PRACTICE IN THE OLD ARMORY 1896

Courtney was the inventor of the rolling seat for oarsman, and all of the sculls used by Cornell during his time at the University were built to his specifications at the boathouse by his assistant, John Hoyle.

He is also credited with developing the "Courtney or American style" of rowing as opposed to the "English style." Courtney's rowers did not lean way back on the pull-through, and he didn't insist on a certain number of strokes per minute, relying, instead, on each crew finding its own natural pace with a good run on the boat after each stroke. He was also one of the first coaches to use photography to analyze his crews' procedures and performances.

In June of 1920, one of Courtney's long-held wishes came true -- the big IRA race, usually held at Poughkeepsie, came to Cayuga Lake. Mobile grandstands were built on railroad flatcars on the tracks that paralleled the water's edge, so that spectators could stay even with the boats throughout the race. Two of Cornell's three teams swept the field.

Courtney had gone into semi-retirement in 1916, and shortly after the big race he fully retired. In the spring of 1920, he and his wife left their home in Ithaca to spend the summer at Farley's Point on Cayuga Lake.

On June 17, 1920, after returning from a morning on the water, he died at age 71. On June 12, 1976, the village of Union Springs held a regatta in memory of Charles Courtney - using the same course he raced on in 1872, when he first met the Cornell navy.

Many thanks to Pat Kimber at the Frontenac Museum in Union Springs for providing the photos for this article. -Ed.