History of Women's Rowing at GU
In the fall of 1975, it was high time for Georgetown to have an organized women’s crew. Georgetown University’s board of directors had made the policy decision to go co-ed in the late 1960s; through transfer admission of women, Georgetown was graduating women from the College in the Class of 1970.
During the early 1970s, several attempts to form a women’s crew at Georgetown had been gently rebuffed by some of the men’s rowing coaches and by the athletic department due to lack of money, lack of boats, lack of rack space and frankly, lack of understanding, although Georgetown women were involved in rowing as coxswains for Georgetown men’s crews in the very early 1970s, certainly by 1972.
In the fall of 1975, Sharon Courtin (N‘76) posted signs across the Georgetown campus calling for “an organizational meeting of all Georgetown undergraduate women interested in forming a women’s crew.” More than 40 women responded and attended that organizational meeting convened in her house at 1214 34 th Street, a part of Halcyon House.
On behalf of the dozens of undergraduate women who responded, Sharon soon petitioned the Georgetown athletic department for permission to organize and function as an officially sanctioned Georgetown “club sport.”
After many petitions and reviews, Frank Rienzo, Georgetown’s Athletic Director, agreed that women’s rowing would be an appropriate sport for Georgetown. The enthusiastic founding group of women soon received recognition as an official “club sport.”
In it’s first season the team recruited a volunteer coach, Martha Laradu, a former rower at George Washington University, already a few years ahead in women’s rowing. Martha borrowed a very heavy older wooden boat from Washington & Lee high school. The team fundraised to pay for all of their equipment, uniforms and travel expenses.
Soon thereafter, Andi (Penisi) Stephenson (N’78) worked with some of the men to be recognized by the Georgetown University Rowing Association and have access to some of the University’s boats. In the late 70s John Devlin and Jack Nihill were brought on to lead the women’s crews to new accomplishments, often out-performing the men’s crews. During these early years, the women’s crew was nicknamed the “Baby Chicks”.
Today, the Baby Chicks of Georgetown have grown into a respected varsity sport at Georgetown. Many hundreds of Georgetown women have participated in this sport. In fact, the Georgetown’s women’s rowing program has won National Championships and produced alumnae that compete on the US National and Olympic teams.
