmouth team captain in 1936 and had been ranked third nationally in diving during the year 1943. At the time the pool was built, he was a partner in the famous architectural firm Eggers and Higgins. The new pool was built with a maximum depth of 15 feet. It was 60 ft. wide by 75 ft. long and was built with the foresight of including two lanes 50 meters in length so that the Dartmouth facilities could aid in Olympic training. The inscription at the door of the pool reads:
The Karl B. Michael Pool was finished just in time for NCAA’s which were to be held there in the spring of ‘64.[17]
March 28-30, 1968, was a famous period in Dartmouth Swimming history. The 45th annual NCAA Championships were coming to Dartmouth’s new pool and Dartmouth had a team in contention. Additionally, a computer (GE 635) was being used for the first time to tabulate diving scores. Assistant coach Ron Keenhold said, “It is conceivable that swim meets will soon be able to eliminate the 8 or 9 men now needed to do the mathematical calculations and work with two men and a computer teletype.”[18] Ward-Amidon of Hanover supplied $6400 worth of “rate-recorders” that split seconds into tenths. These stopwatches looked like large pocket watches. The meet was so big nationwide that it made ABC’s “Wide World of Sports.”
Dartmouth’s team consisted of several nationally ranked swimmers. Brad Lindeblad ‘68 was one who held school records in the 50 (21.4) and 100 freestyles (47.4). He was captain, All-American, and had placed second at Easterns that year. Another was Stu Vance ‘69, Easterns champion in the 50 free that year (21.7) and was second in the 100 free (47.5) (46.8r). Terry Robinson ‘69 held the 200 (1:45.56), 400 (3:57.9), and 1000 freestyle school records (10:46.9). Al Peterson ‘69 was Easterns champion in the 100 backstroke (55.34) and held school records in the 200 IM (2:02.37) and the 100 back (54.8). The team also had a diver competing. Mike Brown ‘70 was Easterns champion in the one meter diving and third in the three meter competition. Mike Brown still holds the team’s one meter diving record. Out of a field of 65 teams, Dartmouth finished 11th, a rank that has not been achieved since. The winning team was Indiana University who, in the next year, was competing with a swimmer by the name of Mark Spitz.[19]
On that 1963 team was Don Wurtz, an ROTC student. When he served his time to the Armed Forces, Don became an expert in SCUBA and underwater demolition activities. After his service he was hired on as a third Dartmouth coach in the fall of 1965. He started a SCUBA program immediately. His work was not needed as much as Mike and Rons’, so Don was also able to take classes at Tuck while assisting with the team. When he graduated from Tuck in 1969, Don left. Wally Lutkus was then hired to replace Don in September of 1969. He became certified SCUBA and took over that physical education program. Then, in June of 1970, Karl B. Michael decided to retire and named his assistant, Ron Keenhold, his successor.[20]
During his coaching span at Dartmouth, Karl B. Michael obtained a remarkable record of 218-91-1, a winning percentage of .703. He was loved and revered in the sport to which he dedicated his life. He was quoted as saying in 1965: “When you make your trip to Hanover, you will find a guy who is happy in what he is doing.”[21] If success is equivalent to happiness, then Karl Michael was a euphoric coach. In addition to swimming, Mike had been Director of Junior Activities at Manhasset Bay Yacht Club in Long Island, he was the Director of Summer Athletics at Dartmouth, he coached freshman lacrosse, and he had a wife Doris and two sons. A donor to the Karl B. Michael Pool wrote of him:
Karl B. Michael will always be celebrated and revered by Dartmouth swimming.
Ron Keenhold: Coach Of Dartmouth 1970-1989
Ron Keenhold was another strong coach in the Dartmouth tradition. Having been trained for the head coaching position under Karl Michael for nine years, Ron was a dynamic and capable coach to fill the shoes of his predecessor. All the changes due to Mike’s retirement caused a flux of internal shifts. Wally was now in charge of the SCUBA program started by Don Wurtz. Ron needed a head diving coach, so he hired Dennis Golden to fill that position. Now Dartmouth once again had a head coach, assistant coach, and a diving coach.
Then, economic disaster struck this country in the form of the oil crisis. Dartmouth was not missed by this financial hardship and in December of 1973, the Director of Athletics, Seaver Peters, told Ron to cut one of his coaches due to money problems. The decision for Ron was difficult, but in the end he rationalized what to do. He fired Dennis because: “Wally was more important than the diving coach due to his versatility.”[23] Ron felt that he himself could handle the diving position as well as the head coaching position. The year 1974 also forced change at Dartmouth as it was now co-ed. The school hired Wally’s wife Sue to be the school’s first women’s head coach.
