Joan Bird was the catalyst in the re-birth of Women’s Rowing at the University of Washington in the fall/winter of 1968. A transfer from Mills College where she rowed, Bird was surprised to find the UW had no such program for the women at the UW. “I first visited Norma Carr down in the Intramural Building to sign up for women’s crew and was surprised when she told me there was no such thing,” Bird said in an interview with the Helena (Montana) Independent Record in 2010. “She said it was because there was no interest, but when I told her how much I’d enjoyed the sport and couldn’t believe there wasn’t interest, she volunteered, with a conspiratorial smile, ‘If you can demonstrate there is an interest, the university is obligated to supply you with equipment.’”

An interest there was. Thirty women signed up and coach Bernie Delke was hired as the intramural coach, the women borrowing the intramural men’s equipment (wherry fours and eights) on Tuesdays and Thursdays. In April of 1969, they entered their first race at the Corvallis Invitational at OSU, driving their own cars south with oars strapped to the roofs, and borrowing racing shells (actual shells, not wherries) and for the first time attempting to set the boats on the way to the starting line. It was an adventure, but by June the team was rowing in shells borrowed from the men’s team, and subsequently raced at the NWRA Nationals on Greenlake, placing 3rd in both the lightweight 4 and lightweight 8 events.

Ellen Ernst, who wrote the detailed UW early year history, added, “Participation in the 1969 nationals ended the rebirth year, and the first racing season for the UW women’s crew. Joan Bird had the vision and energy to reintroduce the sport [and] the women were excited to continue rowing and competing — and in making up for the 50 years of lost time! They were hooked!”  Thank you Helena Independent Record, June 16, 2010.  Photo: UW Tyee, added 3/23