The following remarks were made by former head swim coach Jim Steen P'04, 04 at the memorial service held June 27, 2016 for Dean Tom Edwards.
In remembering Tom today, I think many of us have this classic image of the man, his impact on the College, and the legacy he left for all of us to admire and aspire to. He was, after all the Dean of Deans.
As the founder of Campus Senate, the director of support services for international students, the overseer of the Parents Advisory Council, the man whose vision brought about, as Susan Givens attests, "The counseling service, the health center and most of the activities and organizations on campus," and who for awhile was the swimming coach, the golf coach, the soccer coach, the tennis coach and — since somebody had to be the administrator to all these coaches — the athletic director... Tom Edwards, to say the least, was a ubiquitous presence on campus.
By the way, did you know that he backwashed the filters nightly at Shaffer pool? Okay, that may be stretching it a bit, but the man did everything! Even more compelling, he was an equally ubiquitous presence in the hearts and minds of everyone in the community.
Tom was a mentor, friend and father-figure to so many of us at the College for over 40 years, but he also had this uncanny sixth sense as to the nature, cause and execution of all surreptitious behavior on campus. He was like those pre-cogs in the movie Minority Report — he seemed to intuitively know what was about to happen before it actually happened and could therefore intercede on your behalf before you further screwed up your life. Who among us didn’t benefit from his well-timed intercessions? I know I did.
When you met with Tom Edwards in his office, the conversational atmosphere was always the same: There he would be, sitting at his desk, peering over the top of those little black reading glasses of his, possibly a pipe in hand (depending on the era) with — as Fred Kluge says — "that tiny grin flickering around the corners of his mouth," and he would talk to you in a voice that was both soft and gentle and barely audible at times.
If you were a student in need of correction, he would begin the conversation with a few well-targeted and somewhat empathetic questions, lulling you into thinking he was this laid-back, unflappable, fair-minded sort-of guy... or quite possibly your worst nightmare. It really didn’t matter. All he needed was your attention. On the other hand, if you were a friend or colleague dropping by his office, you tried extra hard to simply coax a chuckle out of Tom because it made your day.
But I’m here today to remind you of an important fact: Tom Edwards was — first and foremost — a swimming coach! He wasn’t just any swimming coach, he was an exceptional swimming coach. Along with Doc Councilman at Indiana University, they were two of the great innovators in the sport in the 1950s. I have letters from Doc and Tom communicating back and forth on this pioneering concept of "interval training," which they both employed to great effect in achieving outstanding individual and team performances in the sport of swimming. This is the Tom Edwards you don’t hear that much about.
Every subsequent swimming coach who has ever achieved success at Kenyon — and there have been a few of us — has built on the foundation and principles established by Tom Edwards: innovate, create and then accommodate, but never overestimate. Decidedly a Kenyon way of doing things.
In my opinion, if Tom had decided to apply all his energy toward the sport of swimming instead of dividing it among his dean responsibilities (and backwashing the pool!) he would have eclipsed us all — he was that good as a coach. Lucky for the College that he didn’t.
Tom ushered in the modern era of sport at Kenyon and he did so in a way that carefully balanced the expectations and resources of the College with the ever increasing talent and desires of incoming student-athletes. His public tone in promoting sport during his tenure as dean of students was always tempered, always mindful of academic priorities and one that never promised too much.
There were a few cynics in the athletic department over the years who thought Tom sold out from where he started out as a coach, but he knew precisely what he was doing at all times: working behind the scenes,educating presidents, soft-selling the core value of athletic competition, needling his good friend, Admissions Director John Kushan, into accepting student-athletes who really wanted to be here.
In essence, Tom moderated the vocal extremes on campus to improve the playing field for all who loved participating in sport. Under his stewardship the athletic picture at Kenyon took shape in ways that complemented the mission of the College and set us up for the future. He cultivated and nurtured the good feeling that exists for athletics today among so many at the College and helped shape an environment that made possible the very thought of a facility like the KAC.
In my mind, the best of what Tom Edwards gave this institution came from his skill and temperament as a swimming coach. Great coaches — like great teachers — are provocateurs: they challenge students to get out of their comfort zone and take a chance on believing they have more to offer than they think they do. Tom was a provocateur extraordinaire. And he always managed to provoke in the most gentle of ways.
Let me share the following memory with you of a provocateur in action: It was in my second year of coaching at Kenyon. We were at the conference meet and I was getting the Lords ready for finals of the 800 freestyle relay. Tom was standing on deck beside me, as was the customary with my two predecessors Dick Russell and Dick Sloan. I actually found this quite reassuring as he would invariably ask after every race, "Were you pleased with that performance?"
On the relay that night I decided to hold out my top 200 freestyler and go with a team member who was not nearly as fast. I really wanted to see how this individual would perform under pressure even though I knew I was taking a risking in winning the race. Tom asked me who was in the relay and I quickly rattled off the names. I was waiting for a response, something like "those are good choices." Instead... nothing. Just a slow nod and a simple "ehmmmmm."
I felt the pressure building up. I started turning things over and over again in my mind: What the hell was I doing? Why was I using Kevin in this relay? Was I playing this game for keeps or not?" I mentally reviewed all the reasons for my decision.
A moment later Tom says, "Are you sure you want to go with Kevin?" I responded immediately with a yes, although I had my doubts.
Fast forward to the relay. We swim and we win in a very exciting, but marginally close race. Tom — obviously pleased — looks up at me with the "Kluge grin" and says, "Very nice relay coach!" It was then that I understood. Tom's provocative power of suggestion required that you clarify in your own mind just what it was you were doing — and why. You needed to be able to coach yourself and take responsibility for your decisions.
Like many of us here today, I owe Tom Edwards so much more than can ever be expressed in words. He gave me a career I could have never imagined and an education in humanity that made me a better coach and a better person.
Gloria, you and Tom have both meant so much to the Steen family over the past 40 years and for that we are forever grateful. I will continue to look forward to laughing in Tom's memory with you for many years to come.