50 Years. 50 Stories.
A celebration of Philadelphia rowing through the history of the HOSR.We highlighted the HOSR’s 50th anniversary by highlighting legendary competitors/crews/teams/coaches/influencers that have catapulted the regatta into a fall classic over 50 years. Our written stories evolved into oral ‘Story Hours’ – a chance to hear, firsthand, the stories and the legends that have made the Schuylkill River and Boathouse Row so important to the greater rowing community, and special in our hearts. We celebrate the people by passing down their stories through generations and affecting change for the future of our sport. The Committee 50 holds Story Hours throughout the year to continue to gather and connect with friends, new and old, and share stories. All are welcome to join!
‘Shore Her Up’ – The Story of Philadelphia Girls’ Rowing Club – October 17, 2024
Saving Historic Rowing Landmarks – Detroit BC Case Studies – June 4, 2024
The Olympic Experience: From Athens to Paris – April 18, 2024
The Competitive Spirit: A History of Vesper Boat Club – February 22, 2024
Builder of Boats and the Boys: A Pocock Legacy – December 6, 2023
UBC/UBC: The Tale of Two Clubs – September 26, 2023
Crying Foul: The Rise of the Schuylkill Navy – July 20, 2023
On Racing and Ritual: 170 Years at Bachelors Barge Club– May 23, 2023
Before Boathouse Row: Events That Shaped American Rowing – March 30, 2023
Preserving the History of Rowing, its People and Places – February 23, 2023
The Unsinkable Jimmy Dietz – September 29, 2022
Rowing Healthy – September 20, 2022
Rowing & Title IX – May 19, 2022
The Growth & Glory of High School Rowing Programs – April 7, 2022
The History and Evolution of Rowing Equipment – February 24, 2022
Behind the Megaphone – A Conversation with the USRowing Referee Corp.– January 20, 2022
What Does It Take To Be An Olympian (via Philadelphia!) – July 21, 2021
The Tradition of Schuylkill River Coaching– May 19
Building Leaders + Crews – March 24, 2021
The 1967 Vichy Eight – January 28, 2021
Jim Barker & Friends – December 2, 2020
Call to Action: Preserving Rowing Archives
TO ALL GENERATIONS OF THE ROWING COMMUNITY AND FRIENDS: PLEASE READ ON BEFORE YOU DISCARD OR STOW AWAY ROWING RELATED ARCHIVES AND OBJECTS! The Urgency: Significant amounts of rowing history in the form of records, memorabilia, and Club and individual collections are...
The Early Days of Title IX
Excerpted from Boathouse Row, Waves of Change in the Birthplace of American Rowing by Dotty Brown (Temple University Press) Anita DeFrantz returned to Philadelphia, the city of her birth, in 1974, a year after Title IX went into effect. The full force of this...
Women’s Triumph Over a “Manly Sport”
By Dotty Brown and Rick Stehlik In an astounding achievement, the U.S. women’s eight-oared crew has won the gold medal in each of the last three Olympics. As it trains to extend that record to a possible fourth consecutive first-place finish in Tokyo, it’s worth...
The Four Dimensions of Lyman Perry
By Christopher Blackwall I have the good fortune to have formed treasured friendships with several of my clubmates at the University Barge Club -- friendships that have led to many unforgettably shared experiences, occurring on and off the water, as well as at home...
Rowing: the Making of an Officer
By Kate Brownson, Equipment Specialist, Army West Point Crew “Make the boat go faster:” From my introduction to rowing in 2001 until I arrived at West Point on November 1, 2015, whether I was a rower or a coach, the top priority for every team was to make boats go...
Rich Dougert: A Truly Dedicated Referee
Good refereeing plays a vital role in the success of any regatta, not least the Head of the Schuylkill. Over the years, the HOSR has enjoyed the invaluable services of a large and faithful cadre of licensed referees. Equally important, however, the regatta has also...
Dr. Larry Klecatsky – “The Cat” With Over 800 Wins
By Jim Dietz Larry Klecatsky was the most driven man that I have known. When it came to family, doctoring and sculling he did not compromise. He was all systems go all the time. I only knew Larry a few times as a physician. He would take time out of his day to...
William M. “Bill” Hollenback, Jr. – A Natural at Leading the Way
Ever the perfect gentleman, lifelong Philadelphian William M. Hollenback, Jr. was a skillful sculler, a seasoned rowing official, a generous philanthropic supporter of the sport and a natural diplomat. In other words, exactly the right individual to lead the nascent...
PGRC Eight: The Pioneering Women Who First Raced Abroad
Only a dozen women competed in the first Head of the Schuylkill Regatta, which may seem strange in 2020, given that about half of the nearly 8,000 HOSR competitors today are women. But think of this: The first time American women were permitted to compete in an...
John Izzard – Always Up for a Challenge
September 16, 2022 ADDENDUM to the Original Profile Published November 20, 2020 IN MEMORIAM JOHN IZZARD 5/26/1942 – 9/9/2022 With deep regret, personal sorrow, and heartfelt condolences to Parthenia, his wife of 33 years, I mourn the recent passing of my good friend...
Jim Barker – Champion, Coach, Advocate for Diversity
Where to start a story about Jim Barker? Back in 1948 when he was national singles champion –just the first of his 24 national championships? His 42 years coaching at the Haverford School? The many young athletes he nurtured, particularly as single scullers, with some...
Karin Constant – “There’s a woman with good legs.”
Karin Constant remembers the day in August 1969 that she was lured into rowing. “I ran one of these 8 ½ mile loops on the [Schuylkill] river and after I finished, here comes this little guy saying, ‘Would you like to row?’ I’d always been interested. In Germany I...
View the Recording – ‘Shore Her Up’ – The Story of Philadelphia Girls’ Rowing Club
October 17, 2024
View past Story Hours on YouTube
