 Henning in Navy, early 1940s | |
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 30, 1919[1] Lockport, New York |
| Died | May 23, 1988 (aged 69) Naperville, Illinois |
| Alma mater | North Central College Loyola University Dental |
| Playing career | |
| 1937–1941 | North Central College 1941 |
| Position(s) | freestyle, backstroke |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1956, 1964 | US Olympic Swim Team Manager |
| 1959–1965 | U.S. Olympic Swim Committee Chair |
| 1972–1976 | President International Swimming Federation |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Awards | |
| CSCAA 100 Greatest Coaches of the Century 1979 International Swimming Hall of Fame | |
Harold W. "Hal" Henning Jr. (1919–1988) was an American dentist from Napierville Illinois, who was chair of the U.S. Olympic Swim Committee and then president of the International Swimming Federation, from 1972 through 1976. During his work with the swimming community in the 1970s, he lobbied to retain the number of swimming events in the Olympics, in 1973 reducing the total by 3 events, rather than the proposed 12. By preventing the loss of events, he helped retain media coverage time, and gave a competitive advantage in Olympic competition to countries with strong, and balanced swim teams. Continuing his campaign to expand interest and coverage of swimming, he increased the number of seats for the swimming events at the 1976 Montreal Olympics, from 4400 to a total of 9000. As a member of the FINA bureau, and later Secretary and President, he helped to establish the first World Swimming Championship in Belgrade, Yugoslavia and the International Swimming Hall of Fame.[1]