Michigan State University Archives and Historical Collections
Charles McCaffree Jr. Papers
UA.17.354
Table of Contents
Summary Information
- Repository
- Michigan State University Archives and Historical Collections
- Creator
- McCaffree, Charles
- Title
- Charles McCaffree Jr. papers
- ID
- UA.17.354
- Date [inclusive]
- 1929-2011
- Extent
- 3.5 Cubic feet 3 boxes, 1 oversize folder, 1 reel of film
- Language
- English
Preferred Citation
Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: "Item title, Collection title, Collection Identifier, Michigan State University Archives & Historical Collections, East Lansing, Michigan."
Biographical/Historical
Charles McCaffree Jr. was born October 16, 1907 in Canova, South Dakota. McCaffree’s love of swimming began at the YMCA pool in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. From there, he followed his brother to the University of Michigan, where he competed as a freestyler under the direction of Coach Matt Mann. McCaffree graduated from Michigan in 1930 and got his first coaching job at Battle Creek High School where his teams won six straight state titles. In 1936, McCaffree returned to the University of Michigan to be the assistant swim coach to Mann, but it was only for a year. He got a job as the head swim coach at Iowa State from 1938-1941. Athletic Director Ralph Young invited McCaffree out to Michigan State College to view the new Jenison Field House facilities. At that point, Young hired McCaffree to be MSC’s new head swim coach. For the next 29 years, McCaffree, affectionately called “Coach MAC”, would be the head swim coach at MSU and lead his teams to many titles and championships. During his time, the men’s swim team had a record of 191-58-2. His teams won eight straight Central Collegiate Conference championships, two Michigan AAU titles, one Canadian crown, and one National AAU title, prior to State’s entry into the Big Ten. In 1957, the Spartan’s won their first Big Ten team championship and in NCAA competitions, his teams finished second once and third three times, and averaged nearly a fifth-place finish over the whole period. With the popularity of MSU’s swimming team, talented young men flocked to East Lansing. McCaffree had the chance to help coach U.S. Olympians, which included Howard Patterson, George Hoogerhyde, Clarke Scholes, Gary Dilley, Ken Walsh, and Pete Williams. Scholes and Walsh both won gold medals and Dilley won a silver medal. McCaffree also went on to coach other U.S. teams. In 1959, he was the head coach of the U.S. Pan American team and was assistant manager to the U.S. men’s team in the Olympic Games at Munich in 1972. He was a member of the U.S. Olympic Water Polo Committee. He was also the meet manager of the U.S. Olympic swimming trials in 1964 and 1968, meet director in 1972, and assistant meet director in 1976. Along with coaching, McCaffree served as secretary of the NCAA swimming rules committee, editor of the NCAA Swimming Guide, member and secretary of the U.S. Olympic Swimming Committee, member of the National AAU Men’s Swimming Committee and the National YMCA Aquatic Committee. In the summer of 1945, McCaffree was part of the U.S. Army Special Service Sports School as a staff member. In 1961, he was elected president of the College Swimming Coaches Association. Along with numerous awards, McCaffree was presented the National Collegiate and Scholastic Swimming Trophy in 1965 and inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 1976. McCaffree retired as the MSU head swim coach in 1969 and served as director of MSU Men’s Swimming Programs for the next five years. In 1975-1979, he was the executive secretary of the MSU Varsity Alumni ‘S’ Club. McCaffree was honored with the naming of the IM West pools, the Charles McCaffree Pools, during a halftime ceremony at the 1979 homecoming game. In 2011, McCaffree was inducted into the MSU Athletics Hall of Fame.
Throughout McCaffree’s career was his wife, Esther. They were married on December 28, 1933 in Cadillac, Michigan. They had four children together: David, Don, Chuck, and Peggy. Charles McCaffree died December 13, 1980 in Austin, Texas at the age of 73.
Scope and Content
This collection contains papers, correspondence, articles, photographs, and scrapbooks all relating to Charles McCaffree Jr.'s coaching career. Materials include items relating to his pre-MSU days, the Porpoise Fraternity, and his time as the U.S. National Swimming Team coach. The photographs and scrapbook albums include Battle Creek High School swimming team, Iowa State College, University of Michigan, the Pan-American games, and photos of McCaffree. Awards, certificates, and plaques McCaffree received are also part of the collection. Also, a reel of film from the 1952 Olympics of the Men's 400 Meter Freestyle Semi-Finals.
Administrative Information
Publication Information
Michigan State University Archives and Historical Collections October 2, 2015
Conrad Hall888 Wilson Road, Room 101
East Lansing , MI, 48824
517-355-2330
archives@msu.edu
Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open for research.
