Rudolph C. Lehmann

Harvard's Crew Coach 1896-1898

While at Trinity College, Cambridge, Rudolph Lehmann was captain of the First Trinity Boat Club, but he himself was not a terribly successful rower and barely qualified to be on crew.  His true skills lay in coaching and writing.

From 1891-1903, he regularly served as finishing coach for the crews of Oxford and Cambridge, usually one or the other, but sometimes both.    At various times he also coached the Leander crew, Brasenose College Boat Club, Trinity College Dublin and the Berlin Boat Club. In 1895, Lehmann coached the Leander crew to a win over Yale and on the strength of this victory, Harvard offered the coaching position to Lehmann.  Lehmann agreed to coach the crews, but would ultimately leave Harvard in 1898 as he could not devote both spring and fall to coaching the crew.  He was happy to advise, but could not continue to be head coach.

He also served as Hon. Sec. in the Amateur Rowing Association from 1893 to 1901 and as captain of the Leander crew from 1894-1895.

Lehmann's other skill lay in writing, he was a founding editor of the Granta Magazine and began contributing to the satire magazine, Punch in 1889.  He continued to be a regular contributor to Punch including writing pieces that were eventually published in a book.  In a similar vein he became editor of the Daily News in 1901.  He wrote several pieces on rowing and was referred to as the "poet laureate of rowing."

In addition he was a lawyer, admitted to the bar in 1880, served as a justice of the peace, and was elected to the House of Commons in 1906, a seat he held until 1910.

He died in 1929 at the age of 73.

Writings by Lehmann:

Rowing

The Complete Oarsman

Sources About Lehmann:

"Mr. R.C. Lehmman." Baily's Magazine of Sports and Pastimes, June 1896.

"Mr. Rudolph C. Lehmann, New Editor for Daily News." Sketch, February 6, 1901.

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