1949 Crew Season

With a new shell, a new coaching launch, more crews on the river and, above all, more spirit, this season proved to be one of the most colorful in the history of Dartmouth's Rowing Club.

Under Coach Jim Smith, the varsity and junior varsity opened the season with a spring vacation training trip to Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida. They closed the season with victories over the Yale third varsity and Amherst, and placed fourth in the annual Dad Vail Regatta at Poughkeepsie. The J.V.'s finished the season with victories over Brown, La Salle, and Clark, and placed third in the Dad Vail Regatta. Two freshman shells were coached in Philadelphia during spring vacation. The first boat won over Amherst and Clark and placed third at the Dad Vail. The second frosh crew took a La Salle victory and lost to Kent.

The season culminated in Hanover Green Key weekend with the christening of the new eight-man shell, "Mary Jane," by President Emeritus Hopkins and the scoring of victories over Yale and Brown by the varsity and junior varsity respectively. The most thrilling but heart-breaking event of the afternoon was the loss by four inches of the Green frosh to Yale's frosh.

Because of the demand for it, a 150- pound crew was organized this spring. The turnout and the spirit were great, and despite the difficulty of training all the inexperienced men, two shell loads were selected and ably coached by Jim Crawford, a varsity man of last year, and Pete Cummings, an Exeter oarsman. The first boat (see cut) raced in three meets—against Yale and Columbia and in the annual American Henley Regatta held on the Charles River at Harvard, where Dartmouth came in third. The second 150-pound shell, composed entirely of new oarsmen, was unable to race, but it was a good illustration of the growing interest and enthusiasm for rowing at Dartmouth.

In looking back over the season, we find the Dartmouth Rowing Club an expanding activity, despite the fact that the club is entirely financed by its own members and by alumni and friends interested in Dartmouth rowing. Funds are now being raised for a new winter training tank and more new equipment, which if obtained will mean a more experienced and victorious crew next season.

DARTMOUTH'S FIRST 150-LB. CREW: Standing behind Coxswain Bob Kreidler are, from left to right, Chuck Storer, John Wiggins, Dick Pugh, Dick Highley, Chuck Eccles, Glenn Fitkin, Will Wolfe and Casey McKibben. Meets were held with Yale, Columbia, and at the American Henley Regatta.