1st Penn Womens Crew, 1935 newsarticle, University of Pennsylvania Archives

First Time in Shell for Girls-
For Coach Callow a New Experience-
But Good Time Had by All

"It's fun." said the girls.

But Rusty Callow had his hands full.

But Callow, not the girls, was the early bird at Boathouse Row this morning. He knew, mebbe, what he was in for.

The coeds were "all thrilled." They said so. Some of them had never even seen a shell before. And it was fun getting in them and rowing, even though they were a little wabbly at first.

And it was an experience-what an experience-for Callow, Penn's veteran coach. Never before has he tutored a bunch of women interested in rowing. Eight years of coaching crews at Penn and before that at Washington, but never before-women. What an experience!

Rough Water Fails to Halt 'Em

It was a little rough on the water, but sixteen coeds, aiming high for glory in a crew, piled in and somehow-gee, it was fun-rowed out a half mile in a rather "funny" direction to launch the sport at Penn.

But they didn't have enough. They said so, quite frankly afterward, while with womanly graciousness, they gave way to their fellow "rowers" waiting at the dock for their first taste of crew.

You may think it's a joke. You may even call it one, but this business of co-eds going in for the manly sport of rowing is serious business for them and Callow. They may giggle and chatter. Women do, you know, but their minds are made up and it's rowing or else.

Two Drills a Week Listed

So, twice a week from this time hence, you'll be able to peek at the girls in red and blue out on their newly adopted sport. Tuesdays and Thursdays are the days along Boathouse Row.

But Callow himself had a little admission to make to the press after his session with Penn's coeds.

"The girls show lots of zest, " he said, "and row better than boys when they begin."

Announcement was made by Dr. Marion H. Rea, medical director of physical education for women at the University of Pennsylvania, that "friendly games" with nearby colleges will be scheduled for the coeds next year in hockey and basketball. For years, Penn girls have devoted themselves to intramural competition, but these "friendly games," every once in a while, will be in the air next term.

This was the 10 o'clock class that inaugurated coed rowing at Penn:
Ruth Barlow, Elsie Bortel, Ruth Brower, Jean Bydall, Elvina Castle, Rita Ficchi, Anne Frantz, Ruth Friedenberg, Jeanette Gevor, Ruth Goldstein, Betty Haig, Elyonta Hershberger, May Harzenstein, Dot Hastings, Lillian Ketterling, Josephine Kline, Ruth Levitt, Eleanor Loos, Elizabeth Patton, Mary Rips, Anne Sixmith, Helen Smith, Ruth Stanton, Margaret Tomkin and Thelma Vigderman.

The 11 o'clock class, appearing somewhat shyer than the first, soon got the hang of the oars and rowed upstream for about half a mile as Callow gave directions from the bow. This group consisted of Jane Ahlers, Jane Atkins, Christine Bass, Mary Burkert, Mary Agnes Cantlin, Irene Cawley, Emily Deubler, Eleanor Diamond, Ruth Frank, Rosalind Golden, Jeanne Haenigsen, Elizabeth Hartley, Beatrice Harvey, Regina Hynes, Alice Jones, Elizabeth Karff, Jane Lowry, Betty Myers, Dorothea Reidler, Sylvia Reiter, Jeanne Richardson, Dorothy Samuels, Alvena Sacker, Elizabeth Stephenson and Frances Wenrich.

"Nineteen Hundred." the new shell used by the Penn varsity crew, will be christened by Dr. Fred H. Stehle at 4:30 o'clock this afternoon.

Dr. Stehle was a member of the last Red and Blue eight to win at Poughkeepsie.

The new shell will be used for the first time in action in the annual Blackwell Cup Regatta on the Schuykill Saturday. Varsity, junior varsity, freshman, and 150-pound crews will race.

"Nineteen Hundred" will honor one of the great crews in the history of Pennsylvania rowing. In addition to being the last to row a triumph in the historic race, it is also one of the best to compete in the event.

Source: clipping from May 1935 Philadelphia Inquirer found in

University Archives, The University of Pennsylvania
Photograph Collection, Groups and Events Series
Box 56, Folder labelled "Women at Penn First day women were allowed to row 1935"

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