A Short History of Princeton's Rowing Facilities

Princeton's Success in Rowing

The Princeton Alumni Weekly
May 28, 1913

The successful revival of rowing at Princeton is receiving much favorable comment in the public press. The following excerpts are from "Princeton's Wonderful Rise in the Rowing World," by Mr. Edward R. Bushnell in the Philadelphia Public Ledger:

About the biggest surprise the intercollegiate world has received in recent years was the victory of the Princeton crew over Harvard and Pennsylvania on the Charles River. That Princeton in three years' time could build up a rowing system, pick a coach from the faculty and without the experience of competition at Poughkeepsie or New London develop an eight which could outrow Harvard and Pennsylvania in the decisive manner in which it was accomplished is little short of miraculous. Because of Princeton's wonderful showing under such conditions every one has naturally joined in congratulating Doctor Spaeth and his Princeton oarsmen.

There are a number of unusual features connected with Princeton's rise in the rowing world. First of all, the Tigers have achieved their success at the expenditure of about one third the amount of money used by all the other rowing colleges in the East. Indeed, what they have accomplished is a standing rebuke to the extravagant use of money by all their rivals. The writer has steadily maintained that there is absolutely no justification for any college spending from $10,000 to $15,000 a year to maintain a crew, and the success of Princeton with hardly one-third of this amount proves it.

Another thing Princeton has demonstrated is that it is not necessary to scour the professional world for a competent coach. When the Tigers decided to make rowing one of their major sports they selected as their coach Dr. J. Duncan Spaeth, a professor of English literature and one of the most learned men of the Tiger faculty. This is the second year in succession that a crew coached by Dr. Spaeth has beaten a Pennsylvania eight coached by his former tutor, Ellis Ward. Doctor Spaeth is the best embodiment of the amateur rowing coach, but he has shown that he is just as skilful as any professional. The crew which beat Harvard and Pennsylvania won absolutely on merit. It was lighter than either Harvard or Pennsylvania by nearly eight pounds to the man, yet it decisively outrowed both of its rivals and displayed better oarsmanship and endurance.

Dr. J. Duncan Spaeth Director of rowing

There was one other feature of the visit of Princeton and Pennsylvania to Harvard which deserves special comment. It witnessed an innovation in intercollegiate courtesy for which Princeton was indirectly responsible. Instead of letting the visiting oarsmen put up at one of the hotels, as in previous years, the Harvard management took them into the senior dormitories. As a mark of friendship enough seniors voluntarily gave up their rooms in the Harvard yard, and into these the visiting oarsmen were received. Any one who realizes how keen the average Harvard senior is to spend the last few months of his senior year in the yard will appreciate what it meant for these seniors to give up their rooms to the visiting oarsmen. That, however, is the way they do at Princeton.

THE PRINCETON CREW THAT DEFEATED HARVARD AND PENNSYLVANIA AT CAMBRIDGE
Left to right: Congleton, cox., Putnam, stroke, Captain Rauch, North, Chester, Bashinsky, Curtis, Pyne, Bunzel.

The Harvard management took unique methods to further entertain their visitors. Everything possible was done for their convenience in practice. Coaching launches were placed at their disposal and every other possible courtesy was shown them.

There has been altogether too much of a feeling of hostility between the athletes of rival universities in the past. It would be a fine thing if the example set by Harvard were followed throughout the college world, not only in rowing, but in other sports as well. If every college would take its opponents into its fraternity houses or dormitories and make them feel that they were welcome and honored guests the millennium in intercollegiate athletics would soon be upon us.

Theodore Clement Briggs '14 of Rochester, N. Y., has been elected captain of the Princeton crew for next year. Captain Briggs was a member of his freshman crew and has rowed No. 5 in the varsity eight for the past two years. He prepared at Lawrenceville, and although he had no rowing experience before coming to Princeton, he has developed here into one of the best oarsmen in college, if not the best. He was prevented by a sore hand from participating in the victory over Harvard and Pennsylvania at Cambridge.

As five of the present varsity eight will be eligible next year, the prospects are good for another successful rowing season.

During the recent regatta on Lake Carnegie, when the Navy and Columbia crews visited Princeton, Captain Gibbons, Superintendent of the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, and Mrs. Gibbons were guests of President and Mrs. Hibben at “Prospect.”

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