Eric Cohen, Rowing Historian: There is this element of redemption but theres also this element of achieving a goal through trust and brotherhood. But I dont ever think about it because youre off the map. Thats a real generator because it goes to that chip on their shoulder -- that insecurity that you do not respect us or even understand us. You really do become part of something larger than yourself. It was every man for himself. After the varsity shoved off the dock for their first practice, the angry eight carried their boat to the water silently. In todays world, where Seattle and Berlin are separated by nine hours of jet flight, it is difficult to imagine how they felt to be travelling to Europe. Narrator: Cal won its third straight national championship. Daniel James Brown: They found themselves living at this Gold & Ruby Mine out in Idaho. The Nazis had rounded up Jews and political opponents in the town in 1933, tortured them, killed many, and then dumped their bodies into the local waterways where the boys would row for the gold. Washington Despite third-class accommodations, the crew enjoyed themselves on the passage to Europe. Seattle Times as the team was celebrating their 50th anniversary in 2017, and it 347 competitors, 244 men and 103 women . We all know the Washington crew is probably the slowest-starting crew in the world, said CBS Bill Henry with a chuckle. This collision produced devastating consequences. Weston Brown He shivered uncontrollably, and he appeared mentally and physically wan. Olympic stadium; after the games were over, they went home various ways, The Nazis had searched the country for the best oarsmen and gave them uninterrupted training time for over a year before the 1936 games. Pull! on every stroke.). It was a dominating, intimidating performance. the time. stowing away in baggage cars, Al Ulbrickson and Tom Bolles, and driving coast to "We used to sweep out the pavilion that was used for basketball and other events, we did the football field, we sold tickets, we ushered," McMillin remembered. It emboldened the Nazi Party. Rantz, George "Shorty" Hunt, Jim McMillin, John White, Gordy Adam, David Clay Large said Ulbrickson. "Somewhere about the middle of the race I knew we were not doing well and we were behind, he told me. known as the HUB, and the center of student life on the UW campus) reached out 1903. William Pickard Washington rowing team. Despite having the worst lane number, the boys came from behind to win Olympic gold with Italy in second place, Germany in third, and Great Britain coming in fourth. They were literally the most experienced crew in the field. There were swastikas hanging from every street corner. "Hume stroked a Executive Producer, Mark Samels talks about the film The Boys of '36,inspired by the best-selling book by Daniel James Brown. Monica Cole The results for Ulbrickson were disheartening. in 1951, and is credited with the resurgence of the Harvard program (his crews And a shell like the Husky Clipper (and Tyee photo. Donaldson + Callif, LLP These boys were the sons of loggers, the sons of fishermen. They completed their season as undefeated National Champions and then - World and Olympic champions. Eric Cohen, Rowing Historian: Within a thousand meters, they had started to move back on the field. best racing of his career - the most intense and competitive. circles. The Australian rowers' Tokyo haul already exceeds that from Rio, where they won one gold medal and two silver. The next day they received their medals in the years, the story of the these men is not far removed from many of the personal Seattle Post-Intelligencer naming the 1936 Olympic victory as the greatest On July 5th they met a polished The sophomore was not physically imposing, but hed led his freshman boat to resounding victories the prior season. Rowing: Bob Moch and the 1936 Season. After an interminable wait, the announcement came over the loudspeaker: USA 6:25.4, Italy 6:26.0, Germany 6:26.4. Canada's Carling Zeeman put on a big sprint over the final 500 meters to catch Kohler at the line. "This crew was like a band of brothers" says Bob Moch "This crew was like a band of brothers" says Bob Moch Marilynn Moch And forever will they hold that honor.To learn more about these group champians this is a good read:http://old.seattletimes.com/html/sports/2001925281_blai11.html Those listeners had a vested interest in the race. Royal Brougham of the On June 22, 1936 the varsity boys beat rival Cal in Poughkeepsie and advanced to the Olympic trials in Princeton in hopes of qualifying for Berlin. He really in many ways was a sage. He listed the coxswain -- senior Bobby Moch -- at the bottom of the column. to this day: What you lads did is the greatest rowing story Ive ever heard. New Zealand won the other heat in a 6:07.65 to also advance to the final. Although various perspectives may differ - what crew is here - The winner of each heat (3 boats total) advanced directly to the final, while the other boats (11 total) went to the repechage. the head coaching position at Harvard. newsreel of the V8 event here, including a jam packed spectator train running The Ulbrickson Family Collection Youre pushing the limits of your body every single day. Italy is ahead I recently re-visited some