THE LONG ECLIPSE OF AMERICAN ROWING the finest college crews of several seasons in the final of the Olympic Trials. “Harvard, the Eastern Sprint Champion and unbeaten until it trailed Vesper by almost two lengths in the semi-finals yesterday, rowed a much better race this time. “Opening at 44, Harvard jumped into the lead. It led by a deck, rowing 43. Vesper, which was up to 48 at the start and then down to 42, fell behind as much as a half-length, with Harvard rowing at 36. “Not until the 900-meter mark did the power in the Vesper Italian-built [Donoratico] boat, which is some six feet shorter than the standard Pocock shell, assert itself. With the stroke at 38, the Philadelphians caught Harvard. Then they fell to 36½ and moved out a deck. California was a length behind and Yale a bit farther back. “Harvard hung on grimly and closely to the 1,700-meter mark, going at 36 or lower. Then Vesper drew away. Rowing at 38 and 39 and finally 40, it widened its margin with each smooth, powerful sweep of the oars. “The time, made in slack water almost devoid of movement and in a negligible tailwind quartering off the port, was fast – 6 minutes 1.3 seconds. “Harvard, no higher than 36, was helpless to stay with the Philadelphians. It had given its best in a beautiful display of oarsmanship, and it was not quite enough. It was clocked in 6:05.3, a few feet of open water astern of the winner. “California, the champion of the Intercollegiate Rowing Association, was third all the way.4562 “Harry Parker, the Harvard Coach, a Vesper man when he was the single sculler in the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome, said before the final here that he feared the club crew more than he did California. 4562 For the University of California point-of- view on the race, see Chapter 114. “Rosenberg could not praise Harvard enough for the race it rowed. “‘They are a dead game crew,’ said the little Vesper coach. ‘It took guts to come back after the loss they took in the semi- finals. They never quit at any time.’”4563 For the very first time in modern history, the country’s best college crew had failed to earn the right to represent the U.S. in the world’s most significant race as far as Americans were concerned. This had been Harvard’s chance to join California, Navy, Washington and especially Yale, their traditional arch-rival for more than a century, in the U.S. Olympic rowing fraternity. Harry deeply felt the loss, as did the crew. Historian Eric Sigward, member of the undefeated 1966 Harvard Varsity: “A few years ago, Bill Stowe4564 asked me to read his book, All Together.4565 He’s a great guy, had great inside opinions and stories, and even let me wear his Gold Medal for a few minutes at a cocktail party. “I was happy to hear his take on Harvard. He thought we were stuck up prigs who showed only a cold shoulder when Vesper defeated us in the 1964 Trials. He thought we should have said, ‘Great row. Thanks for the competition. We’ll be rooting for you in Tokyo.’ “I think he has a great point that is seldom mentioned out loud about Harvard: that we are cold-hearted, bitter and lousy losers. It was refreshing to hear the ‘blue collar’ take on the ‘white shoes.’”4566 Thus began a lifelong and very often bitter rivalry between the two preeminent 4563 Allison Danzig, Vesper Triumphs in Rowing Trials, The New York Times, July 12, 1964 4564 stroke of the 1964 Vesper Crew 4565 See Bibliography. 4566 Sigward, personal correspondence, 2008 1267
