Editor’s note: We will update this article throughout the day as notes come in from throughout the swimming community. Check back often. Feel free to leave your thoughts about Daland in the comment section as well.
Photo Courtesy: Bill Collins
THOUSAND OAKS, California, October 20. Peter Daland, a University of Southern California legend and co-founder of Swimming World Magazine, passed away this morning at the age of 93 of Alzheimer’s disease.
Daland’s coaching career spanned more than four decades. Daland graduated from Swarthmore College in 1948 and began coaching in Rose Valley, Pa., where he captured eight straight Suburban League titles from 1947-55. During that time period, he founded the Suburban Swim Club (now called the Suburban Seahawks Club) in Newtown Square, Pa., before serving as an assistant to legendary Yale coach Bob Kiphuth at Yale. In 1956, he took the position as head coach at the University of Southern California and also coached at the Los Angeles Athletic Club.
Daland never left USC as a coach. He spent 35 years with the Trojans until retiring in 1992. During his time at USC, he led the Trojans to nine NCAA Championships, as well as coached the club to 14 AAU Men’s National titles and 2 AAU Women’s National titles.
Daland also earned spots on multiple national team coaching staffs. He was the coach of the 1964 U.S. Women’s Swim Team, where his team won 15 of the 25 medals available. In 1972, he coached the U.S. men’s team that won 26 out of 45 medals awards, including Mark Spitz’s then-record seven Olympic titles and seven world records.
Daland remained active in the swimming community following his retirement from coaching. He had various roles with the International University Sports Federation (FISU) and the American Swim Coaches Association (ASCA). He was one of the founders of ASCA, and was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 1977.
Daland and his wife, Ingrid, just moved to a retirement community in Thousand Oaks, Calif., a year ago. He had the chance to spend some time with some of his former swimmers during a surprise visit a year ago as Mike O’Brien, Steve Pickell, Mike Nyeholt, Rod Stewart, Bruce Furniss and John Naber dropped by Daland’s home. USC also recently named its new pool after Daland as the Peter Daland Pool is now part of the Uytengsu Aquatics Center, named after a swimmer who Daland coached in the 1980s and went on to become a big donor for USC.
There will be a private funeral service for Daland’s immediate family. A public memorial service at USC will be announced at a future date.
In lieu of flowers, Daland’s family requests that donations be made to the Peter Daland Endowed Head Swimming Coach’s Chair to endow the men’s swimming head coach’s position (c/o Ron Orr, USC Athletic Department, Heritage Hall, Los Angeles, Calif. 90089-0602).
Daland is survived by his wife of nearly 50 years, Ingrid, and five children (George, Roger, Peter Jr., Bonnie and Leslie) and eight grandchildren.
Daland also is one of our co-founders, alongside his former boss Kiphuth.
In 2010, Swimming World CEO Brent Rutemiller spoke with Daland in a pair of interviews in conjunction with the release of “The History of Olympic Swimming: 1896-1936.”
Rutemiller talked with Daland in the first of a two interviews here. This edition details the re-emergence of the modern Olympic Games in 1896 through 1916, when the Games were canceled due to World War I. In the second interview, listen to the fascinating stories about the Olympic Games between the World Wars. This edition details the staging of the Antwerp, Belgium, Olympic Games in 1920 after they were suspended in 1916 during WWI and continues through Berlin, Germany, Games in 1936 prior to WWII.
RELATED STORIES:
Here’s a reprint of our 50+ year anniversary column from January 2009 explaining our history, including Daland’s integral involvement:
With this issue, Swimming World begins its 50th year of publication as a standard magazine. Some of you might have wondered about the “+” sign on our 50+ celebration artwork featured on this month’s cover – especially if you’ve been one of our many loyal readers who have been reading Swimming World since its inception as a mimeographed journal in July 1951. If so, you are probably confused as to why we are celebrating the beginning of our 50th year…58 years later.
The answer is in the “+” sign.
The very first mention of Swimming World came in July 1951 when Yale super coach Robert J.H. Kiphuth, assisted by Peter Daland, began publishing a mimeographed journal under the moniker, Swimming World.
The first issue of that publication debuted the Swimming World globe logo, which has been an integral part of our branding throughout the years.
The next summer in 1952, Daland spun off his own mimeographed journal named Junior Swimmer. Until the end of the decade, both publications served the swimming community with news and results from around the world.
