THE AGE OF ENLIGHTENMENT 1967 Harvard Race The New York Times: “The Huskies jumped Harvard at the start, near the Longfellow Bridge, and quickly established a quarter-length lead. They held this margin in the first mile while rowing at a higher pace – 36 and 35 strokes per minute to 32 and 33 for the Crimson. “The two crews hit rough water after passing under the Harvard Bridge with three-quarters of a mile to go, and the Northeastern lead went to three-quarters of a length as the Crimson oarsmen’s bladework suffered in the hard going. The crews were stealing quick glances at one another with the two fifty-six-foot Stämplfi shells only ten feet apart. “Harvard had begun to close with Ian Gardiner, its junior stroke, turning on the power. Then disaster struck. The bow oarsman, Glen Schumacher, a senior who has been a stalwart in the Husky Varsity for three seasons, lost control of his oar for four vital strokes. “His teammates never missed a stroke while he dug for the trailing oar, but the power was gone, and Harvard quickly went ahead by a half-length. But with Schumacher pulling once more, the Huskies went at the Crimson again in the final yards and cut its lead in half with a great display of skill and determination. The leaders had no sprint at the end, holding to their 33 stroke, and they just did make it. It won by one second [8:46.6 to 8:47.6], the twenty- first consecutive victory for the Crimson. “The disconsolate bow man slapped at the oar in disgust after the race was over. “Parker, the 31-year-old coach who has enjoyed three undefeated seasons in a row, saluted the losers as ‘a game crew.’ Harvard seldom has calls as close as this one.”5347 5347 William N. Wallace, Harvard’s Crew Wins 21st in Row, The New York Times, April 16, 1967 Gluckman: “I was in the 1967 boat against Harvard. It was a spectacular race. “It was the mile and three-quarters course in the Charles River Basin, and I still remember how rough it was, enough that both crews had to stop at Union Boat Club to get water out of their boats, and we immediately went to the line. I bet it wasn’t five minutes from the time we left the dock, and it was a quick start and go. “Ernie had drilled us at rough-water rowing. He wasn’t afraid to go into the basin and take on a lot of water, and we didn’t know any better. If we were going to race Harvard, we were going to have to learn to race in the basin. “I think we were surprised that we had a lead and were holding it and holding it and holding it, and maybe at some point we should have done something different. Ernie would tell us if you get a lead, don’t worry about having to press it open, just keep working it. Maybe that was a mistake with Harvard. Maybe we should have tried for more. “It was a hard row, but I think we were just stronger than Harvard. The race was a slugfest, and in a slugfest it sure helps to be strong.5348 “I think, in part, we were rowing very, very well, but up in front of B.U. in that part of the river, things tend to calm down. I think we caught the crab for no reason other than fatigue . . . or our amazement that we were only thirty or forty strokes away from an enormous upset. 5348 Gluckman: “How did we get strong? Carl Wallin was one of the country’s great shot putters and weight throwers back then. He had graduated from Northeastern in 1966 and was an assistant track coach in 1967. Ernie really didn’t give much importance to lifting weights. He was mostly technique and endurance. We did a lot of running and sprinting, but Carl said, ‘No! Five times five, three times a week,’ and the guys got big and we got strong!” 1477
