Profiling Bud Jackson

Seaborn "Bud" Walton Jackson Jr. was born in 1920 and raised in Fort Smith, Ark. He learned to swim around the age of six, but never swam on a team.

At age 65 he was recruited to the Arkansas Masters by coach Ian Bullock, and has been swimming ever since. He usually swims 2,500 yards, four times a week, and competes in most of the local meets around Arkansas and Oklahoma. He also attends zone meets, and every couple of years, nationals.

Some of his highlights have been breaking 30 minutes in the long course 1500-meter freestyle and winning gold in the 200 breaststroke at Minneapolis, Minn. in 1999. At the age of 81 in 2000, he achieved All-American status in the 800-SCM freestyle.

Bud has been married since 1948, and has two children. He stays active with weights and walking, as well as gardening and reading. He is also active in civic work and is still involved with his printing business, Williams & Lick, a well known firm over 100 years old.

In 2003 at age 83, Bud said that he was looking forward to the 85-89 age group, and in 2004 he competed in the Savannah Long Course Nationals (85-89) winning three events. In 2004, Bud garnered All-American honors again by placing first on the USMS Top Ten lists in the men 85-89 800-SCM free, 200-SCM breaststroke, 1500-LCM free, and the 200-LCM breaststroke. He made the All-American list the following year, 2005, by placing first on the USMS Top Ten list in the men 85-89 200-LCM breaststroke event.