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150th Anniversary Program Master of Ceremonies Robert Friedrich Director of Athletics Welcome Chet Gladchuk Superintendent Remarks Vice Adm. Ted Carter, USN Invocation Reverend Stanley Newton ‘85 Dinner 150th Anniversary Speakers Frank Shakespeare ‘53 Peter Bos ‘60 Tom Knudson ‘67 Dirk Mosis ‘73 Dan Lyons ‘81 Rear Adm. Heidi Berg ‘91 Dale Hurley ‘89 Kari Hughes ‘91 Jimmy Sopko ‘05 Fiona McFarland ‘08 Rick Clothier Adm. John Richardson ‘82 Navy Blue and Gold 150th anniversary of navy crew H 1 1869 Boat Club 1910’s In 1918 and 1919, as WWI drew to a close, Glendon’s crews began a run of success, twice winning the American Regatta Association Championship which was held in place of the Poughkeepsie Regatta in those years. The 1918 Championship was held in Annapolis, where Navy won on the home waters of the Severn. The following year, Navy recorded an undefeated sea- son en route to the championship in 1919. That same year, the lightweights debuted as Coach Glendon also brought a lightweight crew to the 1919 Championship, marking the first time that Navy competed in Lightweight crew. This first Navy Lights shell defeated Pennsylvania to win its inaugural race. 1920’s A year later, the championship regatta returned to Poughkeepsie. The 1920 Varsity suffered its only loss of the season there, to Syracuse, but rebounded to defeat the Orangemen in the National Regatta in Worcester, Mass., thus earning the right to represent the United States in the 1920 Olympics in Belgium. Navy rowed to the Olympic Gold Medal by driving past Great Britain in the final 500 meters. The Midshipmen who rowed in the boat were the toast of the Brigade and, in 1921 and ‘22, Navy recorded its first two wins in the varsity eight at the Poughkeepsie Regatta. The Beginnings The first organized rowing at the Academy began in the late 1860s, when Navy’s Boathouse intramural crews raced in craft similar to whale boats. By 1869 the Midship- at the Poughkeepsie Regatta men had progressed to what was considered then-standard four-oared racing rigs which enabled them to race other boat clubs. The Naval Academy Boat Club was the first group of Midshipmen to represent the Academy in outside competition when they faced the Quaker City Boat Club in Philadelphia. In that first year of racing, the crew was coached by William Blakie and included John Hubbard, Class of 1870, whose name would eventually adorn the permanent Navy Boathouse when it was built in 1930. There was no organized crew between 1870 and 1892, and a gale carried the Navy boathouse and equipment away in 1877. It was not until 1892 that the sport resurfaced at the Academy under the leadership of future noted American author Winston Churchill. In 1893, Navy purchased its first eight- oared shell from contributions made by the Brigade of Midshipmen. A year later, a new boathouse was built and two new eights were added. A year later, young Dick Glendon took over for his father as head coach of 1893 Varsity Eight Navy Crew and the Midshipmen responded with an undefeated season, but were second at Poughkeepsie to a Western crew, Washington. The younger Glendon directed Navy to another unbeaten season in 1925 and its third varsity championship in five years at Poughkeepsie. 1930’s Navy crews next triumphed at Poughkeepsie in 1931 with the elder Dick Glendon back at the helm. In 1932, Buck Walsh stepped in as head coach and the Midshipmen once more were among the eastern powers, winning the IRA in 1938. The lightweight rowing program competed regularly during a four-year stretch in the early 1930’s with action in 1931, 1933, 1934 and 1935. On three occa- sions, the Navy Lights raced at the American Henley Regatta in Philadelphia. The crews were given a new boathouse at the mouth of Dorsey Creek in 1940’s 1899 at a site not far from the present Navy rowing facilities. For five years The war years of the 1940s were lean for Navy Crew and saw several around the turn of the century, Navy had a new coach each year, including opponents drop the sport, as well as the cancellation of the Poughkeepsie the well-known Jim Ten Eyck. Finally in 1904, some stability was infused Regatta for four years. There was one spark when, in 1947, the Mids were when Richard A. Glendon took over and laid the groundwork for Navy’s win- the Poughkeepsie winners. In 1950, Walsh passed away, and the reins of ning heritage. A member of those early Glendon crews was future Admiral Navy’s crew program were handed to his close coaching associate, Russell Chester Nimitz, who stroked the 1904 varsity. Then, in 1907, Navy made its “Rusty” Callow. first appearance in the Poughkeepsie Regatta, today’s IRA, finishing third. 