As the University of Georgia marks the 100th anniversary of its first swim and dive, the rich history of the program will be celebrated in a new exhibit on display at the UGA Special Collections Libraries.
The exhibit “Sustained Excellence: A History of UGA Swim & Dive” explores the program’s decades of dominance in the pool and in the classroom. Viewers will see rarely displayed photographs and artifacts from the UGA Athletic Association archive and the personal collection of retired coach Jack Bauerle. 
“The swim and dive program is 100 years old this year, and I’ve been part of it for 55 years,” said Bauerle. “I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished, but even more proud of the people who’ve been part of the program.”
Bauerle co-curated this exhibit with Jason Hasty, UGA athletics history specialist for the Hargrett Rare Book & Manuscript Library.
“This exhibit is a celebration of UGA Swim & Dive, but it’s even more a celebration of the standard of excellence in the pool and in the classroom that Jack Bauerle set,” Hasty said. “I hope that visitors to this exhibit will learn that the student-athletes weren’t just excelling in athletic competition, but also upholding this commitment to academic success.”
UGA’s swim & dive program has produced seven team national titles, multiple individual national titles, and 43 NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship recipients.
“Sustained Excellence” will be on display in the Special Collections Libraries Building’s Rotunda Gallery beginning August 29 and continuing through May of 2026. Hasty will give free tours of the exhibit at 3 p.m. on Fridays before home football games this fall (August 29, Sept. 5, Sept. 26, Oct. 3, Oct. 17, Nov. 14, and Nov. 21).
Galleries are open to visitors for free at the UGA Special Collections Building from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays, with extended evening hours until 7 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. For more information or to schedule a tour, visit libs.uga.edu/scl.