Bill Roetzheim
Full nameWilliam Henry Roetzheim, Jr.
Country representedUnited States
Born(1928-08-07)August 7, 1928
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
DiedFebruary 26, 2014(2014-02-26) (aged 85)
Plant City, Florida, U.S.
DisciplineMen's artistic gymnastics
College teamUIC Flames, Florida State Seminoles
Medal record
Representing Florida State Seminoles
Event 1st 2nd 3rd
NCAA Championships 2 0 0
Total 2 0 0
NCAA Championships
Gold medal – first place1951 Ann ArborAll-Around
Gold medal – first place1951 Ann ArborHorizontal Bar
Coaching career
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1968–1973Chicago Circle
Administrative career (AD unless noted)
1974–1985UIC Flames
Head coaching record
Overall82–25

William Henry Roetzheim, Jr. (August 7, 1928 – February 26, 2014) was an American gymnast, collegiate coach, and adminstrator.[1] He competed at the 1948 Summer Olympics and the 1952 Summer Olympics.[2] Roetzheim won gold at the 1951 Pan American Games,[3] and he was also an army veteran who served in the Korean War.[4]

Early life and gymnastics career

Roetzheim was born in Chicago, Illinois, in 1928.[1] His career in gymnastics began with the Southside Turners.[1] From there, he attended the Navy Pier campus at the University of Illinois Chicago before going to Florida State University.[1]

At Florida State, he became the NCAA Men's Gymnastics All-Round Champion,[5] and led his school to win the team event.[1] Later the same year, Roetzheim travelled to the 1951 Pan American Games in Buenos Aires at his own expense.[1] At the games, he won two gold medals, in the individual all-around and horizontal bar,[6][7] along with two silver medals, in the floor and pommel horse.[8][9] During the 1940s and 1950s, Roetzheim went on to win seven AUU titles.[1]

Roetzheim competed at two Olympic Games.[1] Upon selection to his first, the 1948 Summer Olympics in London, he was the first collegiate freshman to qualify for an Olympic games.[10] He was part of the United States team that finished in seventh place in the team all-round event.[11][12] Four years later, at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, the US team finished in eighth place in the same event.[13][12]

Later life and legacy

From 1955 to 1968, Roetzheim coached high school gymnastics in Illinois.[14] He had 3 Illinois team championships and a further 19 individual state champions.[14][15]

In 1968, Roetzheim became the gymnastics coach at the University of Illinois at Chicago Circle, a post he held until 1973.[12] He compiled a record of 82–25 with the team and the following year, he became the athletic director at the University.[16] He oversaw the transition of the school's athletic program to NCAA Division I status in 1981 before leaving the role in 1985.[16]

He was also a judge at four consecutive Summer Olympics from 1984 to 1996.[4][12]

Roetzheim was inducted into the US Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 1975,[4] the UIC Athletics Hall of Fame in 1990,[16] the National Gymnastics Judges Association Hall of Fame and the Illinois High School Hall of Fame.[17]

Roetzheim died in February 2014 in Plant City, Florida, at the age of 85.[14][18]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Bill Roetzheim". Olympedia. Retrieved April 26, 2022.
  2. ↑ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Bill Roetzheim Olympic Results". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on April 18, 2020. Retrieved July 22, 2019.
  3. ↑ "Bill Roetzheim Bio". Seminoles. Retrieved April 26, 2022.
  4. 1 2 3 "Obituary: William Henry Roetzheim". Pant City Observer. Retrieved April 26, 2022.
  5. ↑ "Mr. William Roetzheim, B.S. in Physical Education (1952)" (PDF). The Florida State University. Retrieved April 26, 2022.
  6. ↑ "Gymnastics: Pan American Games: Men: All-Around". Sports123.com. Archived from the original on November 3, 2011.
  7. ↑ "Gymnastics: Pan American Games: Men: Horizontal Bar". Sports123.com. Archived from the original on November 3, 2011.
  8. ↑ "Gymnastics: Pan American Games: Men: Floor". Sports123.com. Archived from the original on November 3, 2011.
  9. ↑ "Gymnastics: Pan American Games: Men: Pommel Horse". Sports123.com. Archived from the original on November 3, 2011.
  10. ↑ "Don Holder, Bill Roetzheim Olympic Aces". Tallahassee Democrat. May 9, 1952. p. 9. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
  11. ↑ "Team All-Around, Men (1948)". Olympedia. Retrieved April 26, 2022.
  12. 1 2 3 4 "William Roetzheim". USA Gym Legacy. Retrieved April 26, 2022.
  13. ↑ "Team All-Around, Men (1952)". Olympedia. Retrieved April 26, 2022.
  14. 1 2 3 "William 'Bill' Roetzheim passed away". gymmedia.de. February 28, 2014. Retrieved December 29, 2023.
  15. ↑ Who's Who Gymnastics. United States Gymnastics Federation. 1973. p. 72.
  16. 1 2 3 "UIC Mourns the Loss of Former Athletic Director William Roetzheim". UIC Flames. Retrieved April 26, 2022.
  17. ↑ "Biography: ROETZHEIM, William "Bill"". Gymnastics Hall of Fame. Retrieved April 26, 2022.
  18. ↑ "Bill Roetzheim". nolefan.org. Retrieved April 26, 2022.
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