Tracy Caulkins, a Harpeth Hall graduate, won three gold medals at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. Caulkins, considered one of the greatest swimmers ever, missed the 1980 Olympics due to the U.S.

Dec. 31—When you write a weekly column rooted in history and memory, the stories begin to stack up — some fade quickly, others quietly insist on staying with you. As I looked back on this year of ...