In 1962 the Penn AC Juniors won the Presidents Cup in Washington DC In 1963 they repeated their victory in this regatta as an intermediate eight. George Mattson, from the 1932 Olympic straight four, and the coach of West Catholic, took over the coaching position at Msgr. Bonner, and continued for 14 years, which was the basis for the Penn AC junior champions. A State Dept Cultural exchange program bought the Russian crew to the US, and for the first time in 30 years a club 8, Vesper, beat the best of the colleges, coming in 2nd to the Russians and beating the IRA champs Cornell in The Independence Day Regatta. Ivanov took the single, beating Sey Cromwell and winning the Philadelphia Challenge Cup. At the Nationals in Buffalo, Sey Cromwell of Riverside BC won the single for the 2nd time. He paced 3rd twice at the FISA Regatta. Ted Nash was in the winning straight four by five lengths and earned a Pan-Am berth. Bill Knecht of Vesper won in the double, and made the fourth national team. Undine won the quad. Vesper was 2nd in the 8 to St Kits, and qualified for the Pan-Am games. Detroit won the point trophy. Cornell won the IRA. Navy Cornell and MIT had a dead heat at the EARC. Georgetown won the DadVail. At the American Henley, Al Casale was 3rd in the LW single, and Penn AC four was fourth. Steve Schwab and Paul Grexa were 2nd in the Sr straight pair at the Schuylkill Navy Regatta. At the Canadian Henley Sey Cromwell broke Joe Burk's 1938 record of 7:15 in the single. Ted Nash's straight four from Lake Washington won. At the President Cup Regatta, Penn AC won the Jr four, and was third in the Int double and Jr 8. In the Middle States, Mike McHugh, George Avery, Tom Frankey, and Bill McCusker won both the Jr and Int four, and was 3rd in the Sr four. W&L won the Scholastics. 1963 was noteworthy for the visit of the German Ratzeburg 8, coached by Karl Adams, which defeated every collegiate and club in the US and Canada. In 1960, the Germans won the Olympic 8 , the first time a foreign crew ever won the 8 race that the US entered. Dietrich Rose from the German team, moved to Phila and became active at Vesper. This was the beginning of the development of the great Vesper Olympic 8 with the arrival of the Amalong bros., Emory Clark, Boyce Budd and Bill Stowe with Stan Cwiklinski and Hugh Foley from LaSalle College and Bill Knecht from LaSalle HS. St Catherine's won the US Championship Barne's Trophy in Phila. In this regatta, Don Spero beat Sey Cromwell in the Champ single, and Ted Nash was in the winning four without from Lake Washington. The US won 4 of the 7 PanAm events in Brazil, the single, both pairs, the double The eight was 4th. Marietta won the DadVail. In the Schuylkill Navy Regatta, Penn AC was 2nd in the Jr gig, Dan Bell, and 4th in the Jr 4, Jr 8, and Sr four. Penn AC won the Jr 8 at the President's Cup Regatta.
IN THE 1964 OLYMPICS Tokyo. The US returned to world rowing supremacy with 2 Olympic gold, 2 silver and a bronze. The Vesper club 8 won the gold in 6:18 over West Germany 6:23, and Czechs 6:25. in a much delayed thrilling nighttime final. Joe and Tom Amalong, Boyce Budd, Emory Clark, Stan Cwkinski, Hugh Foley, Bill Knecht, Bill Stowe, Bob Zimonyi Cox, and Coach Al Rosenburg recaptured the winning Club tradition in the Olympic 8 competition for the first time since the Vesper gold medals in 1900-04. The US pair with Ed Ferry, Conn Fidlay, Hensry Mitchell cox, won the gold in 8:21 ahead of France 8:21, and the Dutch 8:32. Don Spero NYAC was 6th in the single. In the double, Seymour Cromwell and Jim Storm were 2nd in 7:13 behind Russia who won in 7:10 . The starboard stroked, stern steered straight four, Geoffrey Picard, Richard Lyon, Theodore Mittet, and Ted Nash took third in 7:01 behind Denmark 6:59, and England in 7:00.0 The Potomac pair without, Tony Johnson and Jim Edmonds were 3rd in the reprecharge.
