Vesper Boat Club facts for kids

The Vesper Boat Club is an amateur rowing club. It is located at #10 Boathouse Row in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The club was started in 1865 as the Washington Barge Club. In 1870, its name changed to Vesper Boat Club. Vesper's main goal is to help rowers become Olympic champions. This goal was recently met by Devery Karz and Kathleen Bertko. They competed in the 2016 Summer Olympics.

History of Vesper Boat Club

The Vesper Boat Club began on February 22, 1865. At that time, many rowing clubs were starting on Philadelphia's Schuylkill River. The club was first called the Washington Barge Club. On January 1, 1870, it became the Vesper Boat Club. Soon, it was one of the most famous rowing clubs in the world.

Olympic Wins and Famous Rowers

Vesper's eight-oared boat won a gold medal at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris. They won again at the 1904 games in St. Louis. At the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, Vesper's eight-oared boat won gold once more. This makes Vesper the only rowing club in the United States to win this title three times.

Two very famous people linked to Vesper Club are John B. Kelly Sr. and his son, John B. Kelly Jr.. John B. Kelly Sr. owned a brick business. He was also important in city government. His son, John B. Kelly Jr., was a city councilman. He was also the brother of Princess Grace of Monaco.

John B. Kelly Sr. won Olympic gold in single rowing in 1920. He also won gold in double rowing in 1920 and 1924. He won these with his cousin, Paul Costello. John B. Kelly Jr. won the Diamond Sculls race in 1947 and 1949. He won the national singles championship eight times. When he passed away in 1985, he was the president of the United States Olympic Committee.

Many other Vesper members have won national and international races. They were coached by great people like Jim Manning and Allan Rosenberg.

Women's Rowing Team

For a century, only men rowed at Vesper. But in 1970, Vesper became the first men's club to start a women's rowing team. The Philadelphia Girls' Rowing Club was the first to start women's rowing in the U.S. in 1968. Vesper women have won many national championships. They have also represented the United States in international competitions. In 1976, six Vesper members were on the USA Olympic Rowing Team.

Vesper Boathouse

Vesper Boat Club,
#10 Boathouse Row, 1972

The current Vesper clubhouse was built with the nearby Malta Boat Club. The Vesper cornerstone shows the year 1865. The first part of the building was finished in 1865. A famous Philadelphia architect, G.H. Hewitt, designed the boathouse.

The building's style is Victorian Gothic. This was a common style at that time. Club members who were tradesmen built the original building using local materials. A second boat bay was added in 1898. The last addition was completed in the early 1960s.

In 1873, Vesper and Malta Boat Club built a 1.5-story boathouse together. In 1898, a second floor was added to Vesper. Other updates have also been done recently. Howard Egar designed the changes and additions made in 1898.

Prominent Members of Vesper Boat Club

Many talented rowers have been part of Vesper Boat Club. Here are some of them:

• Harry Parker - 1960 US Olympic Team member and US Olympic Coach from 1964 to 1984.
• Allen Rosenberg - Rower and US Olympic rowing coach.
• Kenneth Dreyfuss - 1972 US Olympic Team.
• C. Hugh Stevenson – 1972 US Olympic Team.
• James E. Moroney III - 1972 & 1976 US Olympic Teams.
• Michiel Bartman - 2009 and 2007 US National Team Coaching Staff.
• Dan Scholz - 2009 US National Team member (Lightweight Men's Quadruple Sculls).
• Julie Nichols - 2008 US Olympic Team member (Alternate).
• Josh Inman - 2008 US Olympic Team and 2007 US National Team member (Stroke in Men's Eight).
• Libby (Elizabeth) Peters - 2008 US National Team member (Women's Lightweight Quadruple Sculls).
• Wendy Tripician - 2007 US National Team member (Women's Lightweight Double Sculls).
• Jana Heere - 2007 US National Team member (Women's Lightweight Double Sculls).
• Hannah Moore - 2007 US National Team member (Women's Lightweight Quadruple Sculls).
• Carey Brezler - 2007 US National Team member (Women's Lightweight Quadruple Sculls).
• Mary Jones - 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 US National Team member (Pan Am Games Women's Lightweight Single Sculls Gold Medalist, World Championship Women's Lightweight Single Sculls, World Championship Women's Lightweight Double Sculls, Silver Medalist).
• Julia Lonchar - 2019 US National Team Member (Pan Am Games Women's Double Sculls, silver. Women's Quadruple Sculls, bronze).
• Yohann Rigogne - 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 US National Team Member (Men's Coxed Pair, Men's 8+, Men's Single Sculls).
• Zachary Heese - 2018 Under 23 US National Team Member (Men's Lightweight Single Sculls), 2019 US National Team Member (Men's Lightweight Quadruple Sculls), 2021 US Olympic Trials (1st place, Men's Lightweight Double Sculls).
• Jasper Liu - 2019 US National Team Member (Men's Lightweight Quadruple Sculls), 2021 US Olympic Trials (1st place, Men's Lightweight Double Sculls).
• Kieran Edwards - 2019 Under 23 US National Team Member (Men's Lightweight Quadruple Sculls).
• Michelle Sechser - 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 US National Team Member (Women's Lightweight Single Sculls, Quadruple Sculls, Double Sculls - bronze medalist), 2021 US Olympic Trials (1st place, Women's Lightweight Double Sculls).
• Solveig Imsdahl - 2012 Under 23 US National Team (Women's Lightweight Quadruple Sculls), 2019 Pan Am Games US National Team (Women's Coxless Pair. Women's Quadruple Sculls, bronze).
• Elizabeth Euiler - 2019 Pan American Games US National Team (Women's Coxless Pair).
• Jonathan Kierkegaard - 2017 US National Team Member (Men's Quadruple Sculls), Henley Royal Regatta (Men's Quadruple Sculls, gold medalist), 2021 Us Olympic Trials (1st place, Men's Double Sculls).
• Logan Smith - 2019 Pan American Games US National Team (Men's Coxless Pair, Men's 8+).
• James Garay - 2019 Pan American Games US National Team (Men's Coxless Pair, Men's 8+).
• Katherine McFetridge - 2015 Pan American Games (Women's Single Sculls, gold).
• Nicole Ritchie - 2015 Pan American Games (Women's Double Sculls, silver. Women's Quadruple Sculls, silver).
• Lindsay Meyer - 2008 US Olympic Team (Women's Quadruple Sculls), 2015 Pan American Games (Women's Double Sculls, silver. Women's Quadruple Sculls, silver).

Vesper Olympic Medalists

These Vesper Boat Club members have won medals at the Olympic Games:

• Louis Abell - Gold medalist in 1900 and 1904.
• John Exley - Gold medalist in 1900 and 1904.
• James Juvenal - Gold medalist in 1900 and silver medalist in 1904.
• Edward Marsh - Gold medalist in 1900.
• Harry Lott - 1904 gold medalist.
• Stanley Cwiklinski - 1964 Eights gold medalist.
• Hugh Foley - 1964 Eights gold medalist.
• Gene Clapp - 1972 Men's eights silver medalist.
• John B. Kelly Jr. - Bronze medal in 1956. He also competed in 1948, 1952, and 1960.
• Bill Maher - 1968 Men's Double Sculls bronze medal. He rowed for VBC in 1969.

See also

• John B. Kelly Sr.
• John Strotbeck, Jr.
• John Timoney