Claude Zappone

Georgetown's Crew Coach 1900-1901

Claude Zappone was born in 1858 in Washington, D.C. and went on to be an active member of the rowing community in Washington, D.C.   He was a member of the Potomac Boat Club for 43 years and the National Association of Amateur Oarsmen for 33 years.

He attended Georgetown University in the 1870s and became Georgetown's first rowing coach in 1878.  When crew was started at Georgetown, it relied heavily on the support of the Potomac Boat Club which supplied shells and a coach in the form of their president, Claude Zappone.  Zappone was considered the father of rowing at Georgetown, but interest in rowing tapered off after a few years.  In the 1899-1900 academic year, rowing was revived.  Zappone returned as coach and brought the first Georgetown crew to Poughkeepsie in June 1900.

Zappone stepped away from coaching after the 1901 season, but remained an athletic advisor to Georgetown.  He continued to be active in rowing in the Washington area. 

Outside of coaching, Zappone was in charge of the duplicate record section of the Adjutant General's Office in the War Office.

He passed away in March 1919 at the age of 61 after being ill for several months.