Fond Farewell
Photo by Carl Socolow '77.
Les Poolman, chair of physical education and director of athletics at Dickinson for nearly three decades, will retire at the end of January. Poolman has overseen the most successful years in Dickinson athletics history, including 48 Centennial Conference championships in 12 different sports, postseason championship play in 18 sports and a national ranking of 41 out of 450 Division III schools in the 2013-14 Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup, a nine-place improvement from the previous season.
During his time here, Poolman worked ardently to support Dickinson’s intercollegiate teams by securing additional coaching and athletic training support, and he oversaw the addition of three varsity teams, including women’s golf and, most recently, men’s and women’s squash.
Poolman served on numerous college committees including the Student Wellness Advisory Group, Title IX Committee, President’s Commission for Women, McAndrews Fund for Athletics Committee and the Hillel Advisory Board. He taught physical education classes and three First-Year Seminars, and participated in several spring break trips and summer sessions in England and South America with faculty and students. He has taken a leadership role in the construction or renovation of many athletic facilities, including: Dickinson Park, MacPhail Baseball Field and Phyllis Joan Miller Memorial Field; the renovation of the Biddle Field complex; the state-of-the-art Durden Athletic Training Center; and the newly opened Kline Fitness Center and its squash courts.
Farewell celebration
Join the Dickinson community on Saturday, Jan. 24, for a farewell celebration for Poolman. The women’s and men’s basketball teams play at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m., respectively, and during halftime of the men’s game, there will be remarks and a presentation at center court. A reception will follow the game in the lobby of the Kline Fitness Center.
Share your memories
We also invite you to join in celebrating Poolman’s time at Dickinson by sending fond memories, well-wishes and photos to dsonmag@dickinson.edu. These will be collected and shared during a celebration as part of this year’s Red & White Day festivities on April 25.
Read more from the winter 2015 issue of Dickinson Magazine.
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Published January 20, 2015