Awards - Hall of Fame
CRCA announces the inception of the Women's Collegiate Rowing Coaches Hall of Fame.
Mission: To provide a forum to honor coaches who have achieved competitive excellence over their careers and individuals who have had a major impact on Collegiate Women's Rowing.
Nominations: Candidates may be nominated by any CRCA member, limited to one candidate per institution annually. Nominations are due February 15, and must be on the CRCA Hall of Fame Nomination Form.
Selection: Selection is made by the CRCA Hall of Fame Selection Committee. Selections are scheduled to be announced March 15.
Induction Ceremony will be held annually at the NCAA Championship.
2007 Hall of Fame Inductees
Ernestine Bayer, Mother of Women's Rowing
Mrs. Bayer was a world leader in introducing women to the sport of rowing. During her lifetime she earned every award given by the national rowing association: Nominee for the Sullivan Award from rowing, member of the first Women's rowing Olympic Committee, member of the National Rowing Foundation (NRF) Rowing Hall of Fame, First United States Gold rowing medal, Carlin Award, Coach of the Year, and named one of rowing's 10 most influential people of the century.
Ernestine Bayer is widely regarded as the "Mother of Women's Rowing" in the United States. She learned to row at a time when it was believed that women could not row competitively. During her lifetime she challenged that assumption again and again, refusing to take "No" for an answer on dozens of occasions when the male rowing community opposed her initiatives on behalf of women.
Ernestine Bayer founded the Philadelphia Girls Rowing Club in 1938 and for more than a half century she personally attracted thousands of rowers to the sport. Her pioneering efforts made it possible for women to row for the first time in international competition in 1973, resulting in the women's rowing events being added to the Olympic Games in 1976. She was a member of the first Women's Olympic Committee, and she helped establish the women's crew program at the University of New Hampshire
Joanne Iverson
Ms. Iverson has been actively involved in the sport of Rowing since 1959. At various times she filled the offices of Captain and President while at the Philadelphia Girls Rowing Club. She co-founded the National Women's' Rowing Association in 1963 and the first National Women's Rowing Championships and was instrumental in organizing the first National Championship event for collegiate crews.
In 1967 she started a club, Devon Sculls, for high school girls in the Upper Merion School District.
From 1968 until 1975 she coached the women's crew at the University of Pennsylvania's College Boat Club, winning various National Championships, most notably the NWRA Nationals at Seattle in 1972 - College BC won the Four/with, Pair/without and Eight as a combination boat with PGRC. Ms. Iverson was subsequently the first Coach of Women's rowing at the University of Pennsylvania when they received Varsity Status in 1974.
In 1973 she was appointed to the United States Olympic Committee for Women's Rowing. In the same year, she served as Manager of the first U.S. Women's squad to compete at the European Championships in Moscow, USSR. Four College Boat Club women were on that team.
In 1976 she was appointed to President Ford's Commission on Olympic Sports on which she served with Rafer Johnson. She served as Manager of the Women's Olympic Rowing Team in 1976 in Montreal, Canada.
At present, Ms. Iverson is on the Board of Directors of the Vesper Boat Club in Philadelphia where she rows regularly and provides private coaching to Junior and Masters Competitors.
Patty Wyatt
Patty Wyatt organized and coached the first competitive rowing program at ZLAC RC in 1964. Her crew competed at the NWRA National Championships through the 1960's and 1970's.
In 1973, Patty, along with Joe Jessop, Andy Borthwick and Glenn Rick, started the San Diego Crew Classic. The idea was to hold an early season collegiate event that would bring together the best collegiate crews from across the country, and to expose junior rowers to collegiate programs. Patty Wyatt was also instrumental in bringing the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic rowing and paddling events to Lake Casitas.
Fred Emerson
Fred Emerson started his rowing career at Culver Academy and went on to row at the University of Wisconsin in the early 1930's. After graduation he began a life long commitment to support collegiate rowing where ever it needed his help. His generosity helped to provide equipment to over 60 colleges and universities.
In 1971, Fred was instrumental in founding the New England Association of Women's Rowing Colleges. On May 14, 1972, the NEAWRC held its first regatta, thanks in great part to the efforts of Fred Emerson, who designed the course and provided almost all of the financial backing for the event.
Fred Emerson was inducted into the National Rowing Hall of Fame and in 1976 was awarded the John Carlin Service Award by US Rowing, which is awarded to honor an individual who has made significant and outstanding commitment to the sport of rowing.
Ed Lickiss
Ed Lickiss entered the University of California in 1937 and began rowing for famed coach Ky Ebright. He had a successful sculling career before enlisting in the Army Air Corps for WWII. After the war he worked as an electrical contractor. He came back to rowing in 1960 when he established the Lake Merritt Rowing Club. He became the coach, director, fund raiser, and boatwright of the club.
In 1964 Ed co-founded the National Women's Rowing Association and organized the first Women's National Championship Regatta. In the same year Ed established a women's crew at Mills College and a year later he established and personally funded a women's crew at St. Mary's College and began a life-long commitment to that program.
In 1974-75 Ed retired from collegiate coaching to concentrate his efforts on high school rowing. He firmly believed that the sport of rowing could be used as a vehicle to assist teenagers in that transition from adolescence to adulthood. He established the Oakland Strokes Rowing Club that was open to all high school aged boys and girls.
