Wesleyan University Crew
The Beginnings

Like many American colleges and universities on the east coast, rowing at Wesleyan University began with informal boat clubs, starting in the late 1850s. The annual fall class race eventually evolved into a formal competition known as the Wesleyan University Regatta, with the winner being awarded the Osborne Cup.

The transition of rowing from club to intercollegiate sport was gradual and made possible through the efforts of several individuals, including William F. Borgelt (1875). Borgelt pioneered the Wesleyan Rowing Association (WRA) in 1871. The establishment of the WRA began one of the most exciting and active periods in Wesleyan crew from 1871 through 1879. Wesleyan University’s first foray into intercollegiate athletic competition came on July 17, 1873, when the Wesleyan crew competed in the Great Saratoga Boat Race. Thousands of people came to watch the six-man shells, representing the nine principal American colleges, compete over a three mile course. Although Columbia won the event, Wesleyan finished second ahead of Harvard, Dartmouth, Williams, Cornell, Trinity, Princeton and Yale in that order.
The enthusiasm for intercollegiate rowing, however, was short-lived. In 1878, crowds along the Connecticut River and at other rowing venues began to dwindle as a newfound enthusiasm for the sports of football and baseball emerged. By 1884, crew at Wesleyan University had disappeared.

In 1964, after an 80-year hibernation, rowing returned to Wesleyan. This revival was orchestrated by Peter Harborow (‘64), who was assisted in his efforts by Professor Robert Rosenbaum, the new Assistant Dean of Admissions Phil Calhoun, and Dean Mark Barlow. A rowing club was established. With the aid of numerous fundraisers and equipment donations from local private schools and universities, the Wesleyan crew program slowly began to rebuild. Initially operating without a boathouse (the crew was using a clearing on the Portland shore across from the University to store sculls), the crew eventually lobbied the City of Middletown and was granted permission to use the old Middletown Yacht Club as a boathouse.

The limited equipment that was acquired in 1964 enabled the athletes to spend an entire year conditioning and honing their skills in preparation for intercollegiate competition. 1965 marked the first competitive season for the revived Wesleyan Crew. On April 14, 1965, a Wesleyan boat race was held for the first time in 81 years, with Wesleyan losing to Choate School. On May 8, 1965, the crew recorded its first true victory, beating lightweights from Holy Cross and Dartmouth. . The first annual Harborow Regatta was held in 1966 - the first official race on the Connecticut River in Middletown since 1878. Although the race was a social hit (festive spectators lined both sides of the river), the Wesleyan squad lost every race to the visitors.

In 1967, the Wesleyan Crew program took flight. In only a few short years, the crew had developed into one of the top competitive crews in the east. The crew won the second annual Harborow Regatta, captured their first New England Championship, and finished fourth at the Dad Vail Regatta in Philadelphia, a race equivalent to the small-college nationalchampionships.

On April 10, 1971 the Fred Emerson Boat House was dedicated and, in 1974, the crew was officially granted varsity status by the university. During this same time the women's crew program began to take shape. Women were first admitted to Wesleyan University in 1970 and, by 1972, a competitive women’s crew program was in full swing. In the fall of 1972, the women’s crew entered the Head- of-the-Charles Regatta which was conducting the first women’s eight event in the history of the regatta. It marked the beginning of a successful program that would evolve to become Dad Vail champions in 1978.
The Wesleyan University Crew programs continue to thrive to this day. For more information on the Wesleyan University Crew Program, please use the links below:
www.wesleyan.edu/athletics/mcrew
www.wesleyan.edu/athletics/wcrew

Page Last Modified: April 30, 2002

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