THE SPORT OF ROWING who would end up as Navy Varsity bow-seat the next three years. “Miles together built the team. We did a lot of running when the river was frozen, but as long as we could get out, even if it was in the barge, he wanted us to be rowing.”2289 The 1951 Plebe Crew That first year, it was in his plebes that Rusty found what he was looking for. The Annapolis Class of 1954 was much more mature and experienced than an ordinary freshman crew. Five members of the first boat, Frye, Murphy, Maltagliati, Fields, and Dunbar, along with Hank Proctor in the second freshman boat, “were all enlisted military personnel Dick Murphy 1951 United States Naval Academy Plebes Stroke Ed Stevens, 7 Wayne Frye, 6 Dick Murphy, 5 Mauro Maltagliati, 4 Willie Fields, 3 Jim Dunbar, 2 Larry Colwell, Bow Don Bowen, Coxswain Chuck Chapman getting their appointments through the Fleet or Air Force.”2290 Plebe stroke Ed Stevens: “On occasion, Rusty’s upperclassmen came along with the Plebe crew, including training ‘races’ with the Varsity, and I do recall beating them. “Our coach was Commander Fred Taeusch, USN. He was affectionately called ‘Black Bart’ because his beard grew faster than the day. Each evening, his 5 o’clock shadow came on. “On May 19, 1951 we won the Eastern Sprints with a time that was faster than what the Navy Varsity posted.”2291 Actually, their performance was even more impressive than that. In the morning heats, only the Harvard Varsity posted a time faster than the Navy Plebes, and in the 2289 Qtd. by Anderson, p. 31 2290 Murphy, personal correspondence, 2005 2291 Stevens, personal correspondence, 2005 afternoon only Yale and Harvard in the varsity final bested the Navy Class of 1954’s time as they won the freshman final.2292 The New York Times: “Navy’s fine Freshman Eight led the Eastern Sprints final all the way. The Middies had a half-length over Princeton at the halfway point, with Cornell several lengths back. “Rowing at 35, Navy increased its margin to three-quarters of a length in the next quarter-mile. “Princeton went up to 36 but could not narrow the gap. The Tiger Eight carried the stroke to 39 with its closing drive, but Navy, never hitting above 36, continued to go away with a beautiful run on the boat, to finish a length and a quarter in front.”2293 2292 Ibid. 2293 Allison Danzig, Yale Varsity Crew Annexes the Eastern Sprint Crown, The New York Times, May 20, 1951 636