In January 1960, a groundbreaking moment in swimming print media occurred when Al Schoenfield took over ownership of Junior Swimmer. Daland’s coaching career had skyrocketed at the University of Southern California and the Los Angeles Athletic Club, which limited his time to devote to a publication.
The January 1960 issue of Junior Swimmer marked the first issue published by Schoenfield. It also was the first time the publication used a standard monthly magazine format. Schoenfield instituted a new volume
sequencing with that issue, so the rebirth of Junior Swimmer was labeled Volume 1, Issue 1. This is the issue that Swimming World recognizes as its first as a standard magazine, and is the sequencing we follow to this day.Meanwhile, Kiphuth was still publishing Swimming World at Yale. That changed in June 1961 when Swimming World and Junior Swimmer merged into a new title called Jr./ Sr. Swimmer – Swimming World (Volume 2, Issue 6). It was at that time that Schoenfield took over the publishing duties of Swimming World from Kiphuth, and ceased the journal format.
So, for the die-hard reader, Swimming World as an entity is actually going into its 59th year.
But from a standard magazine perspective, it’s 50. We at Sports Publications International, the current owners of Swimming World Magazine, simply call it our 50+ celebration.
Another milestone came in May 1962 when Swimming World took on a more high-profile spot on the cover by sharing the co-title, Junior Swimmer and Swimming World, before later assuming top billing as the publication grew into a more world-based view.
Junior Swimmer has still remained an integral part of our publication, as our age group section of the magazine is still named after Daland’s initial work.
USC Press Release
Legendary longtime USC men’s swimming head coach Peter Daland, who led the Trojans to nine NCAA team championships during his 35-year tenure, died on Monday morning (Oct. 20) in Thousand Oaks, Calif., of Alzheimer’s disease. He was 93.
Under Daland from 1958 through 1992, USC also placed second at the NCAA meet 11 times, won 17 league crowns and posted a 318-31-1 (.917) dual meet record. A six-time National Coach of the Year, his swimmers captured 93 NCAA and 155 Pac-10 individual and relay titles. USC went undefeated in dual meets in 20 of his seasons. His 1977 team is regarded as the finest collegiate swim team ever.
Among the world class swimmers he coached were John Naber, winner of four Olympic golds and 10 NCAA titles; American record holders Dave Wharton and Mike O’Brien; and Olympic stars Roy Saari, Murray Rose, Jeff Float, Joe and Mike Bottom and Bruce and Steve Furniss.
One of the most successful and respected collegiate and international swim coaches in history, Daland spent more than 45 years coaching at the club and college levels. He coached the U.S. men in the 1972 Olympics as they won nine gold medals (including seven by Mark Spitz) and the U.S. women in the 1964 Games as they captured six golds. He guided American teams to impressive victories against East Germany and the USSR in 1971 and at the World University Games in 1973.
Daland also won 17 national AAU titles (15 men’s at USC and two women’s at the Los Angeles Athletic Club). USC finished first or second in the AAU meet a phenomenal 20 times in Daland’s 35 years.
“The world of swimming has lost one of its most progressive minds,” said current USC swimming and diving head coach Dave Salo. “Personally, I have lost a great and close personal friend. Peter was instrumental in teaching me the championship process. He was about relationships and driving the process to championship performance through team work. As the current USC head coach, I have tried to carry on many of Peter’s traditions. For instance, I spec out the championship meet the way Peter always did, I remind our athletes like Peter did how important timeliness is and we continue to foster an environment where our alumni are celebrated guests on our deck as they always were when Peter was coaching here.”
Said Naber: “The sport lost a great man, and I lost a dear friend. I shall always be grateful to Coach Daland for his ability to push me outside my comfort zone. He was a rarity in college coaching, because he was equally concerned with his team’s academic and social growth as he was with his swimmers’ athletic accomplishments. He knew every swimmer’s name, academic major and the names of family members and girlfriends. Although many of his swimmers achieved international acclaim, he never altered his style to accommodate any one individual. When Coach Daland was on deck, the pool at USC held no stars, only squad members. He made it a point to address each swimmer by name at least once per workout. He wanted his swimmers to be self-reliant, responsible and as good as they could possibly be in all aspects of life. He often pushed his swimmers to try off events and he challenged his teams to live up to the standards set by prior teams. He brought a wealth of knowledge and understanding on how to get the most out of his teams, and his swimmers repaid him with great admiration, loyalty and respect.”
