Joseph "Joe" Wright

Pennsylvania's Crew Coach 1915-1925

Joseph Walter Harris Wright was known as the "grand old man of Canadian rowing" as well as being an all around great athlete.  Born January 14, 1864, Wright competed in a number of sports including rugby, crew, boxing, track and field, sprint, and wrestling.  He held titles in a number of these sports, he held the most  titles in rowing with 137.  One of the few titles he did not capture was the Diamond Sculls at the Royal Henley Regatta in 1894, but his son, Joe Wright Jr., would win it 35 years later.

Wright Sr. competed in races in the U.S., Canada, and England.  In 1895, he won both the U.S. national titles in pairs and fours.  Wright was part of the Canadian eight that won silver in the 1904 Olympics and the Canadian eight that won a bronze in the 1908 Olympics.  He continued to compete in athletic contests, but in 1906 he began coaching as well.  He coached and rowed with the Argonaut Rowing Club of Toronto beginning in 1906 as well as playing on and coaching the club's rugby-football team.  He also coached the Canadian eight in the 1912 Olympics.  Wright was considered an amateur coach at this point as he coached when he had time away from his job as superintendent of the Toronto post office. Wright continued as coach for the Argonauts and superintendent of the post office until 1916, when he was hired by the University of Pennsylvania to coach the crews.

Wright did much to improve the rowing program at the University of Pennsylvania, but one of his greatest achievements while there was introducing lightweight rowing that soon spread throughout the U.S.  He believed in recruiting heavy men to the crew to ensure a powerful stroke.  He felt they would have more stamina for the four-mile race and better balance the weight in the boat.  As a result of this, the lighter weight men, 160 lbs and under, did not have an opportunity to compete on the Pennsylvania crews.  Wright advocated for a race for these rowers and eventually a lightweight crew was introduced at the University of Pennsylvania.  By 1919, lightweight rowing was recognized as an event around the U.S. and by most universities.

Wright continued at the University of Pennsylvania until May 1925 when he and the crew captain disagreed over the boating of the varsity crew.  The Rowing Committee became involved and backed the captain and not Wright.  Wright resigned shortly before the crews were due to compete in the Child's Cup.

Wright did not return to university crew coaching, but continued to compete in athletic contests.  At the age of 45 he stroked a Canadian crew to a United States national title.  He retired from athletic contests at the age of 50 after rowing in an Argonaut Rowing Club Regatta.

In between all this, he was elected to the Toronto city council in 1928 and he served three terms.

He passed away October 18, 1950 at the age of 86 in Toronto.

Wright is credited with the establishment and growth of lightweight rowing.  He donated the Joseph Wright Challenge Cup, which is given to lightweight crews first in the American Henley and now the EARC.

Sources about Wright: 

Dictionary of Canadian Biography

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