Conn Findlay ’56 awarded nation’s highest rowing honor

Port of Los Angeles, CA – November 1, 2007 – USRowing, the national governing body of the sport, has named Mr. Conn Findlay ‘56 ‘Man of the Year’.



The USRowing Man of the Year Award is given in recognition of outstanding contributions to men’s rowing.

Conn Findlay has served the sport of rowing with great distinction for more than a half century. He is a three-time Olympic-rowing medalist in the pair with coxswain, having won gold in 1956 and 1964 and bronze in 1960.



Mr. Findlay competed in his fourth Olympics in 1976, winning a bronze medal with Dennis Conner in sailing’s Tempest class. He also competed on the winning America’s Cup sailing crews in 1975 and 1977.

Mr. Findlay rowed at the University of Southern California and later coached at Stanford University for several years.



While at USC his crew was part of a record string of victories over cross-town rival UCLA that has not been matched since. “Conn was almost too big and too powerful for our crew,” recalls fellow crewmate Jack Schumacher ’54. “We had no one strong enough on the other side of the boat to balance him out.”

Mr. Findlay was inducted into Stanford University’s Hall of Fame in 2005. Mr. Findlay, who lives in Northern California, continues to serve as a referee at numerous regattas, such as the PAC-10 Championships, each year.

“Conn’s contribution to rowing and the Olympic movement in this country is immense,” says former USC oarsman and assistant rowing coach James Hoffman ’52, who now serves on the USC Crew Board. “Acknowledging him in this way half a century after winning his first gold medal at the Melbourne Olympics in 1956 is special.”

Mr. Findlay will be honored, along with the previously announced USRowing Athletes of the Year, on December 7 at the USRowing Annual Awards Reception in Miami, Fla.

USC Men’s Crew will host a reception to honor Mr. Findlay at the San Diego Crew Classic in April at the San Diego Yacht Club.