“Peter Daland was a giant,” said Bruce Furniss, one of four Furniss brothers to swim at USC for Daland. “He was to swimming what John Wooden was to basketball. He cared deeply about you as a swimmer and as a person, and he did it in both a loving way and a strong parental way. He brought his East Coast pedigree and prestige to USC, and he proved to be the bridge between the sport’s pioneer coaches and today’s modern-era coaches. I am so glad I came to USC and swam for him. But maybe the best times we had were these past 10 or 15 years when we would get together, he would tell me about his life and we would laugh nostalgically about the good old days.”
There will be a private funeral service for Daland’s immediate family. A public memorial service at USC will be announced at a future date.
In lieu of flowers, Daland’s family requests that donations be made to the Peter Daland Endowed Head Swimming Coach’s Chair to endow the men’s swimming head coach’s position (c/o Ron Orr, USC Athletic Department, Heritage Hall, Los Angeles, Calif. 90089-0602).
Daland is survived by his wife of nearly 50 years, Ingrid, and five children (George, Roger, Peter Jr., Bonnie and Leslie) and eight grandchildren.
Daland was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame, the American Swimming Coaches Association Hall of Fame and the USC Athletic Hall of Fame. The pool of USC’s new Uytengsu Aquatics Center bears his name.
He founded Swimming World Magazine. In 2009, he authored “The History of Olympic Swimming, Volume I: 1896-1936.”
Originally from New York City, Daland was a 1948 graduate of Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania. His first coaching job was at Rose Valley (Penn.), where he took the club swim team to eight consecutive Suburban League titles (1947-55). He founded and was the first head coach of the Suburban Swimming Club in Philadelphia (1950-55) and served as an assistant swim coach at Yale University from 1950-54.
What They Are Saying About Peter Daland
USA Swimming Executive Director Chuck Wielgus:
“Coach Peter Daland was, without question, a giant in the sport of swimming. The life he led, the many he positively impacted and the contributions he made are unmatched. Coach Daland carried himself in a manner that brought respect from everyone he met and for every institution he represented, including USA Swimming. The American swimming family and the international swimming community have unfortunately lost one of our sport’s most iconic figures.”
USC Head Coach Dave Salo (via Twitter):
“Sad day in the world of swimming. Peter Daland has passed away. God tapped him on the shoulder reminding him “tricky tocky goes the clocky.””
Colorado Stars Head Coach Todd Schmitz (via Twitter):
“Such a great man. The swimming world and the world lost a great man. RIP Peter Daland.”
USA Swimming Past President, Berkeley Aquatic Club Head Coach Jim Wood:
“A great coach, a great friend and even a better man. Thank you, Peter.”
Coach Daland coached the great Olympian and World Records holder Kathy Ferguson at LAAC.
And Daland coached a Combined AAU National Championship team (along with Pokey Watson Richardson) at AAU Indoor National in 1976. USC 551 points to Mission Viego’s second place 446 points. (See SW Magazine May 1976 issue, page 112).
He was never called Peter by his swimmers, because we had such respect for the man. In 1974, he predicted the Trojans could win the NCAA meet by one point. The final score was USC 339, Indiana, 338. He said there were no stars on any of his teams, just team members, and that was fine by us. His knowledge of the sport was second to none, and his concern for his swimmers was legendary. Swimming lost a great man today.
“Organization is the key to success.” — post-meet cheer by Daland’s squad after winning the 1975 NCAA meet.
Peter was the gentleman of swimming and something of a chip off the old block of his mentor, Bob Kiphuth. The history of swimming was important to Peter and he valued the International Swimming Hall of Fame almost as much as we cherished him.
I was blessed to have the opportunity to spend two hours with Peter & Ingrid on Monday morning just this past May 9th, sitting just outside their apartment building, under the shade in Thousand Oaks. Though Ingrid did most of the talking, Peter would interject here and there and most of the time was seemingly quite coherent. He did state on two occasions that he had one more good speech left in him and at the time I believe he did. Ingrid shared stories of past swim meets and of their many travels through the years. She excitedly recounted when they met and how she was originally interested in one of Peter’s swimmers, if I remember correctly. It was a special time that I am grateful to have spent and will always cherish.
