The Boys in the Boat (Young Readers Adaptation), page 17
That said, few things offer so much opportunity for common effort as the making of a book. With that in mind, I want to convey my very deep appreciation as well to all of the following people who contributed to the making of this one.
First, Ray Willman, “Mr. Judy,” who has been indispensible to the project in countless ways, large and small, from day one.
In the publishing world—my stunningly brilliant and delightfully gutsy agent, Dorian Karchmar. At the Viking Press—the sterling editor of the adult edition of this book, Wendy Wolf, who wields the scalpel so expertly that one hardly feels the pain, and is ever so grateful for the cure. At Penguin Young Readers—Ken Wright and Alex Ulyett, who expertly and judiciously oversaw the process of adapting the book for younger readers. And with great gratitude—Greg Mone who skillfully performed yeoman’s work in carrying out the adaptation, figuring out what should go and what should stay and how it should all hold together.
Among the 1936 crew—the only two I was able to talk to, the late Roger Morris and the late Joe Rantz. Among those who call the crew family or close friends—many of whom generously shared their recollections and made their private collections of documents available to me—Kristin Cheney, Jeff Day, Kris Day, Kathleen Grogan, Susan Hanshaw, Jennifer Huffman, Josh Huffman, Rose Kennebeck, Marilynn Moch, Michael Moch, Pearlie Moulden, Joan Mullen, Jenny Murdaugh, Pat Sabin, Paul Simdars, Ken Tarbox, Mary Helen Tarbox, Harry Rantz Junior, Polly Rantz, Jerry Rantz, Heather White, and Sally White.
At the University of Washington’s shell house—Eric Cohen, Bob Ernst, and Luke McGee, all of whom reviewed the manuscript and offered many fine suggestions and essential corrections. Also Michael Callahan and Katie Gardner for help tracking down photographs. I’d like to call particular attention to Eric’s excellent website, available online at www.huskycrew.com. It is by far and the single best source for anyone who wants to know more about the long, illustrious history of rowing at Washington.
In the wider world of rowers and crew coaches—Bob Gotshall, John Halberg, Al Mackenize, Jim Ojala, and Stan Pocock.
In the world of libraries and dusty archives—Bruce Brown, Greg Lange, Eleanor Toews, and Suz Babayan.
For help with things German—Herr Werner Philipp at the Wassersports museum in Grünau and closer to home, Isabell Schober.
Finally, this is, in many ways, a book about a young man’s long journey back to a place he can call home. Writing his story has reminded me again and again that no one is more blessed by his home life than I am. I want to thank the three lovely and intelligent women who make it so: my daughters, Emi and Bobi—each of whom has lent her own unique talents to the making of this book—and my wife, Sharon. Her thoughtful reading of the manuscript, her many conversations with me about it, and her deeply insightful comments and suggestions have vastly improved it on every conceivable level. Her love, her confidence, and her continual support have made writing it possible in the first place. Without her there would be no books.
INDEX
Note: The page numbers in this index refer to the printed version of this book. To find the corresponding locations in the text of this digital version, please use the “search” function on your e-reader. Note that not all terms may be searchable. Page numbers in italics refer to illustrations.
Adam, Gordy
about, viii
illness of, 177
and national championships, 112
and Olympic finals, 196
and Olympic team, 136, 137
and Pacific Coast Regatta, 142
and World War II, 211
Australia’s rowing team, 178, 179, 180
Beresford, Jack, 193
Berkenkamp, Gene, 142
Berlin games. See Olympic Games in Berlin
Bolles, Tom, 20
and early slump of freshman team, 66, 68
lucky hat of, 149, 153, 158, 194
and national championships, 78–79, 111, 149, 151, 153
and new freshman team, 98
and parade, 106–7
team assignments, 62–63
training sessions of, 31–32, 33–35, 65–66
and transition to shell barges, 47
and tryouts for team, 20–21, 31–32
and U.S. Olympic trials, 158
Burke, Henry Penn, 160–61
Calimar, Evanda May, 147
Callow, Rusty, 18
Clark, Grover, 73, 74
class conflicts, 78
Columbia University, 80, 114, 151
Conibear, Hiram, 49–50
Cornell University, 80, 113, 114–15, 149
