Indiana
Gary Hall, Sr., was an Honorary Inductee to the CoSIDA Academic All-America® Hall of Fame in 2001.
Gary Hall, Sr., born in the town of Fayetteville, N.C., grew up to be one of the most prestigious swimmers in Indiana University history. While at Indiana, Hall was a specialist in the individual medley. He was elected as the team captain for his senior campaign with the Hoosiers. Along with being a tremendous talent in the pool, Hall was frequently recognized by the NCAA for his outstanding classroom work as well. He was accepted into medical school at the University of Cincinnati after graduating from Indiana.
Hall went on to compete in three Olympic Games for the United States, the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City, the 1972 Olympics in Munich and the 1976 games in Montreal, Canada. At the ’68 games, Hall was able to earn the silver medal in the 400m Medley for the U.S. Despite the terrorism that took place at the ’72 games, Hall was still able to earn a silver medal at the games in the 200m Butterfly. He would then balance his time between vigorous training for the ’76 Olympics and going to class in med-school. His dedication to training helped him to earn a bronze medal at the Montreal Olympics in the 100m Butterfly. Five years after the games Hall was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame for his contributions to the sport.
Hall’s son, Gary Hall, Jr., also went on to a great swimming career, as he went on to represent the United States in the 1996, 2000 and 2004 Olympics. The two became the first father and son pair to represent their country in three Olympic games apiece.