I first met Coach at the Goodwill Games in Seattle in 1990. Over the years we met on a number of other occasions including PAC 10 meets, ISHOF, USA Swimming Nat’ls and even one time in Los Angeles where he invited me to his office in Thousand Oaks. On that same trip I first went to the Daland Swim School where I had first visited years earlier under different ownership. The Dalands had made the place a first rate swim school.
Peter managed to get his first edition of Olympic swimming history to print. We shared a love of swimming history and encouraged one another regarding our research and writing most ever time we spoke. Looking forward, I will think of him often, as I further write of swimming and the greater World of Aquatics.
What you wrote about Peter Daland is very sweet. Thank you very much to have shared this with us.
A great coach, gentleman and a noble Trojan. Nothing else to say.
I met Peter in 2001, right after I moved to Florida from Germany. I still remember our first encounter during the ISHOF Induction of that year. I know that I still have an accent, but 13 years ago my English wasn’t good at all. Peter being his polite and sweet self, commented on my English at the end of our conversation by saying: “It is amazing. You have no accent at all!” My response was: “Peter, you must feel that way because you are married to a German woman.” And we laughed. This little story had been an inside joke between us ever since.
Over the years Peter shared some great stories with me about his experience travelling to the former East Germany as a coach. They were nothing short of amazing and a great first hand history lesson for me.
Then in 2008 I had the honor to work with Peter on his book The History of Olympic Swimming, Volume 1, when I assisted him in finding the right pictures to illustrate his stories. I feel very privileged that I played a part in writing this important book and grateful that Peter send me an autographed copy with a personal message thanking me for my assistance. This book will always be a treasured memory of Peter to me. I am deeply saddened about Peter’s passing and I will miss him. My heart goes out to his wife Ingrid.
With deepest sympathy,
Ivonne Schmid, Ph.D.
International Swimming Hall of Fame
Thanks to Peter for pushing me to my limits and past. God Bless.
What a coach …
What a man …
What a gentleman ….
I have been a very lucky lady to have known this beautiful person for such a long long time.
Already since we met in 1964 when I was a member of the Dutch Olympic Swimming Team in Tokyo.
Not only in the USA one is grieving over this loss, but also here in Holland. I lost a great friend.
My deepest sympathy and condolances go out to Ingrid and family. May Peter rest in peace.
Ada Kok
The Netherlands
At age 14, Peter promoted me to the A team of the LAAC. I remember how proud I was to get that glorious blue LAAC sweat suit. Those were heady days for this kid, swimming with John Konrads and Murray Rose. Peter lived near me and several times I wrangled a ride home with him. I remember him commenting after one workout that most people thought Murray Rose didn’t have much of a kick, but that he (Peter) imagined that I knew differently. He was commenting on how I was desperately trying to keep up with Rose, swimming in his wake, eating his bubbles. Yep, he did have a kick.
Some years later, after 2+ year out of the pool, my little college decides to form a team and over Christmas break I went down to the LAAC to swim some on my own. Swimming along, minding my own business, and Peter walks in, watches me swim, and says something to the effect of “who taught you to swim breastroke?” I stop and say “You did, Peter.” He hadn’t recognized me; I’d grown a beard and probably my hair was a bit longer (it was 1966, after all). I told him what I was doing, and he says I’m welcome to train with the C team (10-12 year olds). So I did. They kicked my butt. But not only my butt, there was a 27 year old guy who in 1960 was a silver medalist in the 100 meter free in the Rome Olympics, Lance Larson. He was then in the Navy and he was trying to get into shape to join the Navy swim team. Those kids kicked his butt, too. I can still see Peter laughing.
Conner Bailey
General Factotum
Auburn Masters Swimmers
Auburn, AL
I have known Peter for over fifty years. Had the honor to be his Assistant Coach for the 1972 Olympic team. We were also co-coaches for the LAAC for two years in the 60’s.
He has been not only a colleague but a dear friend to me and my family. He used to joke about our oldest son who is named Troy, saying it was his favorite name.
During the last two Olympic Trials it has been my distinct pleasure to sit next to him and his wife Ingrid. What a pleasure to have those memorable times.
Rest in peace Peter and God bless you Ingrid and the Daland family.