Legal Status
Copyright: Michigan State University. Property Rights: Michigan State University.
Conditions Governing Use
Permission to publish material from this collection must be obtained from University Archives & Historical Collections, Michigan State University.
Controlled Access Headings
Corporate Name(s)
- Iowa State College.
- Michigan State College.
- Michigan State University. Varsity Alumni 'S' Club.
- Pan American Games.
- Porpoise Fraternity. Beta Chapter (Michigan State University).
- Rose Bowl (Football game). (1954 : Pasadena, Calif.)
- United States Swimming (Organization).
- University of Michigan.
Genre(s)
- Certificates
- Clippings (Books, newspapers, etc.)
- Newsletters
- Photographs
- Programs (Publications)
- School yearbooks
- Scrapbooks
- Sports films
Personal Name(s)
- McCaffree, Charles
- McCaffree, David
Subject(s)
- College sports
- Olympic athletes
- Olympics
- Swimming
- Swimming -- Michigan -- East Lansing
- Swimming -- United States
Collection Inventory
| Box | Folder | |||
|
58th Annual NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships Program March 26-28, 1981 |
5435 | 1 | ||
|
1957 Big Ten Championship Reunion September 2007 |
5435 | 2 | ||
|
Big Ten Dual Swimming Meet Pamphlets 1960 |
5435 | 6 | ||
|
Awards and Honors for McCaffree 1930-1963 |
5435 | 3 | ||
|
Battle Creek High School 1931-1936 |
5435 | 4 | ||
|
Battle Creek High School Yearbook 1936 |
5435 | 5 | ||
|
Big Ten Swimming Championships 1957 |
5435 | 7 | ||
|
"Biggie" Munn's 25th Anniversary...Program April 15, 1971 |
5435 | 8 | ||
|
Bill Heusner Service Award 2010, 2013-2014 |
5435 | 9 | ||
|
Charles McCaffree Award Information 2014 |
5435 | 10 | ||
|
Central Sports School, Mediterranean Theater of Operations, U.S. Army 1945 |
5435 | 11 | ||
|
Death Announcements and Memorials of McCaffree 1981 |
5435 | 12 | ||
|
Drawing. "A Swimmer" May 30, 1959 |
5435 | 13 | ||
|
Employment Offer to Work at MSC 1941 |
5435 | 14 | ||
|
Friends of "Frim" Program (Lyman L. Frimodig) May 14, 1960 |
5435 | 15 | ||
|
"General Record and Major Transformations in the Sport of Men's Swimming at Michigan State University" by James Stewart undated |
5435 | 16 | ||
|
History of McCaffree 1969, 1972, 1975, 1979, undate |
5435 | 17 | ||
|
Hubert E. Gluski Award List undated |
5435 | 18 | ||
|
International Swimming Hall of Fame Congratulatory Letters 1976 |
5435 | 19 | ||
|
International Swimming Hall of Fame Inducting Charles McCaffree 1976 |
5435 | 20 | ||
|
International Swimming Hall of Fame Inducts Clarke Scholes 1980 |
5435 | 21 | ||
|
International Swimming Hall of Fame Programs 1970, 1975 |
5435 | 22 | ||
|
Iowa State College 1937, 1941, undated |
5435 | 23 | ||
|
MAC Day May 18, 1974 |
5435 | 24 | ||
|
MAC Day Congratulatory Letters April - June 1974, undated |
5435 | 25 | ||
|
McCaffree Awards and Certificates 1930 - 1974, undated |
5435 | 26 | ||
|
McCaffree Inducted into the MSU Athletics Hall of Fame 2011 |
5435 | 27 | ||
|
Men's Senior National A.A.U. Outdoor Swimming and Diving Championship 1957 |
5435 | 28 | ||
|
"The Mentor: Journal of the Coaching Professions" August 1960 |
5435 | 29 | ||
|
Michigan A.A.U. Swimming Championships January 17, 1942 |
5435 | 30 | ||
|
MSC Varsity Swimming Captains List 1922-1954, undated |
5435 | 31 | ||
|
MSU Olympians 1960, undated |
5435 | 32 | ||
|
MSU Swimming and Diving Media Guide 1995-1996 |
5435 | 33 | ||
|
MSU Varsity Alumni "S" Club Olympic Library 2008, 2010 |