In 1964 the Penn AC Junior Eight was undefeated and climaxed its season by winning the Nationals in the Int Eight, Andy Monaghan, Jerry Giambatista, Tom Talone, Jerry Dudley, Clem Kopf, Phil Jonik, Mike Tracey, and Greg Steffan cox, and the Int Four, Mike Tracy, Greg Steffan, Clem Kopf, Phil Jonik, and Tom Fox cox. Jack Galloway, Coach. It is of note that every boy in this group was under 16 years old. In 1965, they were compelled to row as seniors due to their previous wins, and lost all but one race to older oarsmen. Most of these young men left and never competed again as oarsmen. This was a clear indication of a general dissatisfaction with the old classification. Jack Galloway, Dietrich Rose and Chuck Colgan from Vesper BC suggested age class races similar to those held in Europe. From the inception of these youth classifications, Penn AC has consistently had winning crews. Jack Galloway was the recipient of MaltaÆs Ulman award for outstanding service to rowing. Penn AC was 5th in the LW4 at the Nationals, and 4th in the LW 8, and 6th in the LW four at the Canadian Henley. Penn AC won the Int 8 and 3rd in the Sr 8 at the NYAC Memorial Day Regatta. At the Schuylkill Navy Regatta, Penn AC won the Jr 8, Tom Talone, Jack Gallagher, Mike Rolle, Jerry Giambatista, Clem Kopf, Phil Jonick, Mike Tracy, and Greg Steffan cox, and was 2nd in the Jr double and four, and 3rd in the Jr LW single, Mike McHugh, and 5th in the Sr 8. In the Independence Day Regatta, Penn AC was 3rd in the Int 8, and 2nd in the Jr 4. In the Middle States Regatta, Vince Bindo was 4th in the Jr gig, and Penn AC was 2nd in the Sr four, and 4th in the Jr four. The US won 5 of the 7 events at the Worlds at Bled. W&L won the Princess Elizabeth cup at the Henley. Georgetown won the DadVail, Harvard won the Sprints, and California won the IRA.
In the Nationals at NYAC, Don Spero lost the champ single at the last stroke to Detroit's Bill Maher. Vesper won the 8, and both fours, Fairmount won the double and quad, with Detroit taking the majority of the other races. In the American Henley at Worchester Mass, Penn AC was 2nd in the LW 8, and Jr double, , Baxter and Harris, and 3rd in the Jr four, Jr pair, Jr 8, and Jr four. In the 120th Schuylkill Navy Regatta, Penn AC won the Sr four, Jerry Dudley, John Campbell, Clem Kopf, Greg Steffan, was 2nd in the Jr 8, and 3rd in the Jr double, and Jr four, Jim Griendling was 4th in the Jr LW single. In the Independence Day Regatta, Penn AC was 2nd in the Jr and Int four and Jr 8, 3rd in the Jr four and 4th in the Sr 8. In the Middle States Regatta, Penn AC took 3 first, and was runner up with 71 points. Jack Galloway Coached Phil Jonik who won the Int single, the Sr four, Greg Steffan, Jerry Dudley, Phil Jonik, John Campbell, and Tom Fox cox, and Sr pair, Jerry Dudley, John Campbell, and Tom Fox, the Sr pair without was 2nd, and the Sr 8 3rd. Tabor Academy won the Princess Elizabeth Cup at Henley. Vesper lost to Ratzeburg in Germany. Harvard won the Luzerne Int Regatta. Northwestern won the DadVail, Harvard swept the Sprints, and Navy swept the IRA. George Hines coached the LaSalle HS 8 to a upset victory in the Scholastic Nationals over W&L.
