ITHACA, N.Y. — A constant on the schedules of the Cornell rowing programs since the first running in 1874 in Watkins Glen, N.Y., the Cornell fall regatta, now known as the Schwartz Cup, returns this weekend at the Cornell Rowing Center on Saturday morning.
This year's Schwartz Cup will not be the same as it has been over the last 35-plus years, as the patriarch of the event, Dick Schwartz '60, passed away this past December 20.
Dick's wife of 45 years, Jean, will attend this weekend's regatta and will be accomponied by other family members.
Initially a walk-on to the freshman rowing team in the fall of 1956, Schwartz elevated himself to the varsity team, partially due to head coach Harrison 'Stork' Sanford.
While a student-athlete at Cornell, Schwartz aided the Big Red in recording a sweep at the 1958 IRAs and posting a victory at Eastern Sprints in 1960.
After graduating from Cornell, Schwartz became the head coach of Columbia's freshman and varsity lightweight rowing programs from 1960-62, where worked alongside Carl Ullrich, who was the head coach of the Cornell freshman crew team that Schwartz walked onto.
A staple around the rowing community, Schwartz rowed at the first-ever World Championships in 1962 in Lucerne, Switzerland, and participated at the Pan-American Games in 1963 in Sao Paolo, Brazil. Schwartz also won a gold medal at the Maccabiah Games in 1961 in Tel Aviv, Israel.
Along with Don Spero '61 and Bernie Horton, the trio successfully created the National Rowing Foundation in 1966, which continues to function and is a crucial benefactor for funding the U.S. National Team.
While appearing at various events aforementioned, Schwartz graduated from Cornell's medical school in 1965 before serving as a cardiologist for 55 years. He was also a member of many medical honor societies.
Schwartz continued to be involved in rowing while practicing medicine, as he served as a medical consultant and team physician for numerous high school rowing programs in the Washington, D.C., and northern Virginia areas. He also was the team physician for the U.S. National Rowing Team in Vichy, France, and Klagenfurt, Austria, and was the team's physician at the 1972 Olympics in Munich, Germany.
How the Schwartz Cup got to be where it is today began in 1987 when Dick and Jean were told by Cornell's heavyweight rowing head coach, Findley Meislahn, that there would not be enough backing for the fall regatta. Dick and Jean wanted to keep the tradition of hosting the regatta intact, and in 1988, the event, which previously held various names, including the fall regatta, Forbes Cup, Treaman Cup, and Mullestein Cup, became known as the Schwartz Cup.
Thirty years later, Dick and Jean endowed the fall regatta, ensuring Cornell's annual fall regatta will remain in their name.
Saturday's events will be conducted in two parts. The first portion will be a longer race beginning at the Cornell Rowing Center, making its way out to the outer lighthouse and back, which is approximately a three-mile distance. There will also be a 500-meter sprint that will take place. The schedule of events is scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m.
All races on Saturday will be broken down by class years, with the fastest class on each program being awarded a Schwartz Cup.
The Schwartz Cup serves as excellent way to promote boathouse inclusion, while also training for the Big Red's first official event of the fall season, the Head of the Charles, which will be held on Sunday, Oct. 22 in suburban Boston.
