Holding a treasured photo from 1984, Fritz Damm will be honored as the 2025 winner of the Ufer Award on October 3 in Ann Arbor. The photo is of Damm and his father, Russ, looking at a plaque containing the names of the first four Ufer Award winners.
By Tom Kirvan
Legal News
Among all the University of Michigan swimmers who have earned letters at the Big Ten school over the past 70 years, longtime Detroit area attorney Fritz Damm may have been the most unlikely.
When he enrolled at U-M in the fall of 1960 as a recent graduate of North Muskegon High School, Damm barely knew how to swim, a fact that would be a serious impediment to most anyone interested in trying out for the squad coached by the legendary Gus Stager.
An All-American swimmer at Michigan during his collegiate days, Stager possessed a coaching resume that was clad in gold. As coach of the U-M men’s team in 1959, Stager guided the squad to the NCAA title in a dominant performance, outscoring the second, third, and fourth place teams combined.
For good measure, Stager then served as coach of the U.S. Men’s Swimming Team in the 1960 Olympics in Rome, leading the American squad to a surprise victory over a favored Australian team that prevailed in the previous Olympiad in Melbourne.
Stager would win four NCAA titles as U-M coach during his 25-year reign.
Suffice to say, Stager knew a few things about swimming, such as how to “make something out of nothing” that came in the form of a tall and skinny walk-on swimmer from the west side of the state.
“Gus, for whatever reason, took an interest in me, telling some of the fellows on the swim team to ‘get that guy’s ass down to the pool,’” Damm recalled of the pointed directive from Stager that changed a young man’s life. “He literally taught me how to swim, to get from one end of the pool to the other. But more importantly, he taught me the value of hard work and commitment.”
Those life lessons led Damm on an unlikely journey to become a U-M letterwinner, an achievement that will be highlighted Friday, Oct. 3 when the recent retiree is saluted as the 2025 recipient of the Ufer Award, an honor named after the famed radio broadcaster and former track star who coined the expression “Mee-chigan.”
The award presentation will take place at the Letterwinners M Club Fall Gala in the U-M Golf Course Clubhouse beginning at 5:30 p.m. The dinner event will kick off homecoming weekend activities in Ann Arbor, and will serve as a fund-raiser for athletic scholarships and M Club programs. The Sklar Brothers, a comedy duo and U-M alums, will be the emcees for the evening program.
The 83-year-old Damm, who earned his U-M degree in 1964, will join an elite group of Ufer Award recipients, the likes of which include Bo Schembechler, Don Canham, Bill Martin, Lloyd Carr, Carol Hutchins, Red Berenson, Stephen Ross, and a host of other honorees.
“It’s an incredible honor to be in such a select circle,” said Damm, a past president of the Transportation Lawyers Association who retired last year from the Detroit office of Scopelitis Garvin. “I hope that my story can inspire other U-M students who have dreams of becoming a Michigan letterwinner.”
Since 1981, the Ufer Award has been presented annually to a Letterwinner M Club member in “recognition of their exceptional enthusiasm for, and commitment to, the University of Michigan and the Letterwinners M Club,” according to club officials.
In recognizing Damm as this year’s honoree, the Letterwinners M Club Board issued the following statement:
“A former M Club President and lifelong ambassador for Michigan Athletics, Fritz Damm exemplifies the spirit of the Ufer Award through his unwavering enthusiasm, proactive leadership to connect generations and uplift student-athletes, and enduring commitment to building community and opportunity for generations of Letterwinners. We are honored and grateful for Fritz’s commitment and are thrilled to enter him among many greats who’ve worn and continue to represent the Block M with excellence.”
Damm developed his work ethic as a boy when he began helping out at his father and uncle’s hardware and sporting goods business in downtown Muskegon on Ottawa Street.
“I did a lot of odd jobs, loading and unloading goods, doing whatever I could to make myself useful,” said Damm, who earned his law degree from Wayne State University. “My dad (Russ) and uncle built a very successful business, and had a very loyal customer base until some of the bigger retailers started to expand their operations. At that point, the handwriting was on the wall.”
