Dotson first learned to swim in rivers and lakes near his childhood home in Decatur, Illinois, and by the age of four had decided that his future was in coaching. His family moved to Tyler, Texas, in 1950, and he joined the Tyler Swim Team in 1952, where he also coached under Hank Chapman and Johnny Griffith. In 1955 Dotson was invited to swim at UT Austin, and after graduating in 1961, he became a coach at Austin Aquatic Club. In 1966, at the age of 29, Dotson developed and built Swim-A-Day, one of the first indoor pools in the Austin area. He not only coached competitive teams, but taught many children in Austin how to swim. In 1988, He left Austin to coach in Mission, San Antonio, and Corpus Christi and retired from Texas public schools in 2011. In his 45 years coaching in Texas schools, he coached numerous state champions and several UIL swim teams to state championships. After Dotson returned home to Austin, he continued to coach local teams until December 2013. He has served as vice-president of TISCA (1967), president of TAGS (1968) and AAU (1976), and has received numerous honors for his contributions to Texas swimming. After swimming and coaching for more than 60 years years, Dotson continues to swim almost daily and competes in many area open-water events. Since our inception in 2008, Dotson has served the TSDHOF loyally as our historian.