Hall of Fame
A major contributor to Macalester's swimming dynasty, the late John Van Winkle charted a sparkling four-year career for the Scots.
Van Winkle opened his career in grand style, joining fellow Hall of Fame inductee John Mannikko, Mike Moeller '64 and Darwin Klockers '66 to capture the national title in the 400-yard freestyle relay in record time at the 1963 NAIA meet in Barlesville, Okla. He stroked to a second national title in the event in record time again at the 1965 national championships.
A key figure in leading Macalester to the 1964, 1965, and 1966 NAIA national team titles, Van Winkle finished his career as a 15-time All-American for the Scots. The 1963 squad finished second in the final team standings behind North Central College. In addition, the talented performer added numerous conference championships to his long list of accomplishments as the powerful Scots claimed four straight (1963-66) MIAC titles during his career.
Along with Jim Anderson '66, he co-captained the 1966 edition of the Scots to an undefeated season (first time ever), climaxed by a 52-43 win over the Division I University of Nebraska Cornhuskers at the Shaw Pool. The victory avenged the team's only two swimming defeats in the previous two championship seasons.
An economics major at Macalester, he was a dorm officer for Kirk Hall and a member of the Flying Scots, Lutheran Students Association, Macalester Jaycees, Pre-Law Forum, Scots Club, and the Spanish Club.
Van Winkle spent the summer after graduation in Europe with the SWAP program. While attending law school at the University of Minnesota, he married the former Mary MacKnight '66. After graduation from the U of M, the couple joined VISTA and was sent to Kotzebue, Alaska, where he ran a legal aid service for Alaska Legal Services.
After getting his pilot's license and purchasing their own plane a year later, the Van Winkle's settled in Anchorage, where John worked for the city as Assistant City Attorney, eventually moving to the Public Defender's Agency. Missing the slower pace of rural Alaska, the couple moved to the city of Nome (of Gold Rush fame), where John set up a private practice with two partners.
Shortly after attending the ground breaking for Macalester's Leonard Natatorium in August of 1982, Van Winkle died in a plane crash on the way to his annual moose hunting trip.
"His love of flying was well known," Mary said, "and when he died he was doing something he was happiest at."
Van Winkle remained active in athletics right up to his death. In addition to swimming on the intramural team while at law school at the U of M, he coached the swim team in Anchorage while there. Even after they moved to Nome, Mary said, he kept track of "his kids" on the team. Both of his children, Jason and Reagan, have begun to test the waters of the sport in which their father excelled.
"He would have been happy to know that we finally have a pool here in Nome and that both of his children swim for our swim club," Mary said.
His love, Mary said, became running. A consistent winner of the local road races that he ran in, he organized a race for the local Nome Midnight Sun Festival, encouraging everyone, especially the kids, to run or even walk.
In honor of this man who touched the lives of so many people during his lifetime, the run is now called the John Van Winkle Memorial 10K Race.