In the early 1930s, Damm’s father made a name for himself as a member of the U-M football team, which won back-to-back national championships under the coaching guidance of Harry Kipke. One of the elder Damm’s teammates on the title-winning teams was an offensive lineman who would go on to greater glory – Gerald R. Ford, the 38th president of the United States.
For years, Damm has teamed with former U-M swimming coach Mike Bottom in presenting the Stager Swimming and Diving Dinner at the Detroit Athletic Club, a spring event that serves as a salute to senior members of the Wolverine swimming and diving teams.
“Mike, who was an All-American swimmer at USC, coached the Michigan men’s team to the national title in 2013 and guided the women’s team to a number of Big Ten titles,” Damm said. “He also was an Olympian in his own right, and was one of the most successful swim coaches in NCAA and Olympic history. I’ll never forget him saying after one of our Stager dinners that ‘Fritz, you changed lives tonight’ by honoring them and connecting them with other members of the U-M and DAC families.”
Damm and his wife of 53 years, Sheila, have two children, Molly and Jordan. The Damms, in 1981, became foster parents to a 14-year-old boy, Patrick, whose family life at the time was in shambles.
“He didn’t have a dad in his life and his life was upside down, so we stepped into to help out,” said Damm. “Patrick is soon to be 59 now and has his own son and daughter. We continue to be part of that family’s life.”
When he retired last year, Damm did so after an illustrious legal career in which he received a host of awards from the Transportation Lawyers Association, an organization he headed in 2001-02 and that he served as chair of the Membership Services and Recruiting Committee for 21 years.
Earlier this year, the TLA presented Damm with a special award for his “Enduring Impact” on the organization.
“Through personal outreach, consistent follow-through, and a sharp eye for talent, Fritz brought hundreds of lawyers into the fold – not merely as members, but as active, welcomed participants,” wrote TLA President-elect Patrick Foppe in an article appearing in the July 2025 issue of The Transportation Lawyer.
“That’s the thing about Fritz: he doesn’t just invite you in,” Foppe added. “He remembers your name, your practice area, your law partners’ names, your last conversation – and probably the names of your kids, too. He builds genuine friendships and encourages others to do the same. That quality – rare as it is – has shaped the professional and personal trajectories of countless TLA members.”
Legal News
Among all the University of Michigan swimmers who have earned letters at the Big Ten school over the past 70 years, longtime Detroit area attorney Fritz Damm may have been the most unlikely.
When he enrolled at U-M in the fall of 1960 as a recent graduate of North Muskegon High School, Damm barely knew how to swim, a fact that would be a serious impediment to most anyone interested in trying out for the squad coached by the legendary Gus Stager.
An All-American swimmer at Michigan during his collegiate days, Stager possessed a coaching resume that was clad in gold. As coach of the U-M men’s team in 1959, Stager guided the squad to the NCAA title in a dominant performance, outscoring the second, third, and fourth place teams combined.
For good measure, Stager then served as coach of the U.S. Men’s Swimming Team in the 1960 Olympics in Rome, leading the American squad to a surprise victory over a favored Australian team that prevailed in the previous Olympiad in Melbourne.
Stager would win four NCAA titles as U-M coach during his 25-year reign.
Suffice to say, Stager knew a few things about swimming, such as how to “make something out of nothing” that came in the form of a tall and skinny walk-on swimmer from the west side of the state.
“Gus, for whatever reason, took an interest in me, telling some of the fellows on the swim team to ‘get that guy’s ass down to the pool,’” Damm recalled of the pointed directive from Stager that changed a young man’s life. “He literally taught me how to swim, to get from one end of the pool to the other. But more importantly, he taught me the value of hard work and commitment.”
Those life lessons led Damm on an unlikely journey to become a U-M letterwinner, an achievement that will be highlighted Friday, Oct. 3 when the recent retiree is saluted as the 2025 recipient of the Ufer Award, an honor named after the famed radio broadcaster and former track star who coined the expression “Mee-chigan.”
The award presentation will take place at the Letterwinners M Club Fall Gala in the U-M Golf Course Clubhouse beginning at 5:30 p.m. The dinner event will kick off homecoming weekend activities in Ann Arbor, and will serve as a fund-raiser for athletic scholarships and M Club programs. The Sklar Brothers, a comedy duo and U-M alums, will be the emcees for the evening program.
