The origins of New England Masters Swim Club (NEMSC) go back to May, 1970, when Dr. Ransom Arthur, then a Navy psychiatrist in San Diego, and John Spannuth, a swimming coach and AAU official., dreamed up the first national Masters swimming championships in Amarillo, Texas. There were 40 contestants at the meet. The next year 112 swimmers took part in the nationals, which were again held in Amarillo. Among them were four men who drove from Waltham, MA , in a VW camper: Ed Reed, Jr., then the coach at Tufts, Warren French, coach of the Waltham Boys Club; and two men who had been working out together every noon at the Boys Club and who were to become national prominent Masters swimmers and leaders in the national Masters program, Ted Haartz and his close friend, Hal Onusseit. Returning non-stop back to New England this handful of swimmers, who had placed third as a team at Amarillo, passed along their enthusiasm for the Masters program almost evangelistically to others.
NEMSC was organized August 1, 1972 with a constitution and a Board of Directors formed: Roger Nekton, Jim Edwards, Ed Reed, Sr., Warren French, Ted Haartz, Ginny Stephanos, Al Johnson and Enid Uhrich. The purpose of the club was to bring together former and future competitive swimmers, over the age of 25 years (now 18), to provide a positive swimming experience both individually and as part of a group.
At the first long-course nationals, which were held in 1972 under Doc Counselman’s direction in Bloomington, Indiana, flyers were distributed announcing a Masters meet to be held at the Waltham Boys Club that fall. Enid Uhrich ran the meet with 70 swimmers participating.
For several years the Medford High School pool was the Club’s “home” pool. Monthly mini meets as well as the annual SCY New England championships were held there. In time, the desirability of moving meet sites around throughout the New England area was recognized and 2-3 mini meets were being offered each month. The popular New England SCY championships moved to Harvard’s Blodgett pool (still hosting today) and the LCM championship meet at Brown. New England Masters hosted successful US Masters Long Course National Championships at Brown in 1978 (Enid Uhrich meet director) and 1985 (Dave Eskin meet director).
