CHICAGO, Ill. – Illinois Institute of Technology has announced the recipient of this year’s John J. Schommer Honor I Award. The honor will be awarded to one of Tech’s most prominent athletic alumni: Ted Erikson.
The decorated swimmer will receive the honor at the 2016 Alumni Awards luncheon and ceremony on Friday, April 29. The John J. Schommer Honor I Award is awarded to alumni who excelled in both leadership and performance as student-athletes at Illinois Institute of Technology and who also exemplify the ideals of the Professional Achievement Award.
“It would be hard to tell the story of open water swimming, especially in this area, without Ted Erickson being the major focus,” said Illinois Tech Athletic Director Joe Hakes. “His ability to have a successful career based on his education at Illinois Tech combined with the incredible feats of swimming that he has done is remarkable.”
A team captain from 1950 until his graduation in 1952, Erikson was a holder of five individual school records and shared another. After his collegiate career, Erikson was appointed Head Coach of Tech’s swimming program in 1960. Illinois Tech’s men’s and women’s swimming and diving programs host the “Ted Erikson Invite” at Ekco Pool each season in his honor.
He has completed many monumental open water swims, as he and his son Jon (1954-2014) are considered two of Chicago’s most successful marathon swimmers in history. In August of 1961, Erikson was the first person to complete the 43-mile swim from Chicago to Michigan City, Indiana, completing the swim in 36.5 hours despite 16-foot waves and losing his crew for 15 minutes in the middle of the night. In 1965, he set a record for the fastest round-trip swimming of the English Channel (30 hours and three minutes). His son Jon broke his father’s record 10 years later. In 1967, he set a record which he held for 47 years, swimming the 31.5 miles between the Farallon Islands and San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge in 14 hours and 38 minutes. He now swims regularly at Illinois Tech’s Ekco Pool and with the Promontory Point Open Swimmers of Hyde Park.
Outside of his athletic endeavors, Erikson has been remarkable in his field of study. Erikson spent the first 20 years of his career as a senior chemist at IIT Research Institute (IITRI). During this time, he won a highly sought-after government contract to study ozone stabilization and also contracted with the Federal Aviation Administration to measure levels of ozone in high-altitude aircraft. In 1975 he left IITRI to be a high school science teacher in the Hammond, Indiana, public school system, where he formed lifetime bonds with his students. In 1991 he left teaching to pursue business ventures in scientific toys, jewelry, and ultimately, video production.
The 2016 Alumni Awards luncheon and ceremony will recognize 13 alumni and one civic leader. Help celebrate Ted and all award winners on Friday, April 29 at 11 a.m. in Hermann Hall. Registration is required, and tickets are $50 each.