2019 Inducted into the New England LMSC Hall of Fame (Contributor - MESC Trailblazer)
Key initiator
Director of Meets & Officials through 1999
Annual George Erswell Meet at Bowdoin in October named after him
When George Erswell moved back to Maine from Atlanta in the fall of 1988, he was both surprised and dismayed to find there was no Masters swim program in the state. Although he could swim regularly at the Bowdoin pool, and compete in swim meets as a member of the New England Masters Swim Club, there was no program specifically for Maine swimmers. He began pestering Sharon (Forney) Battistini, then a pool monitor and lifeguard supervisor at Bowdoin, about getting a Masters program going in Maine. It was the right time and Erswell was the right person.
From the Maine Masters website:
An avid swimmer attending his first swim meet at the age of 10. He swam for Brunswick High and Bowdoin College. He continued his swimming career joining the Georgia Masters. Upon his return to Maine and finding no Masters program, he along with Sharon Forney founded the Maine Masters Swim Club. George was nationally ranked in his age group holding records in most of his events. At the age of 73 George died on August 24, 2000 at his home in Harpswell. In October 2000, Sandy Potholm changed the name of their annual Halloween Swim Meet to the George Erswell, Jr. Annual Swim Meet in his honor. It was all agreed it should be his. George is missed dearly and his impact on Masters Swimming in Maine will never be forgotten.