Glen Hummer: A Brief Biography

Jerry Shriner Goar has been so kind as to compile a preliminary biography of Butch for the proposed Memory Book. The first draft is reproduced below this note from Jerry. Does anyone have anything to add? Please help! Thanks so much, as always. She writes:

Here is what I have put together from what info I have on Butch. I have left some things out, not because I didn't think they were important or interesting, but because I simply didn't have enough info. I spent a couple of afternoons at the
library this week, but didn't find answers to some of my questions: I have conflicting information on when Glen was in the Navy. One article says 'during WWII'-but another indicates he went into the Navy after high school. One article stated he was 'chief petty officer in sports' but there is no such rank. I don't have dates for U of I or W U (I think he took a leave of absence to go to Columbia in 1936-37)-and listings of what his degrees were actually in are different. You may want more personal vignettes in the article, but I only knew Glen for a couple of years. Practically everyone who ever swam for him has more 'stories' than I. I listened to the DVD of the banquet and took notes-but didn't know which, if any tales to include. Glen visited Lowell and me when he was in California a couple of times. I do know he was amazed at the size and flavor of the strawberries grown out there! Chuckle!I don't know anything about his heart problems-or his surgery.I also could find no info on Glen's personal swimming history, which I did think would be an addition.

Glen Hummer: A Brief Biography
by Jerry Shriner Goar

In 1933 and extraordinary man, Glen Hummer, became the Huntington YMCA swim coach and the town, its residents and his swimmers spent the next forty years experiencing nothing short of a miracle—in fact, a myriad of miracles!

Glen Hummer was born in 1905, in Roanoke, Indiana to Rafe and Fannie (Harris) Hummer. He and his ten siblings grew up in Roanoke and attended Huntington County schools. Glen graduated from Huntington High School before serving three years in the U. S. Navy. He then attended the University of Illinois where he earned a Bachelor of Science Degree with a major in Zoological Science. He received a Master of Arts Degree from The Teachers College, Columbia University, with a major in Physical Education. He did further graduate study at the University of Washington.

Glen excelled at sports! In high school he played basketball and football and was on the track team. While in the Navy he was a rowing instructor. He was an All-American end for the University of Illinois. And he swam!

Huntington was nicknamed Lime City because of the many limestone quarries in the area. The abandoned ‘pits’ were spring-fed so the water that filled them was clear—and cold. Growing up, Glen’s first swimming holes were Idle Hour and Big Blue. The YMCA pool, where Glen coached his swimmers, had three lanes and was twenty-five yards long. During the summer months, the teams trained in Big Blue—and later, Lake Clare where lack of space was not a problem. Butch put in miles each practice walking the perimeter of Big Blue, watching and shouting instructions to his swimmers. When the workouts were moved to Lake Clare, there was room for a rowboat from which Glen could critique and encourage.

That Butch, as his swimmers affectionately called him, was passionate about swimming goes without saying, but the genius of his coaching lay in the devotion he had for his swimmers as well. Jerry Holtrey, one of Glen’s many swimmers who went on to become outstanding swim coaches said, “Talking about Glen Hummer, three words come to mind: discipline; commitment--to swimming and his swimmers; and preparation—he knew how to prepare his swimmers for every single meet. He was able to motivate them—and he did!” Glen was able to bring these qualities to his coaching because he had mastered them for himself. He possessed great self-discipline. He spent hours at a time in the “Y” pool, perfecting the swimming skills he taught to his swimmers. He was always there for every member of his team giving them encouragement and making them feel like special individuals. Glen paid attention to details and knew the competition, so his swimmers were well prepared for each contest.

Glen started his coaching career during the 1930’s when the country was in the throes of a depression. Finding the money to get his teams to meets was a real challenge, and there certainly was not enough to pay for places to sleep. In the beginning, vehicles had to be borrowed for transportation and Butch initiated his ‘creative sleeping arrangements’ program. The swimmers slept on mats in the beds of trucks; in sleeping bags under highway overpasses; in filling station parking lots; on gulf courses. Since meets were usually on weekends, miles had to be covered at night to insure that students and teacher (Glen also taught science at Huntington High School) were back for school on Monday mornings. Butch had his idiosyncrasies and falling asleep at the wheel was one every team member experienced. In every car load there was always at least one swimmer appointed to keep Butch awake.

