Frank Elm

Elm was born in New Jersey on October 30, 1929, and grew up as a native of Paterson.^[6][3] He was swimming and helping to instruct swimming by the age of 13 at the local Paterson, New Jersey YMCA.^[7] Swimming for the Paterson YMCA, in December, 1947, he was credited with a 19:07 second 40-yard freestyle, and a 57.1 second 100-yard freestyle at a meet in Planefield, New Jersey. In August 1948, Elm received the Lloyd B. Marsh and Robert Wardle Trophies for winning two swimming races during the American Legion Carnival at Pompton Lakes.^[8] In March 1949, swimming for the Paterson YMCA, he also won the Junior Men's 120-yard medley event at a New Jersey AAU championship with a time of 1:19.6.^[9]

Diverse in his stroke skills, in March 1949, he won the Junior 150-yard individual medley at an AAU meet in Newark, New Jersey with a time of 1:43.4.^[10] In the summer of 1951, Elm served as a Swimming Instructor at a YMCA Camp at Spring Lake in Wycoff, New Jersey, and became a certified swimming instructor.^[3][5]

Elm was a Collegiate All-American at Indiana University in 1951, and would earn All-American honors again. In the summers of 1952 and 1953, Elm continued working as a swimming instructor for the Radburn Association while still a student at Indiana University. He held the National Junior 50-yard freestyle championship, and Indiana State AAU championships.^[7][3][5] At Indiana, Elm swam under Head Coach Robert A. Royer, a former Indiana University Bloomington swimmer and 1928 graduate who had served as Chairman of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).^[11] Royer had coached Indiana since 1931, until becoming ill in 1957 when he was replaced by Hall of Fame Coach Doc Counsilman, who had served as an Assistant Coach by 1957.^[12]

Elm served for three years in the United States Marine Corps and was a lieutenant. He became a swimmer/coach in the Marine Corps.^[3][5] He received a master's degree from Columbia University.

One of his first coaching assignments was at Summit, New Jersey's YMCA where his men's team won 68 consecutive meets, and his girls team won 70 consecutive meets. He coached the outstanding AAU age group team, the Scarlet Jets, associated with Rutgers, which became known as the Central Jersey Aquatics Club when it merged with Coach Bill Palmer's Shore Athletic Club in the early 1970s. Palmer became Head Coach of the combined team, but Elm continued coaching the club, usually at a separate location in Middlesex. The Central Jersey Aquatic Club was sold by Palmer in 1988 and came under new management.^[5][13][14]

Elm taught at Memorial Junior High in Fairlawn, New Jersey before coaching Rutgers.^[6]

Replacing Men's Coach Otto Hill, Elm coached Rutgers teams from 1961 though 1993, simultaneously for a period with his AAU age group team, the Scarlet Jets, known as the Central Jersey Swim Club in the early 70's. From 1961 through 1972, his Rutger's men's team captured 11 consecutive winning seasons, achieving an overall record of 79–42. After 1972, the Men's team had significantly fewer wins with mostly losing seasons.^[5][2]

Elm started the Rutger's Women's team, coaching them from 1974 through 1993 simultaneously with the Men's team. Judy Melick, from the class of 1977 was the first woman to swim for Rutgers. Impressively, Elm's women's team started with three successive undefeated seasons from 1975 to 1977, and dominated the Eastern Championships. At the 1977 National Championships, they became the only Eastern team in the East to place in the top ten.^[5] An exceptional early record, Elm ended the 1970s with his women's team achieving an impressive 70–20 record.^[5]

Nearing the end of his tenure, Elm coached Rutgers during the building of the Busch Campus Sonny Werblin Recreation Center, having some input into its design.^[5]