In 1967, junior oarsmen from Msgr. Bonner, rowing from Penn AC and coached by Murph Symkowski, represented the USA in Ratzeburg Germany winning the Petite finals. Penn AC also won the Nationals in the Lightweight eight championship. Penn AC had row over wins in the Jr four and 8 in the NYAC Memorial Day Regatta. At the American Henley, Penn AC Sr pair won, Ed Harris and Steve Baxter, and won the Jr 8, Paul Bracken, Mark , Bob Harkins, Marty Quinlan, Bob Beatty, Leo Burt, Jim Wickersham, and Tom Rafferty cox. In the Schuylkill Navy Regatta, Penn AC was 2nd in the Int and Sr four, the Sr pair and Sr 8, and 3rd in the Jr four. In the President Cup Regatta, Penn AC was 2nd in the Jr four, Jr double, Jr 8, and 3rd in the Sr four. Harvard won the Thames Cup, and Don Spero won the diamond Sculls at Henley, and also won the Worlds at Bled. Marietta swept the DadVail Regatta. Wisconsin won the IRA. Phila Girls RA won the women's Nationals 8. W&L won the Scholastic Championship. Phila Girls RA won the Women's National. Jack Bratten, 3 seat in the World Champ Penn AC 8 died at 62. He coached Penn AC, St Joe Prep, and LaSalle College, and was Commodore of the Schuylkill Navy 1949-50.
In the Nationals in 1967 in Phila, the New Zealand 8 won in heavy rain. Penn AC won the LW 8, Jerry Dudley, Larry O'Malley, Andy Monaghan, Kevin O'Malley, Lou Sonzogni, Phil Jonik, Drew McKinley, Greg Steffan, and Tom Fox cox. Penn AC quad, Jim Griewdling, Paul Grexa, Steve Baxter, and Jim Wickersham were 3rd. In the LW four, Penn AC was 6th. Andy Monaghan, Larry O'Malley, Drew McKinley, Kevin O'Malley, and Tom Fox were 6th. in the Int 8, Penn AC was 5th, Dave Lewis, Vince Morrelli, Mike SChell, Dave Young, Bob Gibbons, John Petro, Joe Cunningham, Dan Jordan, and Mike Cippoloni cox. Ed Harris and Vince Bindo were 4th in the LW double at the Canadian Henley, Cornell won the Thames Cup at Henley. The US won 6 of the 7 events at the PanAm in Winnipeg, Canada. US won the pair and 2nd in the 8 at the Worlds in Vichy France. In the American Henley at Worchester, Mass. Penn AC won the LW 4, Andy Monaghan, Drew McKinley, Larry and Kevin O'Malley, Tom Fox cox, and 4th in the Jr pair, 5ht in the Sr 8, and 7th in the LW single, Ed Harris. The Penn AC Jr LW double won the Schuylkill Navy Regatta, Vince Bindo and Ed Harris, Vince was 2nd in the Jr LW single. The Sr 4 was 3rd. In the Phila Youth Regatta, Penn AC won the cadet 8, Steve Bukata, Steve Jonik, Chuck Crawford, Jim Rowe, Chuck Baxter, Jim Powers, Mike Harkins, in O'Brien, cox, and the cadet four, Chuck Baxter, Steve Jonik, Steve Bukata, Jim O'Brien, and Mike Cipollone cox, and 2nd in the pair without. In the Independence Day Regatta, Penn AC was 4th in the Jr four, and 2nd in the Sr LW 8. Marietta won the DadVail. Harvard won the EARC, and Penn won the IRA. W&L won the Scholastic Championship.
IN THE 1968 OLYMPICS in Mexico, John Van Blom of Long Beach was fourth in the single. West Germany's 8 won in 6:07 over Australia and Russia. In the straight pair Larry Hough and Philip Johnson, was second in 7;26 behind East Germany 7:26. In the double, Bill Maher and John Nunn were 3rd in 6:54 behind Russia 6:51 and the Dutch in 6:52.
The Penn AC Juniors coached by Joe Sweeney represented the US at Amsterdam, taking the Bronze Medal behind The East Germany 8 that won was the same boat that won the next World Championship in Moscow. This Penn AC Junior Eight went on to win the Intermediate Eight National Championship the following year.
In the 1969 Nationals, McKibbon and Van Blom won the gold in the double and The Penn AC Senior Eight won, and a Youth Pair won in the Worlds in Greece. In 1971 a combo Penn A.C. Vesper Straight Four won the Youth Nationals and represented the US in Yugoslavia. 1971 was the real start of the USRA camp system.
