Hall of Fame
Dr. John C. Gilmore served as Alaska’s athletics director from 1968-1983, making him the longest tenured AD in school history (14 years). He was originally hired as Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences but quickly took over as Director of Physical Education, Recreation and Athletics before advancing to AD.
When he arrived on campus, most athletic teams at Alaska were club teams, and aside from skiing, none competed in the NCAA. Gilmore led the transition into NCAA competition.
His firm belief in gender equality led to the expansion of women’s programs on campus, including the development of the women’s basketball team. His stance eventually led to the creation of the John C. Gilmore Award by the women’s swim team, which rewards the team member with the highest GPA on the season.
Gilmore also created the Arctic Swim Club to bring community swimmers young and old to campus to swim competitively. Before Gilmore, there was no age group swimming at the Patty Center—a tradition continued today.