The Huntington YMCA was only two years old in 1933 when Glen took up the reins as swim coach. The first YMCA National Championship was held in 1934, and from that time until he retired in 1977, Hummer’s teams entered thirty-three of the championship meets winning ten firsts, nine seconds, five thirds, one fifth, two sixths, and five other places. During the 1960’s the Huntington YMCA teams won the national title seven times and finished second, twice. Glen won the first National YMCA Coach of the Year Award in 1969.

As the Huntington YMCA teams racked up wins and honors, Glen’s reputation as an outstanding swim coach spread. In 1970 the Amateur Athletic Union of the United States honored Hummer by selecting him to coach the United States National Team for an extended tour. While on tour he conducted swimming clinics and exhibitions in Alaska, Japan, Guam, the Philippines, and Hawaii. Hummer was nominated for the coaching staff of the U. S. Swim Team for the 1971 Pan American Games, and in 1972 he was again selected for the coaching staff of the U. S. Swim Team for the Olympic Games in Munich. In all, Glen attended four Olympiads: Rome, 1960; Tokyo, 1964; Mexico, 1968; and Munich in 1972. Two of Hummer’s swimmers went on to win Olympic medals. Gary Dilley earned a silver medal in the 1964 Tokyo Games, and Matt Vogel won two gold medals in Montreal in 1976.

Swimmers came from all over Indiana—and even from out of state to receive Glen’s expert tutelage. If Glen heard of or saw a promising swimmer, he didn’t hesitate to recruit. Parents of these budding athletes spent many hours on the road getting their swimmers to practices. Glen also had a dedicated group of YMCA team parents who were always ready to find a way to get things done. Homes were opened for those who had to travel distances; transportation arranged; entries to swim meets made; records kept—and not just a few meals prepared. Butch’s swimmers worked hard and they were always hungry. Butch was a good cook, but he was also a bachelor and he never missed an opportunity to join a swim team family for a home cooked meal.

If Glen was insistent on style and form from his swimmers, he was nearly fanatic about endurance! He had his teams swim miles in Big Blue and Lake Clare. And for infractions, such as being late for practice or goofing off during same? More swimming! This emphasis on endurance paid off for “the father of long distance-swimming” with Huntington Y teams winning twelve national long-distance swimming championships, with thirty-five of his swimmers becoming National AAU All-Americans. Glen was elected AAU Long Distance Swimming Chairman for 1968 and 1969 and was re-appointed for 1975 and 1976. He rewrote and updated the AAU long distance rules which contributed to renewed interest in that phase of swimming. Glen was meet director for six National AAU Senior Long Distance Swimming Championships held in Huntington and for one in Grove Oklahoma. In 1978 the Glen S. Hummer Award was established and named in Glen’s honor. The award is presented annually by the Open Water Swimming Committee to the person or group making the greatest contribution to open water (long distance) swimming.

After retiring from teaching at Huntington High School, Glen took the post of associate professor of physical education and director of the aquatics program at Huntington College. At this time a Glen S. Hummer Fund was established to honor Glen for his contributions to the community and the sport of competitive swimming on the local, national and international levels. The endowment fund was to supplement the existing Huntington Athletic Scholarship Program by providing additional scholarship aid to develop an intercollegiate swimming program. Glen was the intercollegiate swim coach for Huntington College and continued to coach his YMCA teams.

In 1977, after nearly forty years of making miracles happen for his town, his teams, his swimmers, and the sport of swimming, Glen S. Hummer retired from coaching. In that year he was the recipient of the Joseph G. Rogers National Distinguished Service to Aquatics Award for providing outstanding leadership in his dedication to swimming and diving and to the YMCA Competitive Aquatic Program. A fitting tribute to a remarkable man!