Peter Daland was really liked in France, and was very popular. He had a very good connection with French swimming and many French teams went to train in California when he coached USC (amongst them the world records holders Alain Gottvalles and Alain Mosconi). I had the pleasure to meet him years ago when he tried to circumvent the doping system of China. He was a living encyclopedia of swimming. I bought years ago his book on Olympic swimming history and waited for an other publication. He was helping, friendly, and it was such a pleasure to talk with him.
I was one of the Rose Valley Swimmers who helped collate mimeographed issues of Swimming World, sitting at a picnic table behind his parents’ home in Wallingford PA. I believe Sandy Rife, Bill Ruggie, and George Jarden were also there, making booklets of the pages. That was in 1951.
I have remembrances of him standing on the diving board in his slacks and traditional white cable sweater with his stopwatch and megaphone on some drizzly spring mornings while we swimmers were sitting on benches on the flag stone siding, with blue lips and knees all shivering waiting to be called up for relay sprints up and down that old pool. Yes, we swam outside in the icy water from the artesian well that supplied the pool and didn’t warm up until sometime in July. No excuses!
I was asked from time to time to baby sit with his eldest sons George and Roger during those years. I have such dear memories of family members and the sound of Pete’s voice as he went over plans for meets in our livingroom with my father, who was active among the “timers and judges” of the Suburban Swim League. A family friend as well as a coach who once eyed me as Nationals material. I disappointed him when I chose to be an artist instead, I’m afraid. He was an enormous influence on my life, and I’ll never forget him. Susan Holland, (then named Susan Trickle)
George Jarden about Peter Daland
November 1, 2014
Some personal notes about Peter Daland by George Jarden, M.D., age 78, (one of) his first swimmers, starting with him at Rose Valley, PA, Swimming Pool, 1946.
I’m so very unhappy that I can’t make it to either the private celebration of Coach Daland’s life tomorrow, November 2nd; or, for the later one to be held at USC.
(I have enrolled in a W.I.T.S. Personal Trainer Qualification Course – which I think Peter would applaud! – and which conflicts with both services.)
I’m sharing simply personal remembrances and feelings and assessments – his USC/LAAC/Olympic public record is well known and available online and elsewhere.
First: to at least 100 surviving children of the 1940s-‘50s Rose Valley, PA scene
o this man’s name is PETE!! Nobody knew him as anything other than Pete! (When he “took over my life” I was 10, he was 25!)
Before his Los Angeles Athletic Club and USC NCAA days, Pete made a BIG difference.
He returned from WWII service (where he did swimming coaching) in 1946, to really “begin” at Rose Valley Swimming Pool, Rose Valley being a borough of, at that time, 500 people, nestled between Media, Wallingford, and Swarthmore, PA.
(The pool was 30 YARDS long, with “rope finishes” for the 25, 50, and 100 yards swims! – it really was a local “mudhole,” – “Rose Valley Mudhole, Mud Speaking,” is how the phone was answered.
Out of a community kids’ base of ONE grammar school – grades 1 – 6 (Wallingford Elementary, which was right next door to Pete’s home!) of ca. 200 students (!), and ONE high school – grades 7 – 12 (Nether Providence High School) of ca. 320 students (!) – only 150 – 200 of whom belonged to the swimming pool! (there was NO indoor summer or winter swimming) – Pete created a swimming dynasty which dominated the Suburban Philadelphia area within just 2 – 3 years, and which lasted until he left to go to Yale.
His legacy?:
• There never had been before, and never has been since, anything like his impact.
Children born in and around Rose Valley between about 1935 – 48 are sending emails today, sharing “impact” stories, and “affection” stories and reminiscences about “Pete” and the powerful impact he had on their young lives, and still today.
• To me, a 10-year-old boy living 100 yards “up the path” through the woods from the pool, passionately receptive to competition – to trying to be best! – he was an instant “god”. What he said was gospel. He taught discipline, reasoned approach to personal goals, logic as well as passion and commitment to Life, Achievement. He encouraged, he coaxed, he cajoled. He never, ever!, was coarse, sarcastic, caustic – always positive!
• He was the most benevolently single-minded pursuer of excellence I’ve ever known!
• He never entertained a thought which was not germane to the essential task or goal around which one’s relationship with him centered!
• From 1946, at my age 10 – to 2012, at my age 76, he “told me”
o what I should regard as important and why;
o what I should strive for; and
o how I should do it!