The 83-year-old Damm, who earned his U-M degree in 1964, will join an elite group of Ufer Award recipients, the likes of which include Bo Schembechler, Don Canham, Bill Martin, Lloyd Carr, Carol Hutchins, Red Berenson, Stephen Ross, and a host of other honorees.
“It’s an incredible honor to be in such a select circle,” said Damm, a past president of the Transportation Lawyers Association who retired last year from the Detroit office of Scopelitis Garvin. “I hope that my story can inspire other U-M students who have dreams of becoming a Michigan letterwinner.”
Since 1981, the Ufer Award has been presented annually to a Letterwinner M Club member in “recognition of their exceptional enthusiasm for, and commitment to, the University of Michigan and the Letterwinners M Club,” according to club officials.
In recognizing Damm as this year’s honoree, the Letterwinners M Club Board issued the following statement:
“A former M Club President and lifelong ambassador for Michigan Athletics, Fritz Damm exemplifies the spirit of the Ufer Award through his unwavering enthusiasm, proactive leadership to connect generations and uplift student-athletes, and enduring commitment to building community and opportunity for generations of Letterwinners. We are honored and grateful for Fritz’s commitment and are thrilled to enter him among many greats who’ve worn and continue to represent the Block M with excellence.”
Damm developed his work ethic as a boy when he began helping out at his father and uncle’s hardware and sporting goods business in downtown Muskegon on Ottawa Street.
“I did a lot of odd jobs, loading and unloading goods, doing whatever I could to make myself useful,” said Damm, who earned his law degree from Wayne State University. “My dad (Russ) and uncle built a very successful business, and had a very loyal customer base until some of the bigger retailers started to expand their operations. At that point, the handwriting was on the wall.”
In the early 1930s, Damm’s father made a name for himself as a member of the U-M football team, which won back-to-back national championships under the coaching guidance of Harry Kipke. One of the elder Damm’s teammates on the title-winning teams was an offensive lineman who would go on to greater glory – Gerald R. Ford, the 38th president of the United States.
For years, Damm has teamed with former U-M swimming coach Mike Bottom in presenting the Stager Swimming and Diving Dinner at the Detroit Athletic Club, a spring event that serves as a salute to senior members of the Wolverine swimming and diving teams.
“Mike, who was an All-American swimmer at USC, coached the Michigan men’s team to the national title in 2013 and guided the women’s team to a number of Big Ten titles,” Damm said. “He also was an Olympian in his own right, and was one of the most successful swim coaches in NCAA and Olympic history. I’ll never forget him saying after one of our Stager dinners that ‘Fritz, you changed lives tonight’ by honoring them and connecting them with other members of the U-M and DAC families.”
Damm and his wife of 53 years, Sheila, have two children, Molly and Jordan. The Damms, in 1981, became foster parents to a 14-year-old boy, Patrick, whose family life at the time was in shambles.
“He didn’t have a dad in his life and his life was upside down, so we stepped into to help out,” said Damm. “Patrick is soon to be 59 now and has his own son and daughter. We continue to be part of that family’s life.”
When he retired last year, Damm did so after an illustrious legal career in which he received a host of awards from the Transportation Lawyers Association, an organization he headed in 2001-02 and that he served as chair of the Membership Services and Recruiting Committee for 21 years.
Earlier this year, the TLA presented Damm with a special award for his “Enduring Impact” on the organization.
“Through personal outreach, consistent follow-through, and a sharp eye for talent, Fritz brought hundreds of lawyers into the fold – not merely as members, but as active, welcomed participants,” wrote TLA President-elect Patrick Foppe in an article appearing in the July 2025 issue of The Transportation Lawyer.
“That’s the thing about Fritz: he doesn’t just invite you in,” Foppe added. “He remembers your name, your practice area, your law partners’ names, your last conversation – and probably the names of your kids, too. He builds genuine friendships and encourages others to do the same. That quality – rare as it is – has shaped the professional and personal trajectories of countless TLA members.”
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