Courtesy of WOWSA, Huntington Beach, California.

Charles E. Silvia (1911 – died on 16 June 1998 at 87 years), nicknamed Red, was an American swimming coach and well-published author and authority on swimming and lifesaving. He is a graduate of Springfield College in the Class of 1934 and served as the swimming coach for 40 years from 1937-1977. He was an All American Swimmer with 12 New England Team titles who coached Olympic gold medalist in the 200m butterfly Bill Yorzky (Springfield College Class of 1954). Red coached more than 200 All-American swimmers and an Olympic gold medalist during his 41 years at Springfield College. He coached and taught life saving at Springfield College from 1937 until his retirement in 1978.

USA National Collegiate record holder in the 300 yard individual medley
College All-American swimmer
Captain of the Springfield College Swim Team
He coached multiple sports at New Hampton School, Wibraham Academy, New Haven YMCA, Springfield College (from 1937)
Assistant Coach of the 1956 USA Olympic Swim Team
Mentored and developed 50 college swim coaches
His swimmers set 14 world swimming records
He served as President of the College Swimming Coaches Association of America
He served as President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the International Swimming Hall of Fame
He was recipient of Collegiate & Scholastic Swimming Trophy
He is an Honoree in the Helms (Citizens Savings) Hall of Fame
His college teams won 214 meets and 10 New England championships.

He was inducted in the American Swimming Coaches Association Hall of Fame.
He was inducted as an Honour Administrator in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame in the Class of 1978.
He was inducted as an Honor Contributor in the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 1976.
He was the 1978 recipient of the Irving Davids-Captain Roger Wheeler Memorial Award. The Irving Davids-Captain Roger Wheeler Memorial Award is an award of the International Swimming Hall of Fame and was established in 1970 by the New England Marathon Swimming Association to honor and recognize the contribution of individuals and groups making major contributions to Marathon Swimming and serve as a perpetual memorial to Irving Davids and Captain Roger Wheeler.

International Swimming Hall of Fame Induction in 1976
Charles ‘Red’ Silv[i]a was an American swimming coach who trained New England-based marathon swimmers for English Channel attempts and was instrumental in organizing many local marathon swims. In 1973, Davis Hart, one of Silva’s swimmers, set the record for the English Channel.

Silva won a New England Championship and set several college records as an athlete. He coached and taught life-saving procedures at Springfield College, Massachusetts during a 41 year career. His teams won 214 meets and ten New England Championships.

In 1970 there were some 700 college coaches in the United States and more than half of them were Silva’s swimmers.

He was inducted in 1976 into the International Swimming Hall of Fame as an Honor Contributor for having coached more than 200 All-American swimmers, including Olympic gold medalist Bill Yorzyk. He served as its fourth president and later as the Chairman of the ISHOF.

He received The Irving Davids / Captain Roger W. Wheeler Memorial Award in 1978 for his contributions to the administration of open water swimming.

Silvia also wrote many books including:

* Manual of Lifesaving And Water Safety Instruction published in 1954
* Lifesaving and Water Safety Instruction published in 1958
* LifeSaving and Water Safety Today for Students and Instructors published in 1966 and 1969
* Lifesaving and Water Safety Today published in 1968
* Manual and Lesson Plans for Basic Swimming, Water Stunts, Life Saving, Springboard Diving, Skin & Scuba Diving published in 1970
* Lifesaving and Water Ssafeeth Today For Students and Instructors published in 1971

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