History of the Eastern Association of Women's Rowing Colleges

During the 1960's many women's sports emerged in the United States, including women's rowing.  Yet there were few formal organizations to coordinate the efforts of individual teams.  The National Women's Rowing Association, founded in 1962, sponsored some regional and national competitions, but was too broad based to provide the support that women's collegiate rowing needed.

On February 19, 1971, the late Fred Emerson, an unfailing supporter of rowing, called together all interested women's crew coaches for a meeting at his home in Old Lyme, Connecticut.  The 20 programs that responded included collegiate teams, private club teams, and two high schools.  Together they formed the New England Association of Women's Rowing Colleges and held a championship regatta on Rogers Lake in Old Lyme, Connecticut, on May 14, 1972, funded and organized by Emerson. Each program entered one eight to race on the 1,000 meter course and Princeton University won the competition.

In the 1974 season, the organization experienced growing pains as the collegiate crews raised the intensity of competition higher than the high schools could match.  This split provided the impetus for the colleges to form their own racing league, thus was born the Eastern Association of Women's Rowing Colleges (EAWRC).  On Lake Besek in Middlefield, Connecticut, Barnard, Boston University, Connecticut College, Dartmouth College, Drexel University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of New Hampshire, University of Massachusetts, University of Pennsylvania, Princeton University, Radcliffe College, University of Rhode Island, Syracuse University, Washington College, Wellesley College, Williams College, Worcester Polytechnic Institute and Yale University vied for the 1974 EAWRC championship title.  Radcliffe defeated the 18 other crews to become the first EAWRC champion. 

Four years later,  weather conditions forced officials to cancel the 1978 regatta.  In 1979 the competition moved to Lake Waramaug in New Preston, Connecticut, where Charles Willing, then the crew coach of nearby South Kent School, took charge.  Willing served as Regatta Director from 1979 until 1988.  Chris Combs took over the reins of leadership in 1989 and continues to hold the position of Regatta Director today. 

The regatta remained at Lake Waramaug until 2001, when it moved to the waters of the Cooper River in Camden County, New Jersey.  The Cooper River Rowing Association (CRRA) generously embraced the responsibilities of hosting the EAWRC Championships.  The CRRA has hosted the Intercollegiate Rowing Association (IRA) National Championships for 10 years and will welcome the IRA regatta again on June 1-3, 2006.

Coaches founded the EAWRC as an independent league, to provide oarswomen with a highly competitive regatta.  The original varsity-only, 1,000 meter race has evolved into a championship which includes six different eights races and three races for coxed fours.  This expansion combined with the advent of an NCAA-sponsored National Championships created a need for a more formal organizing structure.  Hence, the ECAC accepted the EAWRC as an affiliate in 2001.

In 2006, the EAWRC welcomed Boston College as a provisional member. After having participated in past EAWRC Sprints, Boston College earned provisional status and will look to gain full time recognition in 2007.

In 2007, the EAWRC invited the University of Rhode Island as a guest entry.