Cornell Extends Coaching Endowment to Add Women’s Swimming Post
Cornell has extended the endowment of its men’s head coach of swimming to add the women’s job, under the Philip H. Bartels ’71 title.
There’s no change in personnel, as current women’s head coach Patrick Gallagher’s title now includes that endowment. That brings it in accord with the title on men’s swimming head coach Wes Newman’s position.
The recent gift is designed, “to ensure equity between both teams for the future by merging the head coaching endowments for men’s and women’s swimming and diving.”
“It is apropos that as we have celebrated the 50th anniversary of Title IX over the past year, we now celebrate the Bartels’ most recent generous gift that will not only enhance the experience and competitiveness of our swimming and diving teams, but also will promote equity within our athletic community,” said Dr. Nicki Moore, Cornell’s Director of Athletics & Physical Education, in a university statement. “We are grateful and inspired by this gift. We are committed to activate it in the service of transformative student-athlete experiences in leadership, inclusion, and excellence. We celebrate the Bartels family’s unwavering commitment to our student-athletes and to the values of Cornell University.”
The Bartels family has ties that go back generations in Ithaca. Henry E. “Hank” Bartels graduated from Cornell in 1948, after service in World War II interrupted his studies at Rutgers University. He married a fellow Cornell grad, Nancy Horton Bartels. Their $15 million unrestricted gift to endowment to the school’s athletics/physical education programs in 2000 was the largest ever given to the department.
Henry Bartels’ name graces the title for the head coach of lightweight rowing, which Henry competed in at both Rutgers and Cornell. Their son, Philip H. Bartels, was in 1999 attached to the men’s head swim coach position.
Phil Bartels swam at Cornell and continues to be a major donor to the program, both to cover operating expenses and upgrades to facilities. He’s served on a variety of councils at Cornell unrelated to athletics. Both Phil Bartels and his parents were given the Frank H.T. Rhodes Exemplary Alumni Service Award (in 2020 and 2008, respectively), while Henry and Nancy were inducted to the school’s athletic hall of fame in 2001. Both of Phil’s children are Cornell graduates.
Gallagher and Newman took over in 2015, upon the retirement of Joe Lucia, who had led the men’s program for 28 years and the women’s for 15. At that point, the jobs were split into two roles. Gallagher first joined the staff as an assistant in 2001. Newman is a 2009 graduate of Cornell.
“I’m grateful for Phil’s continued support of the swimming and diving program,” Gallagher said. “He’s already made a significant impact on the lives of many Big Red athletes, and this gift will help ensure our ability to offer future generations of women a world class, holistic athletic experience. I’m honored and proud to be representing the contributions of the Bartels Family and their commitment to equity and excellence in Big Red Athletics.”
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