The women's rowing teams of Boston University, MIT, Northeastern and Radcliffe will honor women's rowing pioneer Ernestine Bayer by each dedicating a racing shell simultaneously in her honor in a ceremony at the De Wolfe Boathouse on Saturday, October 21 during the Head of the Charles weekend.
Bayer, considered "The Mother of Women's Rowing," died at the age of 97 on September 10, 2006.
A true legend in rowing, she was a leader in introducing women to the sport. Her name is recognizable around the world for her achievement and advancement of women's competitive rowing. Bayer's pioneering efforts made it possible for women to row at the club, college and international levels. She was instrumental in women's rowing events being added to the Olympic Games in 1976.
Bayer received every award given by the National Rowing Association, including the first United States rowing gold medal and Coach of the Year. She was a member of the first Women's Rowing Olympic Committee, the first woman inducted into the rowing Hall of Fame and one of rowing's "Ten Most Influential People of the Century."
The dedication ceremony will take place at 5:00pm at the Boston University De Wolfe Boathouse on 617 Memorial Drive in Cambridge.