coxswains, 132–33
Coy, Don, 177, 188
Czechoslovakia’s rowing team, 183, 184
Day, Chuck
about, viii
death of, 212
at Grand Coulee, 121, 124
and national championships, 115
and Olympic finals, 195
and Olympic team, 136, 137, 181
and varsity team assignments, 98
and World War II, 211
and Yugoslav rowing team, 180
Duckworth, John Noel, 178, 184, 185, 196
Dust Bowl, 83–84
Ebright, Ky, 18, 144
and national championships, 83, 113, 114, 148
and Pacific Coast Regatta, 143
Ulbrickson’s respect for, 22
Eckman, Ray, 160
France’s rowing team, 183, 184
Germany
concentration camps of, 187
flag of, 165
Gypsy families of, 173
hidden reality in, 187
as host of Olympic Games, 163–65, 164, 173–74
Jews of, 165–66, 173
laws of, 165–66
liberty threatened in, 168
Germany’s rowing team
competitiveness of, 177–78
and finals, 187–88, 192, 194, 196–98, 198, 200–204, 203
and lunchroom brawl, 180
and Olympic ambitions of Ulbrickson, 22
successes of, 192
and US team, 176
Goebbels, Joseph, 164, 174, 192, 199, 202
Göring, Hermann, 192, 199, 202, 209
Grand Coulee Dam, 116, 117–21
Great Britain’s rowing team
competitiveness of, 178, 179, 183
and finals, 187–88, 193, 197, 198
and Olympic ambitions of Ulbrickson, 22
and qualifying races, 184
successes of, 193
Great Depression, 7–8, 42, 46, 78
Green, Bob, 95
Gypsy families, 173
Hatch, Merton, 137
Hitler, Adolf
and Germany’s hosting of Olympics, 163–65
invasion of Poland, 209
and Owens’s gold-medal victories, 195
at rowing finals, 2, 192, 199, 202, 204, 213
Hooverville, 7, 8
Hume, Don
about, ix
and camaraderie of team, 145
Coy’s substitution for, 177
illness of, 174, 175, 177, 179, 183–84, 185, 186, 188–89, 198
and national championships, 112, 151, 152
and Oakland Estuary regatta, 105
and Olympic finals, 192, 193–94, 195–96, 198, 200–201, 202–3
and Olympic team, 137
and Pacific Coast Regatta, 142
as stroke oar, 137
and swing of varsity team, 139
and trip to Berlin, 174
and U.S. Olympic trials, 156, 158–59
Hungary’s rowing team, 187–88, 196, 198
Hunt, George “Shorty”
about, ix
and boat/team assignments, 88, 99
celebrity of, 167
and national championships, 110, 152, 210
and Olympic team, 137, 181
and Pacific Coast Regatta, 143
and struggles of sophomore team, 96–97
and swing of varsity team, 139
temperament of, 87
and training, 132
and Ulbrickson, 97
and World War II, 211
Husky Clipper, 140, 169, 175, 213, 214
Intercollegiate Rowing Association, 77
Italy’s rowing team
competitiveness of, 177
and finals, 187–88, 194, 196–99, 199, 201–4, 203
and Olympic ambitions of Ulbrickson, 22
Ivy League, 155
Japanese rowing team, 178, 183, 184
Jewish population, 165–66, 167–68, 173, 187
LaFollette, Thula. See Rantz, Thula
Laurie, “Ran,” 178, 184, 185
liberty, 168
Love, Harvey, 70
Maxwell, Nellie, 10, 11–12, 14, 15
McDonald, Charlie, 54–55, 59, 84, 131
McMillin, Jim “Stub”
about, ix
and Hume’s illness, 189
and national championships, 115, 151
and Oakland Estuary regatta, 104–5
and Olympic medal ceremony, 206
and Olympic team, 137, 181
as shell house janitor, 127
and varsity team assignments, 98, 99
Moch, Bobby, 100
about, ix
and boat/team assignments, 98, 132–33
and Duckworth, 184
and Hume’s illness, 189, 195, 198, 200–201
Jewish background of, 167–68
and national championships, 114–15, 148, 150–51, 152
and Olympic finals, 194–204
and Olympic medal ceremony, 205, 206
and Olympic team, 136, 181
and Pacific Coast Regatta, 142–43
and pre-nationals trials, 146
and U.S. Olympic trials, 156, 158–59, 160
and varsity team rivalries, 95–96
and Yugoslav rowing team, 180
Morris, Roger
about, viii
and boat/team assignments, 62–64, 88
and camaraderie of team, 145
illness of, 174
and national championships, 80, 81, 110, 210
and Oakland Estuary regatta, 105–6
and Olympic finals, 195, 196, 204
and Olympic team, 136, 137
and Pacific Coast Regatta, 72, 73, 142
and Rantz, 45–46
and struggles of sophomore team, 96
and training sessions, 35, 132
and transition to shell barges, 47
and trip to Berlin, 174
and tryouts for team, 5–7, 19
and Ulbrickson, 97
Morry, George
coxswain position of, 67
and national championships, 80, 81
and Pacific Coast Regatta, 74
and varsity, JV, and freshmen race, 70–71
national championships in Poughkeepsie, New York
in 1934, 75–81, 83
in 1935, 109–15
in 1936, 143, 146–54
in 1937, 210
Navy. See U.S. Naval Academy
Nazis
and Aryan race, 163, 195
and Berlin games, 164
concentration camps of, 187
