AMERICAN ROWING ASSOCIATION Since the earlier days of the National Rowing Association, the college oarsman had practically ceased to row after graduation, and instead of going into a rowing club and keeping up the sport, he stopped handling an oar when he had rowed his last university race. Between club and college rowing there existed no communion of ideas nor sympathy ; each went its way. When the college man did row after his university career, it was seldom with active rowing clubs, but more often with clubs where little outside racing took place.
And the open regattas were not always desir able meeting-places for a man who loved sport for itself, and now and again the establishment of a regatta somewhat on the lines of the Henley Royal would be discussed. The first difficulty was in selecting a place to hold it. Some talked of New London ; but that course was too bleak and barren and rough for races other than univer sity contests, which seem to seek uncomfortable quarters, and the same criticism applied equally to the Hudson.
In 1902 a group of men met in New York and decided earnestly to set about the formation of a college man's regatta ; the result was the Ameri can Rowing Association, the design and purpose of which is best given in their own words : " For many years the question of the possibility of hold ing a rowing regatta in this country on the plan of the famous English Henley' has been dis cussed. Within the past few years evidence has been rapidly accumulating to show that the inter est in rowing among college men and college graduates is increasing, and that the time has come when a forward step should be taken in American rowing. The increased interest in rowing is shown by the enthusiastic support given by undergraduates to newly formed rowing clubs in some of the universities and by the success in many places of interscholastic rowing associa tions. From these sources have sprung a body of men whose appetites have only been whetted for the sport, and whose attitude toward rowing is very different from the average university oar of the past. More intelligent methods of training and a dawning idea that rowing is, after all, a sport and a recreation, and not a drudgery, have worked great changes in the attitude of the men, and many of them have now become actively interested in rowing clubs after graduation. It is from this body of men that the new rowing or ganization has emanated, and on them that it will depend for its active support in the future. What they ask and what they must have is an opportu nity to meet in competition others of their kind who have had the same rowing experience and whose ideals of sport are similar to their own."
The management vested in a Board of Stewards whose power was similar to that of the Henley Stewards, and who might reject any entry without giving reason for the action ; the precept to be followed was that " entries shall be accepted only from those who take part in sport for pleasure or recreation, and who shall not have directly or in directly received any money benefit from engaging in, or by reason of connection with, sports or athletic exercises." Another departure came in the matter of prizes ; as before mentioned, the prizes in many of the regattas were so valuable that they might be an asset to any impecunious athlete, and the American Rowing Association determined to present the individual winners with pewter steins, while to the clubs would go the challenge cups.
The first Board of Stewards were nearly all college men and represented Columbia, Yale, Pennsylvania, Harvard, Princeton, and Cornell, as follows : Philadelphia — Thomas Reath, Dr. James P. Hutchinson, William Innes Forbes, Dr. J. William White, C. S. W. Packard, Edson F. Gallaudet, T. De Witt Cuyler ; Boston F. L. Higginson, Jr., R. P. Blake, Dr. Hugh Cabot, E. C. Storrow, W. P. Henderson ; New York — Julian W. Curtiss, Henry S. Van Duzer, Dr. John A. Hartwell, W. A. Meikleham ; Ithaca, New York — W. F. Durand ; Cambridge, Mas sachusetts — Ira N. Hollis ; Detroit, Michigan Dr. A. H. Flickwir.
This list is a notable one, but like all other lists chiefly distinguished for being notable, it did nothing. The actual management of the regatta came into the hands of a few men, and the rest of the board, who might have been of service and whose energy and influence could have made the races prosper, were absolutely inert. Therefore, instead of going forward and leaving nothing undone that might help the end, the gentlemen of the Board of Stewards have largely sat by and waited for the regatta to grow. The first regatta, in i9o3, over a course on the Schuylkill of one mile five hun dred and fifty yards, was fairly successful, and the Board of Stewards showed mettle and com mon sense in disqualifying Titus, the sculler, and several other shady entries from New York. That was a sufficient warning that the " ama choor " need not apply, and the class of men that rowed was very good indeed ; but then the energy seemed spent, and the regatta of i9o4 was a prac tical failure and drew few entries outside of Phila delphia.
The principles of the American Rowing As sociation are so good and are so needed in our rowing that it will surely succeed if properly fostered.