5435 | 34 | ||
|
Naming of IM Pools to Charles McCaffree Pools 1979 |
5435 | 35 | ||
|
NCAA Swimming Championship Sticker 1967 |
5435 | 36 | ||
|
Newspaper Article Announcing Charles McCaffree's Birth from 1907 May 15, 1974 |
5435 | 37 | ||
|
Newspaper Clippings. Pan American Games Swimming Tryouts May 28, 1959 |
5435 | 38 | ||
|
Newspaper Clippings. McCaffree's Retirement July 22, 1969 |
5435 | 39 | ||
|
Newspaper Clippings. MSC Swimmers 1947, 1950, 1960, 1967, undated |
5435 | 40 | ||
|
Newspaper Clippings. Olympics 1952 |
5435 | 41 | ||
|
Newspaper Clippings. West German Swimming Championships 1969 |
5435 | 42 | ||
|
Olympic Pictorial, United States Olympic Team Trials Program 1968 |
5435 | 43 | ||
|
Porpoise Fraternity 194-1955, undated |
5435 | 44 | ||
|
Prospects for '49 1949 |
5435 | 46 | ||
|
Roger Harmon Death Notice undated |
5435 | 47 | ||
|
Rose Bowl Program, Ticket, and Sticket Pendant 1954 |
5435 | 48 | ||
|
Swimming Championships Program Cover 1959 |
5435 | 49 | ||
|
Swimming Pamphlet undated |
5435 | 50 | ||
|
"The Snake Dance of Youth, Alpha Phi Omega Fraternity" by Charles McCaffree May 26, 1943 |
5435 | 51 | ||
|
University of Michigan Assistant Swim Coach 1936, undated |
5435 | 52 | ||
|
University of Michigan Newspaper Clippings and Ticket Stubs 1926, 1928-1929 |
5435 | 53 | ||
|
University of Michigan Report Card Circa 1937 |
5435 | 54 | ||
|
U.S. Swimming Team Trip to Europe and the Near East 1955 |
5435 | 55 | ||
|
U.S. Olympic Team Final Swimming Trials for Men and Women 1948 |
5435 | 56 | ||
|
U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials (Men's) Results July 1952 |
||||
| Box | Folder | |||
|
U.S. Olympic Teams 1972 |
5435 | 57 | ||
|
Varsity Alumni 'S' Club Newsletter, Vol. 19 No. 1 Winter 1981 |
5435 | 58 | ||
|
Varsity 'S' Club undated |
5435 | 59 | ||
|
Varsity 'S' Club Varsity Letter Membership Card February 19, 1942 |
5435 | 60 | ||
|
Varsity Swimming Land Exercises for Competitive Swimming undated |
5435 | 61 | ||
|
Varsity Swimming Team Awards Program April 8, 1980 |
5435 | 62 | ||
|
Washington High Schools, Sioux Falls, South Dakota Yearbook and clippings 1925-1926 |
5435 | 63 | ||
|
White House Swimming Pool 1975 |
5435 | 64 | ||
|
YMCA 1980, undated |
5435 | 65 | ||
|
Photographs |
||||
| Box | Folder | |||
|
300 Yard Medley Relay 1956 |
5435 | 66 | ||
|
400 Yard Free Style Relay 1956 |
5435 | 67 | ||
|
1957 Big Ten Championship Reunion September 2007 |
5435 | 68 | ||
|
A.A.U. Award Swimming with McCaffree and Mike Burton 1970 |
5435 | 69 | ||
|
Battle Creek High School McCaffree Award 1978 |
5435 | 70 | ||
|
Battle Creek High School Team Photograph 1932-1936 |
5435 | 71 | ||
|
Big Ten Championship at MSU 1959 |
5435 | 72 | ||
|
Big Ten Swimming Championship 1959 |
5435 | 73 | ||
|
Bob Allwardt and Orlin Johnston with "Spartan Spirit Conquers" S in Pool undated |
5435 | 74 | ||
|
Charles and Esther McCaffree and Clifton Wharton 1974 |
5435 | 75 | ||
|
Charles and Esther McCaffree and Governor Earl Warren undated |
5435 | 76 | ||
|
Free Style Relay Team 1950 |
5435 | 77 | ||
|
Freshman Swimming Team 1950 and 1958 |
5435 | 78 | ||
|
Group of Central Sports School Men in Rome, Italy September 1945 |
5435 | 79 | ||
|
Group of Faculty from the Central Sports School after meeting with Pope Pius XII July 29, 1945 |
5435 | 80 | ||
|
Indoor and Outdoor Pools 1959 |
5435 | 81 | ||
|
Iowa State College Freshman Team 1941 |
5435 | 82 | ||
|
