June 22, 2011

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Ron Squiers became the first Maryland swimmer or diver to garner All-America honors in 1963. He later helped lead the U.S. in the Vietnam War as a pilot in the Air Force. This summer, UMTerps is revisiting former student-athletes in a series titled Where are they now?

Q: Talk a little bit about your time at the University of Maryland and what brought you to College Park?

Squiers: I lived near Bowie, had attended a military school for eight years (Fork Union Military Academy near Charlottesville, Va.) and was looking for a more varied experience for college. I was only 16 years old when I arrived in College Park in 1960, so needless to say, it was a really new experience. I told the girls I was 18.

Q: What was it like to be coached by the legendary Coach Campbell?

Squiers: "Coach" was truly THE experience of a lifetime. Not only to me, but everyone else who came into contact with him as well. His mentoring has stayed with me 40-plus years. I would say he gave me the most positive experience of my life. He instilled in me the self-confidence needed to succeed in life. That doesn't mean he didn't get upset with me occasionally. I was a little difficult to manage at times!

Q: Do you have a favorite memory of your time with the Terps?

Squiers: Our team winning ACC Championships, being selected co-captain in 1964, and making All-American in 1963.

Q: After graduating from Maryland, what did you go on to do professionally?

Squiers: I left College Park and entered the US Air Force pilot training program at Williams AFB in Arizona. I graduated and flew during the Vietnam War and racked up about 1000 hours of combat time.

I flew the F4 Phantom for most of my career, made full colonel in 1986, and retired in 1989. From there, I spent about 15 years at United Airlines and retired (again) in late 2003 as a Boeing 767 captain.

Then I started a sailing voyage that was planned as an around-the-world adventure but came to a halt in Grenada in 2004 with Hurricane Ivan. The boat was in the yard out of the water, but was knocked over and required five months to repair. We ended up living on the boat (Mason 44 - FLYBY) for about four years.

I then stumbled into a job with Boeing as a contract flight instructor working on the B787, 777, 747-400 and the 747-8 and I have been doing this for over four years. Plan to really retire at some point.

Q: How were those experiences molded by your time as a Terrapin student-athlete?

Squiers: My experience as a swimmer/diver at Maryland and the relationship with Coach Campbell has stayed with me since I left College Park. Bill Campbell was success-oriented and instilled that attitude in everyone associated with him. Failure with him was not an option - in sports or life.

Q: What are you doing these days?

Squiers: I am still doing flight instruction for Boeing and currently in London working with Russian B777 pilots from Turkmenistan. It is lots of fun, but working through an interpreter is a little challenging! I am also doing a little sailing when I have time. I am away from home a lot but fortunately my wife travels with me most of the time.

Q: How well do you keep up with the Terps now?

Squiers: I check in on them via email and some of the Maryland publications.

The Squier family: Wife, Diane. Children, Dawn (44), Trent (40), Billy (38), Dan (29). Grandchildren: Ashley (13), Amanda (11), Connor (9), Dylan (8), Sydney (7), Fenton (6), twins Caroline and Reese (4), Tristan (4).

Current residence: York River, Gloucester Point, Va.