HANOVER, N.H. - Richard S. (Dick) Dunham, 78, died on Monday, March 30, 2009, after a long illness.
Dick was born in Bangor, Me., on October 13, 1930, the son of Earl M. and Alice S. Dunham. He grew up in Wellesley, Mass., and became interested in the sport of rowing while vacationing in Maine.
He entered Dartmouth College from The Choate School and graduated in the Class of 1953. He was a prep school oarsman but a back injury, unrelated to rowing, ended his career and he became manager of the Dartmouth crew.
After serving as an officer in the Navy, Dick devoted the rest of his life to sports. Upon leaving the service, he became a volunteer with the Squaw Valley Organizing Committee for the 1960 Winter Olympics. That led to a job with the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) in New York.
He was a member of the USOC staff from 1963-72, working with Olympic and Pan-American teams in all sports. Following the 1972 Summer Games at Munich, Dick worked with the National Association of Amateur Oarsmen (NAAO), managing national rowing teams in international competition.
Concurrently, he was an official at countless collegiate regattas and assisted the FISA Youth Commission at world championships. Over the years he traveled more than a million miles in his work with sports and lost count of the number of countries he visited.
Dick was a member of the Stewards' Enclosure at the Henley Royal Regatta and a life member of Leander Club in England. He served the National Rowing Foundation (NRF) as a trustee, director and officer and attended his last Olympic Games, at Sydney, Australia in 2000, as a representative of the NRF. In 1991, Dick was elected to the National Rowing Hall of Fame for his service to the sport.
He was inducted as a member of Wearers of the Green at Dartmouth for his friendship and contributions to sports at Dartmouth and beyond.
Dick leaves no family. Burial will be private at Pine Knoll Cemetery in Hanover. A memorial service will be held at a later date.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Richard S. Dunham Fund, in care of the Dartmouth College Athletic Department, 6083 Alumni Gymnasium, Hanover, NH 03755.
Arrangements are under the direction of Rand-Wilson Funeral Home in Hanover.