Davies, Longtime Coach and Professor, Passes Away
With the passing of Professor Emeritus of Physical Education Gomer H. Davies on Aug. 28, the College lost a valued member of the Athletic Department's storied history. He was 80 years old.
A letter from Alfred H. Bloom, President of the College:
Dear Friends,
I write to share the sad news that Professor Emeritus of Physical Education Gomer H. Davies died on August 27, 2008. He was a beloved coach and educator and a deeply respected member of the College community.
"Gomer Davies was a part of why I came to Swarthmore as a student," says Garikai Campbell '90, associate dean for academic affairs and associate professor of mathematics. "I held him in high regard for the way he thought about the academic enterprise here at Swarthmore, the role athletics played, and the importance of diversity in that enterprise."
Born in 1928, Gomer was raised in Pennsylvania. He played one season of professional baseball in the Interstate League and served two years in the Army before earning a B.S. (1950) and an Ed.M. (1952) in health and physical education at what is now East Stroudsburg University. He later received teacher certification from Temple University, pursued additional studies at Concordia University, and in 1979 was one of 29 coaches from North America chosen to work and study in Moscow with internationally known figures in Soviet wrestling.
Gomer served as Swarthmore's head wrestling coach from 1953 until his retirement in 1988. He became a continuing member of the College’s faculty in 1961; and, alongside his commitment to wrestling, served as head coach of the men's baseball team from 1961 to 1977, and as coach of women's softball from 1978 until his retirement.
Gomer was deeply admired and appreciated by generations of Swarthmore students. As Andy D'Amico '78 put it, "Gomer was a coach, instructor, collector, writer, actor, and father-figure; his impact on my development was immeasurable, extending well beyond my time at Swarthmore. Words cannot express how much I will miss Gomer."
By 1983, Gomer's wrestling teams had posted an overall record of 217 wins, 128 losses, and eight ties, and in 1993 he was inducted into the National Wrestling Coaches Association Division III Hall of Fame. His contributions to our athletic program included as well devising equitable programs for women student-athletes, writing the syllabus for touch football, and, as a certified Red Cross Water Safety Instructor and Trainer, teaching the children of faculty and staff how to swim in the College pool. Beyond athletics, Gomer chaired the committees on Black and Minority Concerns and on Academic and Cultural Support, was active on many others, and directed and performed in several campus musical productions. He published regularly in the Pennsylvania Journal of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation.
Ernie Prudente, who succeeded Gomer as the College's baseball coach, described him as "…a compassionate guy, the sort of guy who’d give you the shirt off his back…He loved wrestling, loved the kids, and was just a wonderful person."
I know you join me in sending our warmest sympathy to his wife, Betty Ann and his son, David. An on-campus memorial service for Gomer is being planned for Saturday, November 1st at 2:00 p.m. at the Friends Meeting House.