Olympics: New Rochelle's Stars

Olympics: New Rochelle's Stars

If you had the pleasure of reading The Boys in theBoat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics by Daniel James Brown, or catching the PBS documentary, The Boys of '36 that aired on August 2^nd, then you are well-familiar with the thrilling story of the eight-man rowing crew that won the gold in the 1936 Olympics.

How about the story of the Boys of ’24?

"Paris, July 17: Yale's eight stalwart sons raised the Stars and Stripes to the masthead on the Seine banks this afternoon by scoring a victory which proved them unquestionably the finest rowing eight at present in the world," concluded the New York Times on July 18, 1924.

"Yale Crew Rides to Easy Victory in Olympic Race.' Wonder Crew,' with Miller of Larchmont and Stoddard of New Rochelle Seated, Sets New Record for Course," headlined the Evening Standard of July 17, 1924.  The U.S.A. "dream team" of the Eighth Olympiad, held in France, was the eight-oared Yale crew coached by Ed Leader and captained by a 6'1" twenty-two year old, James Rockefeller, of the prominent Rockefeller family. Lester Miller, a 6'2" twenty-year old from Larchmont pulled from the third seat. The tallest member of the crew, at 6'4", was a Yale junior by the name of Benjamin M. Spock, who would become the world famous baby doctor. As is the norm, the shortest member was the coxswain, who was 5”1” tall and weighed 108 pounds. The twenty year old was Laurence (Larry) Stoddard, of New Rochelle.

"It was a remarkably adaptable crew," the New York Times stated in post-race commentary. "It had speed, it had power, it had endurance, it had oarsmanship and courage. It was a combination that rowed with its head and heart as well as its arms, legs and back…”

With a Yale contingent and Stoddard's father cheering from the banks of the Seine, the "eight well-trained oarsmen answered the coxswain's call at each stroke," as reported in the Evening Standard. "The precision of the drive," along the four-mile course, "was a wonderful thing to watch - as the shell came hurtling out in front to leave a growing gap of open water between the Blue and the unbeaten Canadians, who were completely outclassed." The winning time was 6 minutes, thirty-three seconds.

(For an up-close and personal account of the "wonder crew's" Olympic experience, check-out Spock on Spock: A Memoir of Growing Up with the Century.  The 1985 autobiography by Dr, Spock recalls the entire adventure, which began as an eight-day, first-class voyage aboard the S.S. Homeric.)

P.S. Larry Stoddard was not the only New Rochelle native to bring home the gold from the 1924 Olympics!  While the rowing completion was playing out on the Seine, Westchester tennis star Vincent Richards had "fought his way into the semi-final round in the Olympic Tennis Tournament, men's singles, when he defeated Rene La Coste, the French star, in a thrilling five set match," reported in the Evening Standard of reported of the July 17^th match. The "boy wonder" from Yonkers went on to capture the gold medal in the men's singles - as well as in the men's doubles. His partner in victory was Francis T. Hunter, from New Rochelle.

Wait, there's more! Next week: New Rochelle Gold in Swimming and Track & Field.

Contributor: Barbara Davis, Community Relations Coordinator @ NRPL and Local Historian.