IN THE 1972 OLYMPICS Munich. The US won only one medal, the silver taken by the camp eight, New Zealand won in 6:08, U.S. 6:11, East Germany 6:11. Jim Dietz was fifth in the single. Chuck Crawford a former Msgr. Bonner and Rutgers oarsman, ,made the Camp Lightweight Eight and went on to win the FISA World Championship in Germany. In 1974 Bill Belden won the LW Single at Lucerne. In 1975 Chuck, who was coaching the St. Joseph Prep program, began a rebuilding program with a Junior Eight that in 1976 made the finals in the World Junior trials at Princeton. In 1977 the Junior Eight finished 2nd at the Nationals at Washington DC and the Junior Lightweight Eight won the Nationals and Canadian Henley. Title IX of the National Education Act was amended to eliminate sex discrimination in education programs and led to the largest increase in participation of rowing in the US.
IN THE 1976 OLYMPICS in Montreal In the first Olympics that women participated in rowing, The U.S. women's eight was third behind East Germany and Russia. East Germany won the 8 in 5:58 over England 6:00 and New Zealand 6:03. The U.S. straight pair, Calvin Coffey and Mike Stains was second in 7:26 behind East Germany 7:23. Ted Nash was their coach. Joan Lind Van Blom was second in the women's single. She also won a silver in the '84 Olympic quad. In 1978, Dan Lyons, a 2nd generation PENN AC member, stroked the Naval Academy Varsity Eight to the IRA Championship. Dietrich Rose took the job as the Penn AC Elite Coach in 1978. He recruited top college oarsmen and won the Elite Eight as a combo Vesper, Penn AC camp boat in the Nationals at Camden NJ Three Penn AC oarsmen also were in the Junior FISA Championship Eight in Yugoslavia, two were in the Quad and one in the Straight Four.
In 1979 in San Juan Puerto Rico, the U.S. elite eight from the U. of Penn graduate center coached by Ted Nash won the gold over Canada and Cuba. Bill Belden of Undine BC won the world LW singles in 1974-79 and silver in 1980. The Penn A.C. Junior Eight and Straight Four won the Nationals at Occoquan Va. The next year the Penn AC Junior Eight, made up of St. Joseph Prep oarsmen fresh back from a trip to the Royal Henley in England, was unchallenged at the trials, and competed in the FISA Worlds in Belgium, placing 9th out of 23 entries. The difference between fifth and ninth was only 2 sec.
In the 1980 Olympic games in Moscow, the unfortunate political decision to withdraw the U.S. team from the Moscow Olympics denied our athletes their chance for glory, and plunged the Olympic system into a downward spiral of political retributions and commercialism. East Germany 8 won in 5:49 over England 5:51 and Russia 5:52.
In 1981 the Penn AC Juniors finished 3rd in the Independence Day Regatta. In 1982, Penn AC was designated as the Junior National Camp with Chuck Crawford as the head coach. In the world Junior Championships in Italy, the Camp Eight came in second, loosing to the West Germans by 1/10 sec. 1978 to 1982 witnessed the start of the full fledged Masters program, and boathouse row was in the fore front with combo boats that won Master Championships in Red Bank NJ Burlington NJ and Brigantine NJ Penn AC masters were in Schuylkill Navy boats that won National Championships in Boston and Miami. Gus Ignas won the Master Worlds in Amsterdam in the Double and Eight in 1982.
CROSS COUNTRY AND BASKETBALL Besides this impressive record of Rowing Championships, Penn AC has been a traditional power in cross country and basketball. The club holds the Schuylkill Navy Cross Country team trophy five times 1907-11, an in 1950, 53, 54, 55, 56, and 1960. Bill Clark held the course record when he won the æturkey trotÆ in 28:12 in 1960. Joseph Fleith won 6 times between 1907-11. Penn AC won the Schuylkill Navy basketball championship in 1940, 56, 66, 68, 69 and 1971.
THE NEW BOATHOUSE The record of Penn AC during this period was remarkable considering practically the total effort of the Club was directed to building the new addition From 1964 until 1982. This project required the club to incur a $24,000 debt at the same time they lost the financial support of the downtown Penn AC which supported the rowing club since 1924. Only through the able financial guidance of the Treasurer Jake Ervin, and a half dozen members who put up collateral, were we able to keep the club open. Henry Backe, Steve Baxter and others helped finance this project.
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