ITHACA, N.Y. -- A resourceful farmer. A businessman. An intrepid pilot. A competitive skier.

A Big Red oarsman.

Unique. Intense. Loyal. Those who knew Raymond Randolph '69 will tell you he lived every one of those words - fully, fiercely, and without hesitation.

A member of the 1968 varsity lightweight crew that was runner-up for the Henley Thames Challenge Cup, Randolph's devotion to the program took shape in one final, extraordinary act. Upon his passing in 2020, Randolph left a transformative, multi-million dollar bequest to Cornell lightweight rowing. He will be recognized with the naming of the lightweight team's bay as the "Randolph Bay" during the Schwartz Cup weekend on Sept. 26-27, 2025.

"Raymond was always excited about rowing when he returned. It was obvious how important the Cornell crew was to him," said Todd Kennett '91, the Spirit of '57 Director of Cornell Rowing. "His gift to the lightweight program is one of the biggest in our history, and it will help generations of Cornell Rowers be able to compete. It is a gift that will affect many people in a very positive way forever."

"Raymond Randolph embodied everything Cornell Lightweight Rowing stands for," said Tyler Nase, the Henry E. Bartels '48 Head Coach of Lightweight Rowing. "As an athlete, he set the standard with his relentless work ethic and the way he lifted up everyone around him. As an alumnus, his generosity and commitment ensured the program he loved will thrive for generations. Raymonds's impact will be felt not just in victories and boats moved faster, but in the character of the young athletes who follow his example. He will always be an inspiration and a model for what it means to be a Cornell oarsman."

Randolph's connection to Cornell ran deep, forged in the long miles of training and competition as a member of the varsity lightweight crew. In 1968, he and his boatmates made history, finishing as runner-up for the Henley Thames Challenge Cup in England and defeating Eastern Sprints champion Harvard along the way. He reconnected with the team and coaches when he joined the Cornell Rowing Association Board. His gift will support current and future generations of Cornell crews for decades to come through the program's endowment.

Randolph's time at Cornell was as transformative as the gift he returned to his alma mater.

"Rowing probably kept Raymond at Cornell," said teammate Bill Bockbrader '70. "Without rowing, we may not have made it. What really kept us engaged with Cornell and Ithaca and the lightweight program was the intensity of it. One of the lines in the Cornell rowing song is 'oh the joy of life intense.' That defined Raymond. He was just wholeheartedly into whatever he was interested in and doing at the time."

His career was as diverse as he was unique: after graduating Cornell, he moved to Manitoba during the Vietnam War to work a vegetable farm before moving to British Columbia where he bought farm land. From harvesting crops, he slowly evolved into home construction, eventually building a successful company that worked with the British Columbia forestry service and BC Hydro, the province's main electricity distributor. Later, he returned to the United States, working in the oil industry in Louisiana and Texas, and eventually running his own exploration and development company.

His love of adventure - and refusal to be confined to one place - found another outlet in aviation. Randolph not only owned, but piloted, both single- and twin-engine aircraft, logging hours that took him as far afield as Germany. The same competitiveness that helped his boat defeat Harvard at Henley showed up when he picked up cross-country skiing, as he competed in amateur races in the Western United States and Canada. In his later years, he managed a condominium on Vancouver Island while continuing to oversee his investments.

Randolph's involvement in the Cornell lightweight rowing program was particularly meaningful to him and he maintained strong friendships and a deep appreciation for the sport throughout his life. No matter where life took him, Cornell lightweight rowing was never far from Randolph's thoughts - or his walls.

"(Randolph) was genuinely proud of his time at Cornell and on the rowing team. This was a very important part of his life," said longtime friends Rick and Jeannie Sandidge. "He proudly displayed pictures from those days for anyone and everyone to see in his hangar. It was easy to feel and hear from our talks that the days, and years, he spent at Cornell were times he never forgot and truly cherished."

For the generations of rowers who will benefit from his bequest, Randolph's life is a reminder that the lessons of sport - discipline, resilience, camaraderie - don't fade with time. They fuel a lifetime of pursuits, from farming and flying to skiing and rowing.

And in Cornell boathouse lore, Raymond Randolph will always be remembered as more than a teammate or benefactor. He will be remembered as a man who lived, rowed, and gave with joy.

And with life intense.