Tim Downes was hired as the eighth Athletic Director in Caltech history on April 1, 1999, and is in his fifth full year as Caltech’s Director of Athletics, Physical Education and Recreation.

During his tenure at Caltech, Downes has begun the process of changing the perception of the Beavers athletics program. In addition to a greater focus on recruiting, he has made a pledge to make it possible for all 18 of Caltech’s varsity teams to become more competitive in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC), a challenging endeavor but one that is being accomplished. During this period, the men’s and women’s tennis, women’s basketball, women's swimming, women's volleyball, and women's water polo teams have set or tied the school single-season win records and a total of 30 Caltech athletes have earned all-conference accolades.

In Downes' time as A.D., the intercollegiate program has expanded with the addition of women's water polo and the Department is now entering a period of major outdoor facility renovation to include construction of a new soccer/track facility, a new baseball facility as well as space for recreational activities.

Last year, the entire athletic Department was honored as Sports Ethics Fellows by the Institute for International Sports in Rhode Island along with the likes of Lance Armstrong, four-time winner of the Tour De France; Marion Jones, five-time World Champion triple Gold Medalist at the Sydney Olympics; 2002 Olympic Snowboarding Gold Medalist Ross Powers; Robin Roberts of ABC's Good Morning America and ESPN; New Orleans Saints quarterback Aaron Brooks; and two-time Olympic Marathon Gold Medalist Frank Shorter. Dan Doyle, the Executive Director of the Institute said of the Caltech athletic program, “I don't think I've ever observed an athletic program that better defines sports' most virtuous qualities than that of Caltech. I met a group of young people who face formidable academic pressure and who value their sports experience for reasons that transcend winning. I met a group of coaches who are passionate in their commitment to help these young people learn valuable lessons from sports and to provide them with an experience that lessens the extraordinary academic pressure they face every day.

Downes came to Caltech after four years (1995-99) as Associate Athletic Director at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Md., where he was responsible for all NCAA compliance matters as well as overseeing the athletic facilities for JHU’s 27-sport program. Downes also was in charge of the school’s recreational and intramural sports programs.

From 1993-95, he worked in the Patriot League office as Assistant Executive Director for Compliance and Championships. Downes performed a number of tasks at the Patriot League, including management of its 20 conference championship tournaments. In addition, he coordinated the promotion, marketing and sponsorship of various conference programs as well as serving as the NCAA compliance officer in the league office.

As an undergraduate, Downes attended Dartmouth College, where he was a four-year starter on the men’s varsity lacrosse team. As a senior in 1988, Downes was named to the All-New England Team. Shortly thereafter, he served as assistant coach for the lacrosse and soccer programs at Washington and Lee University while attending Washington and Lee School of Law. As a law student, Downes served as a student representative on the University Athletic Committee. His independent research thesis was entitled “Title IX and Intercollegiate Athletics.”

Downes earned his B.A. in Government and English in 1988 and a J.D. from Washington and Lee in 1993. He was admitted to the Maryland State Bar in December 1993, shortly after beginning work at the Patriot League office. In addition, Downes attended New York University’s (NYU) 1990 Summer Institute in Sports and Special Event Marketing.

In addition to his Caltech duties, Downes is currently serving as the first-ever Commissioner for the SCIAC. He is a member of the NCAA's Membership Committee, Jostens Trophy National Selection Committee, the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), the National Association of Division III Athletic Administrators and the Division III Commissioners Association.

Downes and his wife, Beth, became the proud parents of a daughter, Kelley, in August 2000 and Andrew in December 2002.