Hall of Honor
’64-89 Athletic Director, '55-67 Swimming & Diving, Water Polo Coach
Highly regarded on campus and among his peers, Emory presided over a period of significant change for Caltech Athletics. He championed the expansion of the department’s Physical Education course offerings, memorably quipping for an article in the California Tech [Vol. XC No. 29], “My feeling was that we oughta be doing more teaching” along with the advent of Title IX and the Institute’s compliance with the new federal law in 1972 that led to Caltech’s first female Varsity team (fencing, inducted 2015).
Prior to shouldering the mantle of Athletic Director from 1964-89, Emery was Caltech’s first full-time swimming and water polo coach in 1955. Under his guidance the swimming & diving program won five SCIAC championship titles (only one other program won even a single championship during that span), boasting 36 individual and relay champions, while the water polo team earned 11 All-SCIAC First Team and 16 Second Team honors. His swimmers set eight conference and meet records at the SCIAC Championships, headlined by the Beavers’ only NAIA National champion, Henry DeWitt ’68 (inducted 2015).