and Gypsy families, 173
and Jewish population, 166, 173, 187, 209
and laws in Germany, 165
newspaper headlines on, 168
and Owens’s gold-medal victories, 195
New York Athletic Club, 156, 158–59, 166–67
New York City, 167, 168
Oakland Estuary regatta, 104–5, 113
Olympic Games in Berlin (1936), 164
and ambitions of Ulbrickson, 21, 34, 94, 124, 154
arrival at, 175, 176
and boycott, 166
competition in, 177–78
and Coy’s substitution for Hume, 177
and finals, 187–88, 193–204, 203
Hitler’s attendance, 2, 192, 199, 202, 204, 213
opening ceremonies of, 178
and Owens’s gold-medal victories, 194–95
preparations for, 163, 165, 173–74
qualifying races for, 183–85
racecourse of, 179, 182, 187–88
team’s anticipation of, 146
team’s travel to, 169–71, 170, 173, 174
and U.S. Olympic trials, 155–60
Owens, Jesse, 194–95
Pacific Coast Regatta, 65–66, 71–74, 141–43
Pennsylvania Athletic Club, 156, 157, 158–59, 160–61
Pocock, Dick, 48, 49, 50
Pocock, George, 18
about, ix, 47–48
and British win in the 250 meters, 193
cedar shells of, 85–86, 126
and christening of Husky Clipper, 140
and competition in Berlin, 177–78, 181
and funds for Berlin trip, 160
influence of, 33, 49–50
move to Seattle, 49
and national championships, 147, 149, 151, 152, 153
and Olympic finals, 194, 204
preparing shell for Berlin games, 169
and Rantz, 125–27, 131, 133–34, 136
and Roosevelt, 117
rowing advice from, 125, 139
shop of, 92, 122, 125–26
and speed of boat, 160
Poughkeepsie, New York, 77, 108. See also national championships
Princeton University, 155–56
Rantz, Fred, 10, 11, 14, 57–58
Rantz, Harry
about, viii
family life with Nellie, 10, 11–13, 14
family life with Thula, 16, 24, 26–27, 28, 37–38, 42–43, 89–90
and Gold and Ruby mine, 23
and house construction, 134, 135
and Joe’s visits, 102–3, 123–24
and Olympic finals, 194, 202, 204
and Pacific Coast Regatta, 141
and Thula’s death, 129
and U.S. Olympic trials, 160
Rantz, Harry, Jr., 17, 24, 25, 28, 41, 124
Rantz, Joe
abandoned by family, 42–43, 51, 90–91, 128
about, viii, ix
and boat/team assignments, 62–64, 70, 88, 98–99, 133, 137
and camaraderie of team, 145
distractions of, 131
family and youth of, 10, 11–12, 13, 14, 16–17, 23–29, 24, 37–43
financial challenges of, 7–9, 52–55, 59, 69, 84, 88–89
and freshman team’s slump, 68
gold medal of, 1, 2–3, 206
and Grand Coulee Dam, 117–21
high school years of, 57–58, 59
hunger of, 25, 69–70
independence of, 52–55, 87, 136
marriage and family of, 210, 210–11, 211
music of, 17, 40, 44, 58, 76–77, 136, 145
and national championships, 75–76, 78, 80, 81, 147, 152, 210
and Olympic finals, 195–96, 200
and Olympic medal ceremony, 206
and Olympic team, 136–37, 181
and Pacific Coast Regatta, 72, 74, 143
passport of, 162
and paying for college, 84
and Pocock, 125–27, 131, 133–34, 136
and shaping cedar, 85
siblings of, 123–24, 130, 204
Simdars’s dates with, 61, 88, 101–2
Simdars’s engagement to, 60
and struggles of sophomore team, 96
temperament of, 87
and transition to shell barges, 47
and trust, 134, 136, 139, 168, 206
and tryouts for team, 5–7, 19
uniform of, 172, 175
and U.S. Olympic trials, 159
See also University of Washington
Rantz, Mike, 17, 24, 25–26
Rantz, Thula
about, viii
death of, 128–29
family of, 24, 25–26, 37, 41
and Joe, 25–27, 37, 42, 89–91
marriage of, 16
Roosevelt, Franklin D., 117, 177
rowing, art of, 218–19
Rutgers University, 80
Seattle, Washington, 37, 57–58, 106–7, 160–61
Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 94, 147
Secor, Harry, 53, 54, 84
Simdars, Joyce, 36
about, viii
dates with Rantz, 61, 88, 101–2
death of, 213
engagement of, 60
family and youth of, 40, 41
high school years of, 55–57, 56, 59
housekeeping for judge, 60, 72, 101, 123
marriage and family of, 210, 210–11, 211
move to Seattle, 60
and Olympic finals, 194, 195, 202, 204
and Pacific Coast Regatta, 71–72, 74, 141
and Rantz’s family, 89–91, 130, 135
and Rantz’s financial state, 88
and team’s departure for nationals, 146–47
university years of, 60–61, 61
and U.S. Olympic trials, 160
Southwood, Dick, 193
stroke oar, 67
Switzerland’s rowing team, 187–88, 197, 198
Syracuse University, 80–81, 113, 114, 150
trust, 134, 136, 139, 168, 206
Ulbrickson, Alvin M., 18, 20
about, ix
on art of rowing, 218–19
and boat/team assignments, 62, 93–99, 103–4, 139–40
and competition in Berlin, 177–78
complaints about, 97
and Coy’s substitution for Hume, 177
