Bob Mattson

Sports, Fitness and Recreation
Year of Induction: 
2007

If you read the Telegram & Gazette’s Sports section in the 1940s and 1950s, chances are you often learned of Mr. Mattson’s swimming exploits.  He won many swim titles as a Club Kid and received a full Sports Scholarship from North Carolina State University. While attending the university, Mr. Mattson was an All-American and a world-record holder.

After receiving a chemistry degree and working for 8 years at a leading textile firm, Mr. Mattson returned to his love of swimming by opening a privately owned swim school and health center in Delaware.  As a coach, Mr. Mattson put Delaware on the national and international swimming map. Over a span of five decades, Mr. Mattson coached several Olympians, numerous All-Americans, and hundreds of swimmers who excelled in college and high school competition.  Mr. Mattson continues to be recognized around the globe as a pioneer in training methods, stroke mechanics, and sports psychology and he humbly credits all of his success to the Boys & Girls Club.

We are fortunate to have Mr. Mattson and his wife Nancy attending our event as they traveled from their home in Delaware.

Bob Mattson