Knox College Athletics

Robert Proebsting began swimming at age three and has been winning swimming competitions since early childhood.  He came to Knox from Maine Township where he was selected as a high school All-American.  ( I suspect that Bob might not have chosen Knox had it not been for the recommendation of his brother, John, who swam with me on the Knox swimming team of 1955.)  While at Knox, Bob earned three letters in swimming and was co-captain of the swimming team his junior and senior years.  He was a member of the All- American swimming team and participated in NCAA Championships, his sophomore, junior and senior seasons.  In those days there was only one level of national competition, so he was competing with swimmers from Stanford, Michigan, and Indiana.  (In 1955 we also had only one level of competition and I found myself diving against Big 10 champions.)  Bob was undefeated in all dual and Midwest Conference meets and by the end of his swimming career, he held all Siwash varsity records except the 200-yard breast stroke.  It is no wonder that our Knox swimming coach, Harold Turner, called him “the best swimmer in Conference history.” (I would be interested to find out if Bob swam the 60 yard freestyle at Augustana.  If he did not, I may still hold the Knox record for this unconventional distance.)

Along with the long hours required to excel in a sport at a level most of us only dream about, Bob managed to achieve equal academic success and was a member of “K” club, German Club, Phi Beta Kappa, and Sigma Nu fraternity.
   
Bob’s academic success earned him various physics prizes and scholarships,  In addition, he was the winner of the Zetterbert Award.  He continued his education by receiving his MS and PhD from the University of Wisconsin.  While at the University of Wisconsin, he was an instructor in the Department of Electrical Engineering.  His hard work and diligence carried his success into his life after college as he, with others, formed the Mostek Corporation which was later sold to the United Technologies Company.  He is presently Assistant Vice President for Technology-C.M.O.S.- Memory Design Semi-Conductor Research and Development with Hynundai Electronics America.  He has over 40 patents for inventions in his name.
   
By the most time people are inducted into a Hall of Fame their competitive days are well behind them.  But just this summer Bob competed in the World Master Swimming Championships in Montreal, Canada.  He set four individual world records in the 50, 100, and 200 meter butterfly and the 100 meter freestyle.  He also helped to establish a world record in the 200 meter mixed free relay along with his wife, Arlene, who is with him here this evening.
It is a privilege to recognize as a 1994 Knox-Lombard Athletic Hall of Fame recipient…Robert Proebsting.