The varsity swimming and diving programs will continue for at least another 10 seasons, administrators announced Wednesday evening. An agreement between students, alumni, parents and administrators overturned the Nov. 25 decision to permanently eliminate the swimming and diving teams.
The newly approved John C. Glover Fund for the Support of Swimming and Diving will provide the swim team with over $2 million in funding, enough to keep the program alive for the next decade.
While the $2 million has not yet been completely raised, according to Vice President of Public Affairs Bill Walker, the recent agreement to preserve the program hinges on promises that the funds will be available in full as of June 30 of this year. .
Dartmouth varsity swimmers from teams of the 1950s -- in particular John Ballard '55, Tom Kelsey '54 and Steve Mullins '54 -- were instrumental in establishing the fund and planning the fundraising of the needed $2 million as well as convincing administrators to continue the swimming program. They have been working closely with the teams since December.
Glover was a Dartmouth varsity swimmer on the team with Ballard, Kelsey, and Mullins in the Class of 1955. Glover later died while in training for the Olympic Games in 1956, and the fund is dedicated to him by his teammates.
"We are grateful to the leaders of Dartmouth for their willingness to listen to the needs of Dartmouth students, the desires of alumni and the concerns of swimmers and divers everywhere," Ballard said. "They have earned the trust we place in them."
Members of the swimming and diving teams were informed of the decision around 3 p.m. yesterday afternoon, shortly before departing for a meet at Middlebury College, when Dean of the College James Larimore and Athletics Director Josie Harper boarded the team bus and broke the news to excited athletes.
"Once [Harper and Larimore] left the bus, everyone was hugging and cheering," Schned said. "Everyone is incredibly excited ... it's a huge weight off everyone's chest to get the swim team back."
Student Body President Janos Marton '04 gave Dartmouth students credit for the administration's decision.
"The students definitely had a hand in this. I'm a strong believer in the fact that the students recognized not only the injustice of the decision's impact on the swimmers, but also in the manner in which it was conducted, which was without any student voice," he said.
Marton said that he felt the process had been gradual, but that the major turning point had been a meeting on Dec. 9 between administrators and Student Body Vice-President Julia Hildreth '05, Student Life Committee Chair Amit Anand '03, and swimming captains Mia Yocco '03 and Louis Fidel '03. At this meeting, swimmers and Student Assembly leaders presented several compromises to the administration's members.
Anand said that the administration had not been impressed with the rallies and protests that students had staged shortly after the College's initial decision to eliminate the swimming and diving programs, and that the gatherings had only strengthened the College's resolve to stand by its initial decision. Anand agreed with Marton that the meeting on Dec. 9 had been particularly instrumental to success.
"The role of the intellectual dialogue cannot be stressed enough." Anand said of the administration's decision-making process.
Following the pivotal meeting on Dec. 9, Josie Harper met with the members of the swimming and diving teams several times, and according to Anand the administration had become gradually more and more receptive towards the swimmers until finally acquiescing to one of the compromises presented on Dec. 9.
Several top administrators who had worked closely with swimmers, Assembly leaders and alumni to reach this compromise expressed their satisfaction with the results yesterday evening.
"We are delighted to reach an agreement that allows the swimming and diving program at Dartmouth to continue, while recognizing the budget goals that Dartmouth must meet," Larimore noted.
College President James Wright said that the new agreement "is a wonderful example of how the Dartmouth community can work together in a constructive effort. I commend the different groups involved -- the athletes, Student Assembly, parents, and alumni/ae as well as James Larimore and JoAnn Harper and her staff, and I am pleased that we will continue to have swimming and diving at Dartmouth."
"I am very pleased that we have reached a positive outcome that enables us to continue the program. Through the efforts of a group of generous alumni, parents and friends, and the support of President Wright, Dean Larimore, and the senior administration, we have overcome the budget pressure that forced the original decision." Harper said.