• From the above-described base of some 150 – 200 kids
o At least 100 still treasure him, his memory, and his influence on them;
o Dozens went on to college swimming
Bill Ruggie (same age as myself, 78 yrs, started with Pete in 1946, age 10) went on to be SEC Champ in 100 and 200 backstroke, 1957, ’58,’59, for the Florida Gators;
Ed Spencer, 5 years younger, went on to well-known swimming fame as swimmer and coach; (BTW – “Ed” Spencer was unknown to us – he was “Smokey”;
Lee Lawrence, ca. same age as Spencer, went on to become the very prominent coach of Midshipmen and Women of Navy swimming
(I hope these facts are correct and complete.)
All that excellence and achievement from a base of about 50 FAMILY MEMBERSHIPS to a 30-yard pool in a Borough of 500 people!!
I believe all those ‘40s – ‘50s kids would agree with:
He was beloved and revered and respected because
o He knew what was possible and best for each of us
o He cared
o He was honest and sincere
o His comportment and demeanor were impeccable
o His culture of swimming coaching per se was pursued from a perspective couched in an overarching awareness of culture, history, and the “way of things proper, and of things of substance” for winners in the broader sense
o The base for his approach to all people and things: Fairness!
If one heard: “Pete Says…” the conversation was over!!
Other than my personal family, no one influenced my life as much as “Pete.”
With sorrow at losing Pete,
George H. Jarden, Jr., M.D., F.A.A.P.
Below, three pix:
Above, Ca. 1950 – Pete Daland, age 29, at the shallow end of the 30-yard Rose Valley Swimming Pool – in front of the old fireplace where we cooked up our picnics.
Pete changed lives and made a swimming dynasty out of a “picnic-place”!
Tacked under the 1950 pix: his subsequent legendary coaching record on the plaque at the Daland Wall of Fame at USC.
Pix 2 – ca. 1949 – some of Pete Daland’s earliest swimmers – BEFORE such a thing as “team sweat suits” for Rose Valley swimmers! This is at Aronomink Swim Club, Drexel Hill, Suburban Phila., PA., and the Rose Valley girls’ relay team is: (to the right of the top-platform first place team), in black suit, Judy Brown; then, behind her, Audry Graham and Betsy Jenkins. I think that, just above the head of the ribbon-awarder man, approaching her team mates, is Susan Trickle.
Pix 3
Caption below it…
Pete Daland, ca. 1951, aged 29-30, on “The Bridge,” Rose Valley Swimming Pool, with his “men’s” division swimmers, aged ca. 15, L-R George Jarden, Bill Ruggie (later SEC 100/200 back champion, ’57 – ’59 for U. of Florida Gators), Andy Shroder (later defensive back, Cornell Univ.).
We’ll all miss “Pete”.
George Jarden
George Jarden about Peter Daland
November 1, 2014
Some personal notes about Peter Daland by George Jarden, M.D., age 78, (one of) his first swimmers, starting with him at Rose Valley, PA, Swimming Pool, 1946.
I’m so very unhappy that I can’t make it to either the private celebration of Coach Daland’s life tomorrow, November 2nd; or, for the later one to be held at USC.
(I have enrolled in a W.I.T.S. Personal Trainer Qualification Course – which I think Peter would applaud! – and which conflicts with both services.)
I’m sharing simply personal remembrances and feelings and assessments – his USC/LAAC/Olympic public record is well known and available online and elsewhere.
First: to at least 100 surviving children of the 1940s-‘50s Rose Valley, PA scene
o this man’s name is PETE!! Nobody knew him as anything other than Pete! (When he “took over my life” I was 10, he was 25!)
Before his Los Angeles Athletic Club and USC NCAA days, Pete made a BIG difference.
He returned from WWII service (where he did swimming coaching) in 1946, to really “begin” at Rose Valley Swimming Pool, Rose Valley being a borough of, at that time, 500 people, nestled between Media, Wallingford, and Swarthmore, PA.
(The pool was 30 YARDS long, with “rope finishes” for the 25, 50, and 100 yards swims! – it really was a local “mudhole,” – “Rose Valley Mudhole, Mud Speaking,” is how the phone was answered.