2 H 150th anniversary of navy crew 1950’s In 1974, one of Ullrich’s former plebe coaches, Rick Clothier, returned to Callow became a popular figure at the Academy. After winning only one race the Academy as the new head coach of the heavyweight program. Clothier in 1951, his varsity eight was unbeaten in 1952 en route to the IRA title and would go on to an illustrious career with the Midshipmen over the next four- then won the Olympic Trials in Worcester, Massachusetts to become the plus decades. During Clothier’s tenure as head coach of the Midshipmen, second Navy crew to represent the United States at the Olympic Games. In he achieved a career mark of 216-101-2 (.680) and the Navy Heavyweights Helsinki, Finland, Navy’s “Great Eight” went on to defeat the Soviet Union for would go on to capture seven Ten Eyck Trophies (overall team champions), the gold medal. Upon their return, the crew--nicknamed “The Admirals”--were three Varsity Challenge Cup titles (varsity national champions) and five the guests of honor at a Naval Academy Parade, the first time a group of Kennedy Trophy Cups (second varsity national champions). Midshipmen had been so honored. The varsity crew would remain unbeaten 1980 Varsity Eight in 1953 and 1954, winning 23 consecutive collegiate races (29 races overall) and two consecutive IRA Varsity Eight Championships. 1952 Varsity Eight The “Great Eight” Women’s rowing started at Navy in the spring of 1978, the second year women were allowed to attend the Academy. In that first spring, the Midshipmen competed on the junior varsity level, racing Washington College, Trinity of Washington, D.C., and Virginia’s second varsity boats, winning all In 1955, the first varsity lightweight team was formed. Coach Buck Herzog, three regattas. led the Mids in their inaugural season. The team’s second coach, Hubbell Women’s crew was elevated to varsity status the following year and the Davidson, arrived in 1956 and led the squad to its first EARC gold medals Midshipmen won two varsity races while racing at the Division II level. with the JV and Freshmen in 1957. 1980’s 1960’s In 1980, in only its second year of varsity status, Navy women’s crew In 1960, Callow was succeeded by Louis Lindsay. His crew that year competed in the Dad Vail Regatta. The varsity eight was third in the Grand finished second at the IRA, but a week later reversed its placing and beat Finals that first year and the second varsity also earned a third-place finish. California to win the Olympic Trials and the right for a Naval Academy eight Seven years later in 1987, Navy found that next level of success at the to once again represent the United States in the Olympics. Navy and the Dad Vail Regatta and won the first of six-consecutive Seitz Trophies for University of California are the only two collegiate programs to have been the outstanding performances by women’s crews at the Dad Vail Regatta. U. S. eight-oared representative three times in the Olympic Games. 1984 IRA National Champions In the 1960s, Navy continued to vie for national honors under Paul Quinn, who took over from Lindsay after one year. The Mids won the Eastern Sprints in 1961 and then took the Varsity Challenge Cup at the IRAs in 1965 as part of the famous “Clean Sweep,” in which Navy won the varsity, junior varsity and freshmen eight competitions. During this same time period, the Navy Lightweights, coached by Lt. Robert White, completed an undefeated 1962 season to win the first EARC Lightweight Championship in the history of Navy Crew. At the close of the decade in 1969, Carl Ullrich became the heavyweight mentor at the boathouse. The man who later would become Assistant Director of Athletics at Navy, Director of Athletics at Army, and Executive Director of the Patriot League, guided the Midshipmen to the Eastern Sprints title in the varsity eight in 1971. The Navy Heavyweights began the 1980’s by winning the varsity eight at the 1970’s 1980 IRA National Championships and won four straight Championship Eight In the lightweight ranks, the 1970’s began with the Navy JV and first plebe titles at the Head of the Charles between 1980 and 1984. During those years, boat winning bronze medals at the 1970 EARC Sprints. Navy finished third in Coach Clothier’s program won three consecutive Ten Eyck Trophies. The last the Jope Cup team standings at the Sprints that year. This was the beginning of these, in 1984, was clinched by the Varsity 8’s IRA victory, giving Coach of a standout decade for the lightweights as they finished third in the Jope Clothier his second national title of the decade.

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