Jack Nelson (swimmer)
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Jack Weyman Nelson (November 8, 1931 – November 5, 2014) was an All-American competition
swimmer Swimming is an individual or team racing sport that requires the use of one's entire body to move through water. The sport takes place in pools or open water (e.g., in a sea or lake). Competitive swimming is one of the most popular Olympic ...
for the University of Miami who competed in the 1956 Melbourne Olympics in butterfly and served as a Hall of Fame swimming coach at Fort Lauderdale's
Pine Crest School Pine Crest School is a private preparatory school with campuses in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Fort Lauderdale and Boca Raton, Florida. It was founded in Fort Lauderdale in 1934 by Mae McMillan, who also served as the school's first president. The ...
, the Jack Nelson Swim Club, and the University of Miami. He allegedly sexually abused many of his athletes. He managed teams that won 6 National Championship titles, and 30 High School State Championships. Remaining a Southerner nearly all his life, Nelson was born on November 8, 1931 in Chickamauga, Georgia.


University of Miami swimming

Nelson began his swimming career at Indiana's Lafayette high school, currently known as Lafayette Jefferson, though he subsequently took a break in his swimming career to serve in the United States Air Force. He was a member of the University of Miami Hurricanes aquatic teams from 1958-1959 and was untouchable in butterfly competition in southern area meets during his period of competition. He excelled equally in freestyle relay events, swimming a school record in the 100-yard sprint. Nelson won at nearly every distance in University of Miami dual meets, going undefeated for over two years. He made his most notable mark for Miami in the 1958 NCAA championships, placing third in the 200-yard butterfly. In 1958, he was chosen as an All-American. He graduated from the University of Miami in 1960.


1956 Olympics

Nelson represented the United States at the
1956 Summer Olympics The 1956 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XVI Olympiad and officially branded as Melbourne 1956, were an international multi-sport event held in Melbourne, Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia, from 22 November to 8 December ...
in Melbourne, Australia, and competed in the men's 200-meter butterfly, finishing fourth in the event final.


Coaching

In the 1962 he began coaching
Pine Crest School Pine Crest School is a private preparatory school with campuses in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Fort Lauderdale and Boca Raton, Florida. It was founded in Fort Lauderdale in 1934 by Mae McMillan, who also served as the school's first president. The ...
's swim team, and also coached his own Jack Nelson Swim Club which he founded as the Fort Lauderdale Swim Club in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He led his Jack Nelson Swim Club, to an exceptional six US National Championship titles. In Florida High School coaching, he managed teams that won 30 High School State championships. Outstanding swimmers he coached included 1972 Munich Olympian, 1974 4 x 100 meter freestyle relay world record holder and Pine Crest graduate Ann Marshall, and 1968 Canadian Olympic medalist Marilyn Corson. He also coached David Edgar an NCAA championship freestyle sprinter from the U. of Tennessee and 1972 Olympic gold medalist. Other Olympic medalists he coached included 1960 Olympic gold medalist Shirley Stobbs, and 1992 Olympic gold medalist Joel Thomas. He led several swimmers world record times, including Laurie Lehner, Ann Marshall and Andy Coan. One of his outstanding swimmers, Seth Van Neerden, broke the American record in the 100 breaststroke in 1994. In all, he coached five swimmers who would advance to capture Olympic medals. He also served as a head coach for the U.S. Olympic women's swim team at the
1976 Summer Olympics The 1976 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XXI Olympiad () and officially branded as Montreal 1976 (), were an international multi-sport event held from July 17 to August 1, 1976, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Montreal ...
in Montreal, Quebec.Martz, Jim, "Lauderdale Trio Seeks Gold", ''The Miami Herald'', Miami, Florida, 20 August 1972, pg. 169 After coaching in Fort Lauderdale, Nelson served as head swim coach for the University of Miami from 1986-90.


Honors

Nelson was inducted into the University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame in 1975. In a more exclusive recognition, he was subsequently inducted into the
International Swimming Hall of Fame The International Swimming Hall of Fame and Museum (ISHOF) is a history museum and hall of fame, located at One Hall of Fame Drive, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States, operated by private interests and serving as the central point for the stu ...
as an "Honor Coach" in 1994, and the American Swimming Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2009. In 1993 Nelson was selected as Man of the Year for the City of Fort Lauderdale’s Man of the Year.


Personal life

Nelson died on November 5, 2014, of complications from
Alzheimer's disease Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease and the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in remembering recent events. As the disease advances, symptoms can include problems wit ...
; he was 82. In the 1990s, Nelson was accused by
Diana Nyad Diana Nyad (née Sneed; born August 22, 1949) is an American author, journalist, motivational speaker, and long-distance swimming, long-distance swimmer. Nyad gained national attention in 1975 when she swam around Manhattan () in record time. ...
, a former pupil, and her teammates, of rape and sexual harassment though Nyad had spoken of the incidents as early as the 1980's. Nyad and her teammates first reported sexual assault incidents to the headmaster of Pine Crest School, William McMillan, in 1971–1972; McMillan subsequently terminated Nelson's contract. Nyad more recently said publicly that Nelson molested her beginning when she was 14 years old, around 1963, until she graduated from high school at
Pine Crest School Pine Crest School is a private preparatory school with campuses in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Fort Lauderdale and Boca Raton, Florida. It was founded in Fort Lauderdale in 1934 by Mae McMillan, who also served as the school's first president. The ...
, as he did with other girls he coached. The incidents of sexual assault are depicted in the 2023 film '' Nyad'' with Eric T. Miller as Nelson.


See also

*
List of members of the International Swimming Hall of Fame The International Swimming Hall of Fame is a history museum and hall of fame, serving as the central point for the study of the history of swimming in the United States and around the world. List of the members of the International Swimming Hall ...
* List of University of Miami alumni


References


External links

* * * * 1931 births 2014 deaths American male butterfly swimmers American swimming coaches Miami Hurricanes swimming coaches Miami Hurricanes men's swimmers Sportspeople from Walker County, Georgia Swimmers at the 1956 Summer Olympics Olympic swimmers for the United States Swimmers at the 1955 Pan American Games Pan American Games swimmers for the United States Deaths from dementia in Florida Deaths from Alzheimer's disease in Florida 20th-century American sportsmen {{US-swimming-bio-stub