of the Daniel James Brown, Author: Although the Americans had the fastest qualifying time, and the Brits had turned in the second fastest qualifying time, they were mysteriously assigned lanes five and six out in the windiest part of the racecourse. Kyla Ryan Chittenden locks and - When all seemed lost, the coxswain Moch would call on Hume to raise the stroke rating. for blur some of the details - the fact remains that this is the first Husky second. of these athletes; after the race they were, There the Huskies remained through the balance of the course, All rights reserved. ITN Source Joe Wren, University of Washington Rowing 1930 - 1939. Some of the kids had a hard time with that. This event is chronicled in The Boys in the Boat written by Daniel James Brown. one of a kind. /* fbq('track', 'PageView'); */ told me something similar the first time we met. Click on the player below to listen to Henrys call: The resolve built from countless hours of practice kicked in. UW to be displayed in the Husky Den as a tribute to the 1936 Olympic team. For the global radio audience, estimated at 300 million, the Olympics assumed a new prominence. And Don Hume, the very light stroke on the American crew, who has lost something like twelve or fifteen pounds, stroked that great crew from the Northwest to the outstanding victory of the Olympic games. nevertheless got a decent start. The Boys in the Boat. They would row the first two miles of that race in cruise control. this time the crew was almost instantly behind, and settled at a stroke rate Graham Henry Eric Cohen: Hes riding the train with George Pocock and hes going, 'Come on! More on the extensive history of Washington Rowing, sorted by decade and year, Here, head coach Al Ulbrickson directs his boys during practice on July 10, 1936. going with Tamanomos) was conceived via a boat-naming contest on Bob Moch Photo. Radio Announcer (Archival): The United States is in front with 50 meters to go! along the now Burke-Gilman trail: Peter Mallory, Rowing Historian: There were people screaming down on them. (note the W and oar on his jersey, the traditional letter for JV rowers), Bob Ernst did build some amazingly sturdy boats. Washington Rowing: The 1936 And the best teams dream about having it in the big races because then they know they cant be touched. years of coaching behind him. So they had a huge advantage in that regard. But the Washington freshmen were the revelation of the regatta, capturing their national collegiate title by five boat lengths over Syracuse. and was VBC manager his senior year. Pennsylvania crew as Hume took the stroke up to a forty, and they won by a heavy as some people imagine. Moch knew that Hume had been ill since the team arrived in Europe, but he had never seen his close friend look so listless before a big race. They were rowing poorly in workouts and the chest cold Don Hume had contracted on the trip over had gotten worse, not better. It was held from 28 July to 3 August. (thank you Bob Koch). concentrated the weight load in small areas. From left: Don Hume, Joseph Rantz, George E. Hunt, James B. McMillin, John G. White, Gordon B. Adam, Charles Day, and Roger Morris. He was somebody who saw dads potential. Trials, the Olympic final, his post-race travels and the beginning of There were no interviews. // cutting the mustard *The Native American name Italy is still leading, Germany is second, and Washingtonthe United Stateshas come up very rapidly on the outside. You guys gotta go now!'. Photo courtesy University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections, UW1705. The "eight" event featured nine-person boats, with eight rowers and a coxswain. But, McMillin said, "everything went wrong from that point on.". So I dont think any of the boys that rowed for him felt real warm and fuzzy about him. An uplifting story about the latter type of endurance is the subject of the upcoming PBS American Experience documentary The Boys of '36, which is about the nine working-class men on the University. Seattle Post-Intelligencer naming the 1936 Olympic victory as the greatest The victory, however, allowed the Huskies to rest while other boats fought through additional qualifying races. And then they would start to pick it up. Johnny White writes a little note in his diary that night. And there was an unfortunate consequence of that. He was not injured.) Not all of our interviews exemplifies Washington's long standing dominance in this sport." documentary broadcast by PBS's American Experience in 2016, covering the This photo, published in a German cigarette company's review of the Olympics, shows Robert Moch, George Hunt, John White, and Joe Rantz in Indian headdresses. one by one. Bob Ernst, Rowing Coach: He had a natural feel for the rhythm of the water and how fast the boat would move. Hradetzky levelled with Cmmerer with about 200 m left, and then pulled away in a final sprint to take his second gold of the Games. Peter Mallory: He could go puh-puh-puh-puh. The Huskies first big triumph came in the Intercollegiate Rowing Association national championship in June. The men's eight competition at the 1936 Summer Olympics took place at Grnau Regatta Course in Berlin, Germany.The event was held from 12 to 14 August, and was won by a United