Charles Buchanan Hickcox II (February 6, 1947 – June 14, 2010) was an American competition swimmer who swam for the University of Indiana, a three-time Olympic champion at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics, and a former world record-holder in six events.[1]
Hickcox was born inPhoenix, Arizona on February 6, 1947 to John Cole Hickcox Sr. and Mary Jane Shartel Hickcox.[2] Four of his siblings competed in swimming during their High School years. Charlie attendedWashington High School in greater Phoenix where he was an accomplished student with a rank of 30th in his Senior class of just under 500. He was on the varsity tennis team in his Junior year, and made the baskeball team in his Senior year. In his last year at Washington High, he served as a Senior Class President, and was Key Club Vice President. He began competitive swimming in earnest around 1961, where he mentioned he was coached by Dick Suenning, though no other sources besides the Arizona Republic list Suenning as a coach. Hickcox set a state high school record in the 100-meter butterfly of 1:00.07 at the Saguaro Invitational in May, 1965. His summer training regiment included a practice session of around 3.5 hours, with winter training of around 1.5 hours daily.[1][3]
Hickcox attendedIndiana University, and swam for theIndiana Hoosiers swimming and diving team inNational Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) competition from 1967 to 1969. He won a total of seven individual NCAA national championships while swimming for Hoosiers coachDoc Counsilman.In the three years from 1967-1969, Hickcox earned Indiana varsity letters and contributed to 1968 and 1969 NCAA national team titles. He was an NCAA champion eight times, including titles in 1967 in the 100 and 200 backstroke, and in 1968 in the 200 individual medley, 100 backstroke, and 200 backstroke. In 1969 he won NCAA individual titles in the 200 individual medley and 200 backstroke, and swam with Indiana's NCAA championship 400 medley relay team. He was an NCAA All American a total of thirteen times.[4] The peak of Hickcox's swimming career occurred between 1967 and 1968 when he set eight world records in the space of sixteen months.[5]
He received four medals, including three gold and one silver at the1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City. He tied with AmericanSharon Stouder for the second highest Olympic medal count of any swimmer to that date, placing second toDon Schollander of Yale who won four gold medals in 1964. Hickcox won a gold medal in the200-meter Individual Medley with an Olympic record time of 2:12.0. He won a second gold in the400-meter individual medley with a time of 4:48.4, beating second place American Gary Hall in a very close race by only 3 tenths of a second. Hickcox won a third gold as a member of the world record-setting U.S. team in themen's 4×100-meter medley relay. He added a silver medal in the men's100-meter backstroke with a time of 1:00.2, taking second to Brittain's Roland Matthes who swam a 58.7.[6]
Hickcox worked as a television and radio announcer and coached swimming in his early career. He completed studies at the Salmon P. Chase Law School, part of Northern Kentucky State University in Highland Heights, Kentucky, after graduating Indiana. While attending or shortly after attending law school, Hickcox briefly coached or co-coached the highly competitive Cincinnati Marlins age-group Swim team in 1973, very close to Highland Heights, Kentucky where he attended Law School.[7] After graduating Law School, he was admitted to the Arizona Bar. Later, he had a commercial real estate career, and founded the Feldman-Hickcox Company, a real estate firm based in Scottsdale, Arizona.[1]
Hickcox was namedWorld Swimmer of the Year in 1968, and was inducted into theInternational Swimming Hall of Fame as an "Honor Swimmer" in 1976. He was inducted into the University of Indiana Athletic Hall of Fame in 1982 and the Arizona Sports Hall of Fame.[8]
He was married to Olympic diverLesley Bush, but they later divorced.[1][9]
He died at his home in San Diego from cancer on June 14, 2010, at the age of 63. He was survived by his wife Kathy whom he married around 2003, children, grandchildren, and siblings. A memorial service was held July 10 at East Valley Bible Church in Gilbert, Arizona.[2][10]