In 1980, Ron also assumed the women’s head diving coach position. Now Ron had his head coach position, men’s diving coach position, and women’s head diving coach position. To alleviate some of the burden, Ron hired an ‘83 graduate, Bill Chapman to assist part time with the men’s diving team through ‘84 and ‘85 as Bill was a medical school student at Mary Hitchcock. However, at the beginning of the ‘84 season, there were problems. There were ideological conflicts between Ron and Wally. Ron claimed that it was time for Wally to be a head coach somewhere. So, in December of 1984, Wally left, but not without leaving a mark on Dartmouth. He had been the faculty advisor of the rugby club which is one of the most respected clubs on campus. His wife was still head coach and he was well liked by the team. The Director of Athletics in 1985, Ted Leland, soon thereafter cut the men’s team full time assistant position. Now any assistant could just be part time. Ron became swamped. He was still essentially coaching three teams. In September of 1985, a year-round age group team, North Country, used the Karl B. Michael Pool for its training. The head coach was Roy Coates, a coach with plenty of experience and heart for the sport. Ron needed help, so he hired Roy as a part time assistant. Roy was assistant for four years.
Eventually Ron found himself running frantic attempting to run many facets of the team without the aid of a full time assistant. He says, “I was running through the halls trying to do two 100% jobs.”[24] June of 1989 was a time for change in Dartmouth Swimming again. Ron had worked out a plan with Ted Leland to resign as head coach, but stay on as the Aquatic Director and continue his diving passion by remaining Head Diving Coach for both the men’s and women’s teams. The school then hired Roy as its new head coach. Ron did not leave the head coaching position without leaving his signs of having been there either. His coaching record was 98-71 (winning pct. of .579).[25] He had coached several swimmers with records today. Swimmers like Todd Taylor ‘80 and Jeff Couture ‘84 currently hold team records. He still coaches the diving teams in 1996. Ron is well liked among the Dartmouth swimmers.
Roy Coates: Coach Of Dartmouth 1989-1993
Roy was only around for four years, but was successful at recruiting several strong classes. The classes of 1993 and 1994 were among the strongest Dartmouth had seen in years and produced several team records: Fenton ‘93, Moore’94, Kenyon’94, Bigelow’93. He also recruited the class of ‘96 which also rewrote the record board. In their freshmen years, Ben Lannon and Grier Laughlin both set two team records. All of these swimmers were recruited by and swam for Roy.
Though he was successful and was bringing victories back to Dartmouth in this rebuilding period, the athletic administration was not supporting Roy. In July of ‘89 when he took over, he was still getting paid for a part time position without a full time salary or benefits. He was getting strung along by the athletic department, and being treated as a part time person. In July of 1993, Roy left Dartmouth to take the head men’s and women’s coaching position at Northeastern University. It was, as he put it, an opportunity to finally recruit and coach with scholarships as leverage.[26] That summer proved to be a trying one for the team as it desperately looked for a new coach to rekindle the fire that Roy had started.
Jim Wilson: Coach Of Dartmouth 1993- Present
Jim Wilson came to Dartmouth from the University of Utah where he enjoyed 21 winning seasons, 41 All-Americans, and was an All-American himself in the 400 freestyle relay for 1975.[27] He was excited to come to Dartmouth and coach where, in contrast to Roy, he could not use the athletic scholarship to persuade student athletes to swim. Jim has a dynamic coaching style; he is open to student activities out of the pool, but is strict about practices and competitions in the pool. Jim has also had the honor of a #1, #2, or #3 ranking in Division I swim teams nationally with his teams since being hired as the Dartmouth coach. With a team growing in strength, Jim looks to move up in the Ivy rankings.
For the first time in years, Dartmouth won an Ivy duel meet versus Columbia University in January of 1996. Also, in that same month, tragedy struck in the Karl B. Michael Pool. Dartmouth was swimming the University of Massachusetts in a close and exciting duel meet. Right before the 500 freestyle started, Greg Menton, a UMass swimmer collapsed on deck. Approximately an hour afterward, he was pronounced dead of heart failure. He, like John Glover, had been an elite athlete with an undiagnosable heart condition. Greg Menton will be remembered forever by Dartmouth Swimming.
Jim looks to a bright future and growing team. The class of ‘99 has proven itself with a team record holder in Mike Hooper and a diver who achieved 4th at the 1996 Easterns, Toby Hays. This class leads the team into the next century. The 1997’s also show promise led by team captains Josh Pristaw and Jon Kenyon for the ‘96-’97 season. Jim also enjoys coaching the successful Dartmouth Water Polo Club. He has a wife Debbie and three children Rachel, Chris, and Sarah.
The Future
Dartmouth Swimming has suffered some from the fact that it cannot offer scholarships to potential athletes. Additionally, around the time that NCAA’s were held at Dartmouth, swimming drastically changed. Swimmers’ capabilities increased and times dropped dramatically. After this change, it has been difficult for Dartmouth to successfully recruit the top swimmers who are offered full scholarships to other schools and also swimmers who are even capable of admission in the ever growing competitive academic nature of the school. With Jim Wilson at the helm, Dartmouth Swimming looks to have a future in which it moves to the top of the EISL standings. As long as admissions will accept top recruits, the team will continue rebuilding until it might once again reach its nationally renown status.
Works Cited
-Author is available to give more information on references if needed.