Out of a community kids’ base of ONE grammar school – grades 1 – 6 (Wallingford Elementary, which was right next door to Pete’s home!) of ca. 200 students (!), and ONE high school – grades 7 – 12 (Nether Providence High School) of ca. 320 students (!) – only 150 – 200 of whom belonged to the swimming pool! (there was NO indoor summer or winter swimming) – Pete created a swimming dynasty which dominated the Suburban Philadelphia area within just 2 – 3 years, and which lasted until he left to go to Yale.
His legacy?:
• There never had been before, and never has been since, anything like his impact.
Children born in and around Rose Valley between about 1935 – 48 are sending emails today, sharing “impact” stories, and “affection” stories and reminiscences about “Pete” and the powerful impact he had on their young lives, and still today.
• To me, a 10-year-old boy living 100 yards “up the path” through the woods from the pool, passionately receptive to competition – to trying to be best! – he was an instant “god”. What he said was gospel. He taught discipline, reasoned approach to personal goals, logic as well as passion and commitment to Life, Achievement. He encouraged, he coaxed, he cajoled. He never, ever!, was coarse, sarcastic, caustic – always positive!
• He was the most benevolently single-minded pursuer of excellence I’ve ever known!
• He never entertained a thought which was not germane to the essential task or goal around which one’s relationship with him centered!
• From 1946, at my age 10 – to 2012, at my age 76, he “told me”
o what I should regard as important and why;
o what I should strive for; and
o how I should do it!
• From the above-described base of some 150 – 200 kids
o At least 100 still treasure him, his memory, and his influence on them;
o Dozens went on to college swimming
Bill Ruggie (same age as myself, 78 yrs, started with Pete in 1946, age 10) went on to be SEC Champ in 100 and 200 backstroke, 1957, ’58,’59, for the Florida Gators;
Ed Spencer, 5 years younger, went on to well-known swimming fame as swimmer and coach; (BTW – “Ed” Spencer was unknown to us – he was “Smokey”;
Lee Lawrence, ca. same age as Spencer, went on to become the very prominent coach of Midshipmen and Women of Navy swimming
(I hope these facts are correct and complete.)
All that excellence and achievement from a base of about 50 FAMILY MEMBERSHIPS to a 30-yard pool in a Borough of 500 people!!
I believe all those ‘40s – ‘50s kids would agree with:
He was beloved and revered and respected because
o He knew what was possible and best for each of us
o He cared
o He was honest and sincere
o His comportment and demeanor were impeccable
o His culture of swimming coaching per se was pursued from a perspective couched in an overarching awareness of culture, history, and the “way of things proper, and of things of substance” for winners in the broader sense
o The base for his approach to all people and things: Fairness!
If one heard: “Pete Says…” the conversation was over!!
Other than my personal family, no one influenced my life as much as “Pete.”
With sorrow at losing Pete,
George H. Jarden, Jr., M.D., F.A.A.P.
Below, three pix: P.S. – I SEE THEY DIDN’T MAKE IT; IF I FIND OUT HOW, I’LL SEND.
MIGHT AS WELL LEAVE THE CAPTIONS, WHICH ARE BELOW.
Above, Ca. 1950 – Pete Daland, age 29, at the shallow end of the 30-yard Rose Valley Swimming Pool – in front of the old fireplace where we cooked up our picnics.
Pete changed lives and made a swimming dynasty out of a “picnic-place”!
Tacked under the 1950 pix: his subsequent legendary coaching record on the plaque at the Daland Wall of Fame at USC.
Pix 2 – ca. 1949 – some of Pete Daland’s earliest swimmers – BEFORE such a thing as “team sweat suits” for Rose Valley swimmers! This is at Aronomink Swim Club, Drexel Hill, Suburban Phila., PA., and the Rose Valley girls’ relay team is: (to the right of the top-platform first place team), in black suit, Judy Brown; then, behind her, Audry Graham and Betsy Jenkins. I think that, just above the head of the ribbon-awarder man, approaching her team mates, is Susan Trickle.
Pix 3
Caption below it…
Pete Daland, ca. 1951, aged 29-30, on “The Bridge,” Rose Valley Swimming Pool, with his “men’s” division swimmers, aged ca. 15, L-R George Jarden, Bill Ruggie (later SEC 100/200 back champion, ’57 – ’59 for U. of Florida Gators), Andy Shroder (later defensive back, Cornell Univ.).
We’ll all miss “Pete”.
George Jarden