Life photo of Clarke Scholes and Ray Reid May 26, 1951 |
5435 | 83 | ||
|
MAC Day October 20, 1979 |
5435 | 84 | ||
|
Matt Mann's Boys Coaching - NCAA East Lansing, Michigan 1941 |
5435 | 85 | ||
|
McCaffree, Charles Jr. 1929, 1975, 1979, undated |
5435 | 86 | ||
|
McCaffree Awards and Certificates 1956-1980 |
5435 | 87 | ||
|
McCaffree Accepting the National Collegiate and Scholastic Swimming Trophy 1965 |
5435 | 88 | ||
|
McCaffree and Group picture undated |
5435 | 89 | ||
|
McCaffree at the Aquatic School 1949 |
5435 | 90 | ||
|
McCaffree in Swim Gear and the Battle Creek High School Swimming Team 1930 |
5436 | 1 | ||
|
McCaffree Indoor Pool undated |
5436 | 2 | ||
|
McCaffree Inducted in the International Swimming Hall of Fame 1976 |
5436 | 3 | ||
|
McCaffree Pool Side at the West Pool undated |
5436 | 4 | ||
|
McCaffree standing Pool side undated |
5436 | 5 | ||
|
McCaffree with Gift at Retirement 1969 |
5436 | 6 | ||
|
Medley Relay Team 1949-1950 |
5436 | 7 | ||
|
Michigan Big Ten Dual Meet Champions 1930 |
5436 | 8 | ||
|
Michigan Coaches NCAA, Ann Arbor 1939 |
5436 | 9 | ||
|
MSC Swimming Team. Cincinnati Trip 1948 |
5436 | 10 | ||
|
MSC Swimming Team. Nebraska Trip 1948 |
5436 | 11 | ||
|
MSC Swimming Team. Yale Trip 1948 |
5436 | 12 | ||
|
MSC Swimming Team Members 1946-1954, undated |
5436 | 13 | ||
|
Naming of the IM West Circle Pool to the Charles McCaffree Pools 1979 |
5436 | 14 | ||
|
NCAA Championships. 400 Year Freestyle Relay Team 1958 |
5436 | 15 | ||
|
NCAA Championships. 400 Yard Medley Relay Team 1958 |
5436 | 16 | ||
|
NCAA Championships. SMU. Matt Mann's Boys Coaching Swimming 1960 |
5436 | 17 | ||
|
NCAA Championships. University of Texas 1951 |
5436 | 18 | ||
|
NCAA Championships. Yale. Matt Mann's Boys Coaching Swimming 1946 |
5436 | 19 | ||
|
NCAA Championships Awards undated |
5436 | 20 | ||
|
NCAA Swimming Rules Committee Meeting April 1, 1957 |
5436 | 21 | ||
|
Pan American Games |
||||
| Box | Folder | |||
|
Pan American Games 1959 |
5436 | 22 | ||
|
Charles McCaffree thrown into the Pool 1959 |
5436 | 23 | ||
|
Charles McCaffree wearing Pan American Games Blazer 1959 |
5436 | 24 | ||
|
Swimmers Showing their Medals 1959 |
5436 | 25 | ||
|
Men's Swimming Team 1959 |
5436 | 26 | ||
|
Pan American Swimming and Diving Tryouts |
||||
| Box | Folder | |||
|
"Biggie" Munn presenting an Award 1959 |
5436 | 27 | ||
|
Charles McCaffree and Ray Daughters 1959 |
5436 | 28 | ||
|
Clarence Pinkston and Barbara Gilders 1959 |
5436 | 29 | ||
|
Place Winners 1959 |
5436 | 30 | ||
|
Place Winners 110 Yards Backstroke 1959 |
5436 | 31 | ||
|
Place Winners 220 Yards Freestyle 1959 |
5436 | 32 | ||
| Box | Folder | |||
|
People Eating Dinner undated |
5436 | 33 | ||
|
Porpoise Fraternity Outstanding Freshman Swimmer Award 1950 |
5436 | 34 | ||
|
Porpoise Swimmers Bust 1948 |
5436 | 35 | ||
|
Porpoise Water Show 1953 |
5436 | 36 | ||
|
Reunion of University of Michigan Swimmers May 1980 |
5436 | 37 | ||
|
Swim and Stay Fit with the the Ingham Co. Chapter and Michigan State Police. McCaffree and John B. Swainson, Governor of Michigan undated |
5436 | 38 | ||
|
Swimming Clinic with McCaffree and Adolph Kiefer undated |
5436 | 39 | ||
|
Swimming Coaches Association of America Awards Presentation 1961 |
5436 | 40 | ||
|
Swimming Team Member |
||||
| Box | Folder | |||
|
Baldwin, Charles undated |
5436 | 41 | ||
|
Barber, Thomas Circa 1944 |
5436 | 42 | ||
|
Dilley, Gary undate |
5436 | 43 | ||