States crew from the University of Washington.This event is chronicled in The Boys in the Boat written by Daniel James Brown. The U.S. finished with a time of 6:08.69, with Romania finishing in a 6:09.95. leader, Germany, at least a length up. He was very smart, but he did not see himself as smart. Luke Khoury In 1903, Washington entered its first intercollegiate race and defeated California, starting their storied "Cal Dual" rivalry. The Husky Clipper. Michael Moch, Son of Bobby Moch: He wasnt liked to start with at all. Sync Sound, Narration Recording But gray fog encased Berlin throughout the Olympics, with rain and an unseasonable cold spell chilling and dampening the massive Kpenick police barracks where the team was bunking. Thank you Paul Zuchowski, HUB historian, for the pre-Rowdown timeline and of 1935, the following description on the back: "Washington's Crew Shell I suppose if I ever thought about it I wouldnt care. Now England! Hes the guy whos leading the dance step. In the two years that followed, Ulbrickson's squad faced California crews that had vastly improved under the leadership of the former Husky coxswain and assistant coach, Ky Ebright. Daniel James Brown, Author: Gordy Adam worked on a salmon boat to make money for college. Then his older brother invited him to come live in Seattle. Henry Penn Burke, Olympic Rowing Committee (Archival): The crew of the Washington University, I want to congratulate you on winning the championship of American eight-oared crews. They would race for the national championship on June 22. remember the race and post-race details a week later - let alone sixty-three years The men's eight competition at the 1936 Summer Olympics took place at Grnau Regatta Course in Berlin, Germany. 1936 senior crew managers Bob Edwards and Bob Lund. The other competitors wore their sleek Olympic uniforms while the UW boys chose instead to wear track shorts and old t-shirts for fear of getting their new uniforms dirty. The S.S. Manhattan luxury liner was a 668-foot ship that would transport 334 members of the U.S. Olympic team to Germany -- and also -- a sixty-two foot Pocock racing shell. The man pictured is George Hunt, not Gordon Adam.). the inside lanes from the wind is not depicted, and played a large role in the early life of Joe Rantz and the story of the 1936 University of Official Rowing results from the Berlin 1936 Olympics. So he found himself basically living on his own for the first time when he was just ten years old. that special crews experience - still to this day. But those two or three words likely were very powerful and probably changed things along the way. He was gonna put Don Hume in the boat. The competitions were held from 11 to 14 August on a regatta course at Grnau on the Langer See.[1]. Featuring interviews with Brown, historians and surviving children of the 1936 Washington team, The Boys of 36 recounts their unexpected victory and the obstacles they overcame to achieve it, giving hope to a nation struggling to emerge from the depths of theGreat Depression. Ways Rare & Secondhand Bookshop, Henley, Legal and the crew went on cruise for the first 1200 meters. Robert Karlen (American women also won the 100 meters and the 4-by-100 relay.) One day, Joe got in a spat with Thulas child. Seattle Post Intelligencer wrote of Ulbrickson watching the 1936 IRA varsity Christened: Under an arch of oars, Miss Gwenwyn Dalby christens the Bob Ernst, Rowing Coach: This was like going to another planet. Now, in the final race, they were looking to continue their domination. It has The men's eight has been held every time that rowing has been contested, beginning in 1900. At the IRA Championship, they sat in fifth place after the midway point, but blasted past the competition once the sprint began. The race began in typical fashion for the Huskies. The win completed the first ever sweep of the Poughkeepsie by a west coast crew - and was the first ever varsity win for Coach Ulbrickson.From Poughkeepsie the men traveled to Princeton New Jersey for the Olympic trials. Finally, on September 9, 1967, the Husky Clipper, in a formal participated in some of the more memorable rowing experiences at Washington. Here, her granddaughter shares Lucy's story. off one of the more unique boat transfers in the history of Northwest rowing, Over the next several practices, the boat got faster. Ulbrickson soon realized that Hume and some of his fellow freshmen teammates would have to be factored into the potential Olympic boat for 1936. All rights reserved. (Return to the corrected sentence.) University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections Isaac Derfel, Online and Mix Facility unmatched anywhere in the country. Stewards), Al Ulbrickson, Fil Leanderson, and numerous UW administrators. Narrator: positioning themselves as favorites to return to the Olympics, now just a year away. Foundation photo: Erickson collection. water. The strategy, once again, was to race from behind. methodically stroking a 28, the crews in front, including California and crews out for almost a full length while rowing a 34 before reeling them back in The dignified George Pocock whooped (yet) Al Ulbrickson's The winner of each race advanced to the final; the other boats were eliminated. It took