Dr. Reagh Wetmore, a graduate of Acadia with B.Sc. and B.Ed. degrees in ’45 and ’46 res~ctively, subsequently received a Master of Physical Education degree from Springfield College in 1950, a Master of Science degree in ’62 from the University of Colorado and University of Florida and ultimately a Doctorate in Education from Boston University in ’72.
During his undergraduate years at Acadia, this Yarmouth Academy grad excelled in all phases of the extracurricular programs but was particularly effective in basketball and swimming.
At a time at Acadia when many of the athletic contests were suspended due to the global conflict and many of the competitions involved play against service teams, town and city clubs and to a lesser extent interscholastic activity, Reagh Wetmore drew praise for outstanding performances.
For example, on the basketball court during the ’42-’43 academic year and in the presence of scoring stars Fran Mouzar, Eddie Rogers and
Bruce Corey. He was a fine contributor as the Axemen defeated Navy teams from Halifax and Sydney to capture Provincial Intermediate honours.
During his senior year and in the company of such outstanding performers as Captain Eddie Rogers, Bruce Corey and “Doc” Morton, he was among the team’s top five scorers as the Axemen edged StF.X. to win the Nova Scotia Intercollegiate title. As a swimmer at both the class and varsity levels, he was an outstanding participant.
During the ’42-’43 season as the senior girls and the engineers emerged as class champions, Wetmore was the meet’s top male point-getter.
Two years later as the sophomore boys and the freshettes were class champions, he again finished as the event’s top individual star.
At the varsity level, Wetmore was a prominent performer during the ’43-’44 season as both the Axemen and the Axettes were successful in winning their divisions in the Maritime Provinces’ first-ever swim meet. A year later, as Major Fred Kelly’s Axenien won the intercollegiate championship, he shared the limelight with such as Peter Church and Johnny MacKenzie.
Overall in pool activities during his Acadia days, he held three Maritime swimming records.
Following graduation from Acadia, he spent a couple of years in Honolulu, Hawaii where his Mid-Pacific Swim Team won the Hawaiian Interscholastic championship in 1947.
For the next sixteen years he taught chemistry at the Phillips Academy in Andover where his participants included two national prep school record holders and twenty All-Americans. While on sabbatical in ’61-’62 to serve as a special consultant to the U.S. Peace Corps, his outstanding work won him the prestigious Claude M. Fuess Award for “distinguished contribution to the public service.”
In 1966, Wetmore returned to Acadia as Assistant Professor of Physical Education. During this time he coached the varsity swim team and men’s basketball squad and served as consultant for construction of the present swimming pool. ..,
From 1972 to the present Dr. Wetmore has won distinction as Head Coach of the men’s and women’s swim teams of Boston University. For having guided his swimmers to seven conference championships and forty New England and Eastern Conference records, he has been named on four occasions the Conference’s Swim Coach-of-the- Year.
In addition to his outstanding coaching performances, he has written a book and twenty-five articles on drown proofmg techniques which have attracted much attention throughout the United States. Such television programs as NBC’s Today Show and ABC’s Good Morning America and magazines such as National Geographic have featured his drown proofing program.
It is indeed a pleasure to welcome back to Acadia for induction to the Sports Hall of Fame, Dr. Reagh Wetmore, an outstanding performer and builder.
