Hall of Fame
When Hugh Wooldridge took to the swimming pool for Macalester College, he made waves on both the local and national levels for the Scots.
Woodridge came to Macalester out of Faribault Shattuck High School in 1955 and promptly placed in three events at the MIAC meet as a rookie. As a sophomore, he upped that by one, by placing in four events. The stage was set for even bigger and better things down the road.
As a junior, Wooldridge stroked to the state title in the 200-yard butterfly, and finished second in both the 200-yard individual medley and the 200-yard medley relay. "Wooly" stole the show at the MIAC championships the next year as a senior, winning and setting new meet records in the 160-yard individual medley (1:50.1) and the 200-yard butterdly (2:25.5). He also was a member of the victorious medley relay unit.
Wooldridge went on to place in three events at NAIA championships. He finished second as a member of the Scots 400-yard medley relay team, was fourth in the 200-yard butterfly and come in sixth in the 200-yard individual medley. As if that wasn't enough, he placed fourth in the 200-yard butterfly and fifth in the 100-yard butterfly at the YMCA national championships.
"A picture of physical fitness, the Benton Harbor, Mich., swimmer could win nearly any event," was how the March 6, 1959 issue of the Mac Weekly described Wooldridge's exploits in the pool. "Therefore, he has limited his talents to the freestyle and butterfly events."
Out of the pool, Wooldridge was the sports section editor of the Macalester Yearbook, active in the drama department's one act plays and a swimming instructor at the Midway YMCA.
A business administration major, Wooldridge worked in the sales/marketing division of 3M in Seattle, Wash. (1961), San Francisco, Calif. (1962-69) and St. Paul (1969-81). He presently works in the human resources department of the company. He and his wife, Marilyn Hancock Wooldridge (Class of '61), reside in Edina.
