Attended Clinton High School graduating in 1941. Hugh was an outstanding swimmer. He was a State champion, held three national and eight State Swimming Records and was an All-American his senior season. He attended the University of Iowa and captain of the swim team in 1944. Know as “that one legged swimmer” from Clinton, he was inducted into the Iowa High School Swimming Hall of Fame. Hugh first became interested in Track & Field during the 1960’s, while his sons were in high school. Let’s look at some of the accomplishments and contributions he has made to Track & Field. 30 plus years as being a starter and referee for High School, College, National and International Track & Field and Cross Country Events. Drake Relays Executive Committee Chief Field Judge of the Drake Relays 6 year member of the Girls’ Track & Field Advisory Committee – chairman for three years Member of the Boy’s Track & Field Advisory Committee Girls Athletic Union Hall of Fame Committee Referee to the Girls Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field Championships Chief Judge for the Boy’s State Outdoor Track & Field Championships One of Four Referees for the Los Angeles Olympic Games – Decathlon and Heptathlon Elected National Chairman of Officials for the Athletic Congress – now USA Track & Field Recipient of The Athletic Congress Outstanding Officials Award – 1986 Recipient of The National Interscholastic Swimming Coaches Association Officials Award” – 1991 Served for six years on the Adel-DeSoto school board President of the Adel-DeSoto Scholarship Foundation Secretary-treasurer of the Preferred Risk Life Insurance Company Member of the Preferred Risk Life Insurance Company Board of Directors
Official
He was known as “that one legged swimmer form Clinton” having lost his left leg in a train accident at age four. Before finishing High School, he had won several state swimming championships, set six state records and three national records. He was named to the All-American swimming team in 1941, his senior year at Clinton High School. He attended the University of Iowa and was captain of the 1944 swimming team. In the early 60’s, when the Iowa High School Swimming Hall of Fame was established, he was in the first group to be inducted. During the next several years, he started and refereed many high school swimming meets, including being the referee of both high school boys and girls swimming state championship meets. In 1963, he became a starter and referee for high school boys and girls track and field. He became a Drake Relays official in 1966 and continued in that meet for 35 years having been Chief Field Judge and Referee of Field Events. He was a member of the Relays Executive Committee for approximately 25 years. During his 37 years of track and field officiating, he was the starter for several hundred track meets, including district meets. He was the referee of the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union state championships and the Iowa High School Athletic Association championships. He was inducted into the Iowa Track Coaches Association’s Hall of Fame in 1991 and the Iowa High School Athletic Association’s Officials Hall of Fame in 1996. Hugh always said the highlight of his career was to be selected as the referee of Combined Events (Men’s decathlon and Women’s heptathlon) at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. He was selected the United States Track and Federation’s outstanding track and field official in 1986, and was elected Chairman of Officials for that organization for 1986-87. During these years, Hugh and his wife lived in Adel for 38 years and his last two in Des Moines. He served as the president of the Adel-Desoto-Minburn High School Scholarship Foundation for many years. He was an honorary member of the Rotary Club of Adel. He served several terms on the Adel-Desoto Community School Board and was its president of three years. He was an active member of the Adel United Methodist Church.