Cheers,
Bill Gadzuk

Bob Johnson took some of the photos shown here and also developed a stunning video of the Race. The playing of the theme from Chariots of Fire was particularly inspiring!

When the tape arrived, it so happened that my VCR was temporarily on the fritz, and even when I got it fixed, I wasn't in much of hurry having read your enclosed "letter of apology" about the quality of the tape.

Well....I want you to know that I thought it was terrific. Sight, sound, dubbing, music, the whole thing. And what memories it brought back!

The only downside was that it made me feel even worse that I had not been able to take part.

But the way time is flying, 2003 will be upon us before we know it. I've already got the 40th on the calendar.

Again, many thanks for including me in your mailing. It was great to see "the team", and Coach Frailey on the tape.

Best regards,

Thanks very much for the video. I enjoyed it thoroughly and undoubtedly will watch it again and again. There is apparent not only considerable work and effort in the production, editing, camera work, music, etc. etc, but dare I suggest, also talent shines forth. Perhaps you are on the verge (or edge?) of a budding career in video. Weddings, confirmations, bar-mitzvahs, funerals, circumcisions are all waiting, looking for talent. Or, perhaps, even better, there's a grander future in tv? who knows. We may see your name as the credits roll in the footage of the next olympics.

All kidding aside, I do appreciate the work and effort you put into the video. And did get the vicarious thrill of watching the guys row. I was sorry not to be there myself. I had planned to go, but circumstances kept me from doing so. Your video has me eager for 2003! I can't say I was surprised by our victory. Just a matter of heart and determination. And the class of '63 always had an abundace of both.

While I rarely got the chance to row myself (when I did I rowed in the #7 position--how about that, Ron Cheek?) and even had the opportunity to cox several times over the four years I served first as frosh mgr, then as head manager--working with the heavyweights first, then the lights--being somewhere inbetween myself. I remember the very first day I went down for crew as a naive freshman the first week of school and weighing 137 lbs. the coach, Dick Andersen (or was it Anderson?) explained that to be a Lightweight I needed to weigh 140 and ought to be considerably taller than I was, and to cox I should be at most 130. But oh, yes. There was a need for managers, so I hung around.

A memory they'll bury me with are (is?) those many very cold, dark February nights driving the launch for Jack the water spraying onto my face and parka and freezing on my eyebrows. Yes, it was that cold. How was it for the guys in the shell? I don't think I ever asked. But I don't remember their every being sorry for the end of the workout.

I actually recognized several of the oarsmen. Yep. The video was that good! But except for the still at the end, I missed Jack. It seems I'm always missing you Jack. I stopped in at the tute several times over the years (not since your retirement), but could only leave a message. Hope you got 'em and are doing well now.

And Lauren, I got your change of address. Was only in the Tetons once, but it was beautiful. Just might take you up on your offer one day.

Regards to all.

It was good to hear from you.

The heavyweight frosh coach in the fall of '59 was Dick Ericson (Erickson ?). He left MIT sometime after we graduated to go to the U. of Washington as freshman coach, and soon after that, became varsity coach. He had a distinguished career, I'm pretty sure. I haven't followed it closely in several years, but I used to read about his Washington crews in Sports Illustrated.

I also missed the race, but the race, the tape, etc. have brought back many memories. I wrote a letter and posted it on the MIT Crew web page a few months ago. You might want to check it out.

Regards,

Heard on the MIT Crew Mailing List by Stu Schmill <stucrew@mit.edu>

Paul Richman[VI], an MIT alum, was one of those cheering for the MIT Crew yesterday. Only thing was, he intended to be there rooting for Columbia. His son, Dan, rows in the seven seat of the Columbia varsity lights. Sorry, Paul, to have been the spoiler crew to bump your son into the petites, but I'm sure they'll be in the hunt at the IRA.
[EARC Sprints Report, Mon, 12 May 1997]

For the first year ever, our Masters Alumni entry wasn't the youngest boat there. That helped, as we beat the University of Rochester in the final. (Okay, it was a final only.) I coxed, and Nate Crosswhite, Sandy Blanchard, Jim Latimer[VIII], Andy Ziegler, Ken Anderson, Phil Brown, Dylan Cors, and Brian Smith muscled the boat down the course. We actually had a pretty good row, and it was a lot of fun.
...
Last Saturday, the day after Bill Clinton spoke at MIT's Commencement, we had the 2nd Annual Reunion Row race. Eight classes entered boats: '93, '88, '83, '78, '73, '68, '63, and the classes of '48 and '58 combined to make a boat. With a special age handicapping system, devised here at MIT (in my office), the class of '63 won the event by 0.2 seconds over the class of '73. There were a few hundred people here for the event. We were fortunate to have former coaches Pete Holland and Jack Frailey '44 as special guest starters. Jack was recently inducted into the National Rowing Foundation's Hall of Fame.
[Mon, 8 June 1998]

Like fine wines, some other things also get better with age. Take for instance the "Four Oarsmen of 63" (MIT's answer to Notre Dame's legendary "Four Horsemen"?), as documented in the attached photos taken this past June in Cherry Hill, NJ at the 2002 IRA Regatta in which the national Intercollegiate Rowing Association champions are determined. In recent years a highly competitive alumni Master's Eights race has been part of the IRA. This past year a group of well-seasoned rowers-of-old assembled an MIT entry heavy on our class of '63. The four of us, Ken Andersen/bow, Bill Gadzuk/2, Jim Latimer/3, and Tony Fiory/4, all helped to bring down the average age of the boat to 62.5 years, the oldest crew to have ever participated in this race according to the race announcer. While we did not quite bring home the gold, we did qualify for the finals, performed admirably and, most importantly, had a tremendous time doing it. Upcoming reunion regatta competition beware!

Best wishes,

Bill Gadzuk

MIT8: From bow to stern: Ken Andersen ('63), Bill Gadzuk ('63), Jim Latimer ('63), Tony Fiory ('63), Mike Brose ('58), Dick Millman ('62), Pete Peterson ('58), Sandy Blanchard-stroke ( '65), and Jesse Lipcon-cox ('65). Photo by © Sport Graphics.

Bow3: Ken Andersen ('63), Bill Gadzuk ('63), Jim Latimer ('63). Photo by © Sport Graphics.

The 2003 Class Reunion Crew Challenge took place Sunday morning June 8, 2003 at the Pierce Boathouse, 8am - 11am. Jack Lynch assembled two full shells for the Reunion Row, (the only class to do so) with 14 oarsmen, two coxswains, and a manager. *Ken Andersen, *Harvey Bines, *Elliott Bird, *Dennis Buss, *Ron Cheek, *Tony Fiory, *Bill Gadzuk, *Bob Johnson, *Bob Kurtz, *Jim Latimer, *Jack Lynch, *Rick Metzinger, *Murray Morton, *Jerry Skinner, *John Wasserlein, *Ron Young, and *Bob Vernon participated.

Under a handicapping system based on class year we came in first and fourth in a field of nine. Our first shell won in record time of 1:02.5. Our second shell finished only 2 seconds behind, also beating all previous Reunion Row winning times. - -

MIT's Reunion Row Results page
Ron's Reunion Row Pictures
Murray Morton's Reunion Row Pictures
Bill Gadzuk's Reunion Row Slide Show
Edited EMail trail documenting the 2003 Reunion Row(38 page PDF file)

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