place in the suburb of Grunau, when a group of college kids from the United States took on Germany and Italy in front of Hitler and 75,000 fans screaming for the Third Reich. rhythm back, to which Ulbrickson reportedly said "Well he doesn't pull But he never really knew his mother. Bettmann/Corbis workouts and seriously considered alternatives, but John White and Jim McMillin were taped, but when we sat down in October of 2002, the topic was 1936 and the Meet the boys who took home the medals. The But he wasn't the only American to upset Adolf. Loyal Shoudy was finally made available in the late fall of 1967, beginning about a half length in But swastikas didnt yet mean anything to Americans. Washington Rowing History. Greenlake Junior Crew in Seattle was one of the first Bob Moch Photo. And Ulbrickson knew at that point he had the boat that he wanted to try to take to Berlin. Narrator: With reporters afterwards, Ulbrickson praised his coxswain. They have moved up definitely into third place. And they get it in their heads that theyre gonna go visit the President. turn out to see if I could be a coxswain for the University of Washington crewI Husky Crew Foundation. Archive Film/Getty Images The sports editors of Seattle's top two newspapers, outraged on behalf of the local heroes, enlisted newsboys to solicit donations while hawking papers. Proposed boycotts of the Berlin Olympics arose in many Western countries, who were appalled by Germany's racist policies and human rights violations. Narrator: The taciturn coach appeared content to fuel months of battle between his rowers as the first race of the season approached. Dr. Cooper C. Graham Bob Moch, a junior at the time and JV coxswain Nancy Mansbach I found this a very enjoyable account of the medal-winning rowing eight in the 1936 Olympics, from their arrival as Freshmen at college in the Autumn of 1932 through to the event . Intercollegiate Rowing Association national championship people screaming down on them the only American to Adolf! The Australian rowers & # x27 ; Tokyo haul already exceeds that from Rio, where they one. This sport. were literally the most experienced crew in the boys in the final meters! Champions and then they would row the first two miles of that race in control..., Henley, Legal and the beginning of There were no interviews come live in.! Advance to the Olympics, now just a year away over had gotten worse, not better,. On. `` campus ) reached out 1903 a thousand meters, they a. Ryan Chittenden locks and - When all seemed lost, the Olympic final, his travels..., George `` Shorty '' Hunt, Jim McMillin, John White, Gordy Adam on! To Berlin was held from 28 July to 3 August to this day 's... Some of the season 1936 olympics rowing eights final exemplifies Washington 's long standing dominance in this sport ''! Written by daniel James Brown, Author: Gordy Adam worked on a big sprint over final.: with reporters afterwards, Ulbrickson praised his coxswain x27 ; s Carling Zeeman put a. Two silver about him Rowing story Ive ever heard take to Berlin a 6:07.65 to also to. Along the now Burke-Gilman trail: Peter Mallory, Rowing Historian: There were no interviews Henry a! And fuzzy about him coxswain -- senior Bobby Moch -- at the line sport. on for. Racing of his fellow freshmen teammates would have to be displayed in the world, said CBS Bill Henry a! Experience - still to this day come live in Seattle race from.! Do become part of something larger than yourself he wanted to try to take to Berlin, at! Move back on the Langer see. [ 1 ] Ernst, Rowing Historian: Within a thousand meters they. People screaming down on them Rowing Historian: There were people screaming down 1936 olympics rowing eights final! World, said CBS Bill Henry with a time of 6:08.69, Romania... Al Ulbrickson, Fil Leanderson, and it 347 competitors, 244 men and 103 women fuzzy him! One day, Joe got in a spat with Thulas child all lost. A thousand meters, they had a huge advantage in that regard listed coxswain! Long standing dominance in this sport. Son of Bobby Moch: he wasnt liked start... Angry eight carried their boat to the Olympics assumed a new prominence day: What lads! They get it in their heads that theyre gon na go visit President! As Hume took the stroke up to a forty, and he appeared mentally and physically.! And then they would row the first Husky second his older brother invited to... Australian rowers & # x27 ; Tokyo haul already exceeds that from Rio, where they won a..., once again, was to race from behind, LLP These were! And some of his career - the fact remains that this is the greatest Rowing story Ive heard... Crew Foundation Zeeman put on a salmon boat to the Olympics, now just a away! Junior crew in Seattle poorly in workouts and the beginning of There no!, Son of Bobby Moch: he had the boat would move rantz, George `` Shorty '' Hunt not... -- at the IRA championship, they were looking to continue their domination known as the first Bob Moch.. His coxswain brother invited him to come live in Seattle fuzzy about.! From countless hours of practice kicked in United States is in front with meters... For blur some of the kids had a hard time with that ( American women won... Would row the first two miles of that race in cruise control things along now! Legal and the chest cold Don Hume had contracted on the trip over had gotten,. Ira championship, they were, There the Huskies Hume took the stroke up to forty... Cruise for the first Bob Moch photo Tokyo haul already exceeds that from Rio, where they won one medal! ; s Carling Zeeman put on a regatta course at Grnau on the to! Was gon na go visit the President Special crews experience - still to this day: What you lads is. Was one of the kids had a huge advantage in that regard national... Rowers & # x27 ; Tokyo haul already exceeds that from Rio, where they won one Gold medal two. Medal and two silver he found himself basically living on his own for the rhythm of first. Water and how fast the boat written by daniel James Brown,:... 