|
Ducleck, John undated |
5436 | 44 | ||
|
Duke, Jim undated |
5436 | 45 | ||
|
Dzioba, Ed undated |
5436 | 46 | ||
|
Gluski, Hubert undated |
5436 | 47 | ||
|
Hefferman, Harold 1943 |
5436 | 48 | ||
|
Hellwege, John undated |
5436 | 49 | ||
|
Himmelein, Fred 1942 |
5436 | 50 | ||
|
Korten, Don undated |
5436 | 51 | ||
|
Miller, Roger undated |
5436 | 52 | ||
|
Paganini, Frank 1956 |
5436 | 53 | ||
|
Paton, Henry Don undated |
5436 | 54 | ||
|
Patterson, Donald 1959 |
5436 | 55 | ||
|
Patterson, Howard undated |
5436 | 56 | ||
|
Patton, David undated |
5436 | 57 | ||
|
Payette, Thomas 1955 |
5436 | 58 | ||
|
Scholes, Clarke 1952 |
5436 | 59 | ||
|
Seibold, Dave undated |
5436 | 60 | ||
|
Seibold, Jack undated |
5436 | 61 | ||
|
Shoup, Harold A. undated |
5436 | 62 | ||
|
Stewart, William 1959 |
5436 | 63 | ||
|
Stillman, Frederick 1945 |
5436 | 64 | ||
|
Williams, Ray undated |
5436 | 65 | ||
|
USA Olympic Men's Swimming Team Group Photo |
||||
| Box | Folder | |||
|
1948 |
5436 | 66 | ||
|
1968 |
5436 | 67 | ||
|
1972 |
5436 | 68 | ||
| Box | Folder | |||
|
Varsity Swimming Team 1950, 1952, 1954, 1958, 1959 |
5436 | 69 | ||
|
Women at the Outdoor McCaffree Pool undated |
5436 | 70 | ||
|
Scrapbooks |
||||
| Box | Folder | |||
|
MAC Day 1974 |
5436 | 71 | ||
|
Visit to Europe 1945 |
5436 | 72 | ||
|
McCaffree Stepping Down as Head Swimming Coach 1965-1969, undated |
5436 | 73 | ||
|
Olympic Patches and McCaffree Accepting Award 1964-1970, undated |
5436 | 74 | ||
|
United States Olypmic Men's Swimming Team 1972 |
5436 | 75 | ||
|
Audio Visual |
||||
| Reel | Carton | |||
|
Film. Men's 400 Meter Freestyle Semi-Finals for 1952 Olympic Games 1952 |
1 | 1 | ||
|
Oversize Materials |
||||
| Box | ||||
|
NCAA Championships, University of Texas, Austin, Texas (10 photographs) 1951 |
5726 | |||
|
National Collegiate Champions 400 Yard Relay (3 photographs) 1951 |
5726 | |||
|
Michigan - Big Ten - NCAA Champions Group Photo 1928 |
5726 | |||
|
University of Michigan Water Polo Team Group Photo (2 photographs) 1929-1930 |
5726 | |||
|
Iowa State College - Big Six Champions (4 photographs) 1938-1941 |
5726 | |||
|
Michigan Big Ten Dual Meet Champions 1930 50th Reunion May 1980 |
5726 | |||
|
Certificates |
||||
| Box | ||||
|
U.S.A. Air Forces Rest Camp 1945 |
5726 | |||
|
National Interscholastic Swimming Coaches Association Merit Award 1964 |
5726 | |||
|
National Interscholastic Swimming Coaches Association Life Membership 1960 |
5726 | |||
|
National Interscholastic Swimming Coaches Association Presents Honorary and Life Membership March 24, 1971 |
5726 | |||
|
Plaques |
||||
| Box | ||||
|
College Swimming Coaches Associaton of America |
5437 | |||
| Box | ||||
|
March 22, 1961 |
5437 | |||
|
July 1, 1969 |
5437 | |||
|
March 21, 1973 |
5437 | |||
|
The International Swimming Hall of Fame April 19, 1976 |
5437 | |||
|
United States Olympic Committee Circa 1975 |
5437 | |||
|
For Outstanding Service, Long Beach, The International City Circa 1968 |
5437 | |||
|
National Interscholastic Swimming Coaches Association March 24, 1971 |
5437 | |||
|
The College Swimming Coaches Association of American, Inc. 1974 |
5437 | |||
|
Outstanding Contributions to the Sport of Swimming from the Class of '66 Circa 1966 |
5437 | |||
|
Swimming Hall of Fame making McCaffree as a Charter member 1971 |
5437 | |||
|
Appreciation of efforts in Support of the United States Olympic Swimming Team Circa 1976 |
5437 | |||