Colleges Deny Rowing Power Grab

Harvard crew coach Harry Parker withdrew his name from nomination for the executive committee of the National Association of Amateur Oarsmen when the move was construed as part of a "power grab."

Parker was one of five professional coaches nominated to challenge five incumbent committeemn. If the professional coaches had been elected, representatives of college rowing would have gained a majority on the committee presently controlled by representatives of club rowing.

The rowing clubs feared that the attempt to take over the NAAO foreshadowed an attempt to take over the United States Olympic Rowing Committee in the wake of the recent success of the Vesper Rowing Club entry in the Olympics.

Parker said "Our only intent in seeking a place on the executive committee was to cooperate with the NAAO and support its program through more college participation in the regattas."

He has long advocated having collegians row with clubs during the summer where possible. Three of his Harvard oarsmen who represented the U.S. in the Olympics at Tokyo this fall had rowed with club crews two summers ago.

Parker's intention was to further integrate the club and college programs to improve American rowing, but when his nomination was construed as a "power grab" he withdrew--as did Coach Dutch Schoch of Princeton and Coach Charles Swift of Exeter--and the incumbents were reelected.