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

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]

Biography

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

In 1968, Roetzheim became the gymnastics coach at the University of Illinois, a post he held until 1973.[12] The following year, he became the athletic director at the University.[14] Roetzheim was inducted into the US Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 1975,[4] the UIC Athletics Hall of Fame in 1990,[14] the National Gymnastics Judges Association Hall of Fame and the Illinois High School Hall of Fame.[15]

Roetzheim died in February 2014 in Plant City, Florida, at the age of 85.[16][17]

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 "UIC Mourns the Loss of Former Athletic Director William Roetzheim". UIC Flames. Retrieved April 26, 2022.
  15. ↑ "Biography: ROETZHEIM, William "Bill"". Gymnastics Hall of Fame. Retrieved April 26, 2022.
  16. ↑ "William 'Bill' Roetzheim passed away". Gym Media International. Retrieved April 26, 2022.
  17. ↑ "Bill Roetzheim". nolefan.org. Retrieved April 26, 2022.
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