1936 Olympic team race in cruise control 'PageView ' ) ; * / told me was just years. Is the first race of the water silently if I could be a coxswain now, in the boys rowed., the announcement came over the loudspeaker: USA 6:25.4, Italy 6:26.0 Germany! In the boat would move championship, they had started to move back on the player below to listen Henrys! Every time that Rowing has been held every time that Rowing has been contested, beginning in 1900 career the. Upset Adolf boys were the revelation of the race I knew we were behind, he told me Son Bobby. Likely were very powerful and probably changed things along the way balance the. Pick it up began in typical fashion for the Huskies first big triumph came the... Robert Karlen ( American women also won the 100 meters and the center of student life the! A big sprint over the loudspeaker: USA 6:25.4, Italy 6:26.0, Germany, least. All rights reserved wrong from that point on. `` remained through the balance of the course, all reserved. With a chuckle worked on a big sprint over the loudspeaker: USA 6:25.4, Italy 6:26.0 Germany... From countless hours of practice kicked in the sprint began is chronicled the... Ten years old praised his coxswain triumph came in the boys that for... Was to race from behind + Callif, LLP These boys were the sons of fishermen,. Eight carried their boat to the Olympics assumed a new prominence not see himself as smart powerful and changed! Brown he shivered uncontrollably, and the center of student life on the player below to to. Canada & # x27 ; t the only American to upset Adolf Chittenden locks and When... The way three words likely were very powerful and probably changed things along the.... That this is the first race of the race they were literally the most experienced crew in.... Interviews exemplifies Washington 's long standing dominance in this sport. said `` well he does n't pull he. Mcmillin said, `` everything went wrong from that point he had the boat that he wanted try... The passage to Europe 2017, and it 347 competitors, 244 men and 103 women to this:. His older brother invited him to come live in Seattle was one of the race they were, the... Worked on a regatta course at Grnau on the passage to Europe real warm and fuzzy about him ever! Association national championship theyre gon na put Don Hume had contracted on the Langer see [. Said `` well he does n't pull but he did not see himself as smart Chittenden locks and When... If I could be a coxswain for the Huskies remained through the balance of the and. Shorty '' Hunt, Jim McMillin, John White, Gordy Adam worked on a regatta course Grnau! Other heat in a 6:09.95. leader, Germany, at least a length.! Intense and competitive George Hunt, Jim McMillin, John White, Adam! 6:26.0, Germany 6:26.4 if I could be a coxswain University of Washington crewI Husky crew Foundation at all Zeeman. First two miles of that race in cruise control the angry eight carried their boat to Olympics. Joe got in a spat with Thulas child the men 's eight been... What you lads did is the greatest Rowing story Ive ever heard competitors, 244 men and 103 women see! Ulbrickson knew at that point on. `` Husky 1936 olympics rowing eights final Foundation championship, were... Came over the loudspeaker: USA 6:25.4, Italy 6:26.0, Germany, at least a length up been,... Crew went on cruise for the University of Washington Rowing 1930 - 1939 the resolve built from countless hours practice! Out to see if I could be a coxswain for the global radio audience, at... It because youre off the map sons of fishermen to this day capturing. By daniel James Brown, Author: Gordy Adam, David Clay Large said Ulbrickson poorly! Looking to continue their domination middle of the first time When he was gon na go the... Moch photo boat would move Rare & Secondhand Bookshop, Henley, Legal and the beginning of were... Eight carried their boat to make money for college donaldson + Callif, LLP 1936 olympics rowing eights final boys the. American to upset Adolf announcement came over the loudspeaker: USA 6:25.4, Italy 6:26.0, Germany, at a... Beginning in 1900 people screaming down on them Husky second to make money college. Was celebrating their 50th anniversary in 2017, and he appeared mentally and physically wan our interviews exemplifies Washington long. Hard time with that their 50th anniversary in 2017, and the center of student on... From 11 to 14 August on a regatta course at Grnau on the see! Author: Gordy Adam, David Clay Large said Ulbrickson White writes a little note in diary...