1956-1957

5-11-57 Massachusetts Institute of Technology at Annapolis, Maryland

The course was over a standard measured Henley 1 5/16 miles.

Boatings
1V: Bow- Adolf Otto Lekebusch ’59; 2- Albert Paine Williams, Jr. ’57; 3- Terry Richard Priebe ’58; 4- James Darrow Kirkpatrick ’57; 5- Frederick Bradley “Brad” Stumcke, Jr. ’58; 6- John Ellingwood Lovejoy ’59; 7- Ejnar Sigred Christensen ’57; Stroke- Max David Marbain ’58; Cox- Charles Thacher Pinkham ’58

2V: Bow- Joseph Clinton Port ’58; 2- Clarence Lee Walker ’57; 3- Jack Robinson Nicholas, Jr. ’58; 4- Tylor Field II ’59; 5- Paul Theodore Sudmeyer ’58; 6- Milton Reid Gorham ’59; 7- Joshua Clifton “Sam” Dickinson ’59; Stroke- John William Turner ’59; Cox- Paul Douglas Coon ’57

1F (Class of 1960): Bow- Robert Earl McAfee; 2- James Leland Plowden; 3- Russell Oren Hays; 4- Heisey Elliott Gardner; 5- Harry Parker Butler; 6- Walter Angell Pezet III; 7- Michael Stuart McCullough; Stroke- Thomas Mostyn Jones; Cox- Richard Hause Macy

2F (Class of 1960): No boating available

5-18-57 EARC Championships at Annapolis, Maryland

The course was over a measured Henley 1 5/16 miles.

Boatings
1V: Bow- Adolf Otto Lekebusch ’59; 2- Albert Paine Williams, Jr. ’57; 3- Terry Richard Priebe ’58; 4- James Darrow Kirkpatrick ’57; 5- Ejnar Sigred Christensen ’57; 6- John Ellingwood Lovejoy ’59; 7- Barry Jack Howard ’58; Stroke- Max David Marbain ’58; Cox- Charles Thacher Pinkham ’58

2V: Bow- Frederick Bradley “Brad” Stumcke, Jr. ’58; 2- Clarence Lee Walker ’57; 3- Jack Robinson Nicholas, Jr. ’58; 4- Tylor Field II ’59; 5- Paul Theodore Sudmeyer ’58; 6- Milton Reid Gorham ’59; 7- Joshua Clifton “Sam” Dickinson ’59; Stroke- John William Turner ’59; Cox- Paul Douglas Coon ’57

1F (Class of 1960): Bow- Robert Earl McAfee; 2- James Leland Plowden; 3- Russell Oren Hays; 4- Walter Angell Pezet III; 5- Harry Parker Butler; 6- Heisey Elliott Gardner; 7- Michael Stuart McCullough; Stroke- Thomas Mostyn Jones; Cox- Richard Hause Macy

Read an article about the 1957 Eastern Sprints from the 19 May 1957 Sunday morning edition of The Philadelphia Inquirer here. Courtesy of Lee Walker ’57.

Coach: Hubbell Young (Hub) Davidson, LCDR, USN [USNA ’45]
Plebe Coach: Ed M. Krech, LTJG, USNR
Officer Rep:
Captain: J. Darrow Kirkpatrick ’57
Manager: Shawn H. Steinke ’57

Reflections from J. Darrow Kirkpatrick ’57:
The race with Princeton and Penn on the Schuylkill (5/4/57) was so close between Navy and Princeton that neither crew could tell who won. While the crews sat silently on the finish line waiting for the judges’ deliberations, Don Rose, Princeton’s coach, turned to Navy coach, Hub Davidson, in the coaches’ boat, shook hands with him, and said, “Well you finally beat us.” But alas the judges said no.

The press said the margin of victory was six feet, but it was more like six inches, truly it was the crew with their oars in the water as the boats crossed the finish line. With such a close finish, we thought we could nose Princeton out at the EARC two weeks later.

The EARC was something to behold with nine crews going down the Severn River at once. When our Plebe and JV crews finished first, and with our close second to Princeton in Philadelphia still in mind, we were really “pumped,” as they say today, as we lined up for the varsity race. But alas it was not to happen. A bittersweet day for me as Captain as I was tremendously proud of how Navy crews had done overall, but disappointed at our varsity not making it a clean sweep.

Reflections from Lee Walker ’57 on the JV Eastern Sprints Race
The 1957 JV Eastern Sprints was a hard fought race. At some point my right – feathering – forearm was burning and I was desperate thinking, “We’re going to lose because I can’t feather.” My grip was fine, problem was just the little thing you never exercise separately, moving the wrist up-and-down. I was thinking of not feathering to lessen the danger of a crab and was wondering if I could get away with feathering with my left hand and was about to try when P. D. Coon shouted, “Let her run!” and nothing mattered anymore.

Three Reflections on Shells from Lee Walker ’57
George Pocock made a shell for lightweights that was lighter than heavyweight boats and a little narrower. Navy bought one of these lightweight shells in ’56 or ’57. I think it was christened the J.J. Buck Herzog. I had the weight memorized at one point but it is gone; although, I seem to recall it was 225lbs, but I suspect that to be bare hull. I believe the price I heard quoted for a Pocock shell was $2,200. Sweep oars were $35. As a benchmark on costs, Navy ensigns were paid $228 per month.

In 1956 the Eastern Sprints for lightweight crews was rowed in Princeton and there were heats. We had a heavyweight cast-off shell, and Penn came to us and said that if we made the finals and they didn’t then we could use their boat. We didn’t make the finals. Penn has always been pretty high on my list.

At those same Eastern Sprints in Princeton, I think some crew appeared rowing a German built shell. It was somewhat browner and not as sharp as a Pocock shell. Our coach, Hub Davidson ’45, asked their coach how the German boat compared to the Pocock. His reply was, “Four hundred dollars cheaper, and a half a boat length slower.” I have always used that as an example of why you need to understand how you are spending your money.

Reflections on George Pocock from Lee Walker ’57
I went to the University of Washington for an oceanographic masters degree but never did anything with rowing — except….

The campus rag offered a “single scull in need of repairs” for sale for $85 and I bought it. It was badly in need of repairs, but I worked on it at a boat shed that the NROTC unit had and felt I was making enough progress that I would need oarlocks, which were lacking.

George Pocock had operated in a boat works under the U of W football stadium for some time, but either the university or the state, not knowing why this should be, told him to leave. He said something to the effect that he had been there for 50 years and maybe it was time, and so he set-up a boat works on the Lake Union Canal.

Nothing lost I figured George had oarlocks and presented myself at the shop with my request. The place wasn’t set-up for retail sales, these were boat builders after all, but they called for George. He appeared and I described how I had come by my boat and what I needed. He muttered something about how he should have broken-up and burned that boat, which apparently he recognized but consented to sell me the oarlocks.

I never finished the boat and it never made it east when I left Seattle. For some arcane reason I have one of the oarlocks in the garage and could probably find the other.

In any case, I can say that, “I knew George Pocock.”