George Yeomans Pocock

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George Yeomans Pocock
1956 U.S. Olympic champions in the coxed pairs. Left to right, standing: Dan Ayrault, Conn Findlay and coach George Pocock, sitting Kurt Seiffert.
Born(1891-03-23)March 23, 1891
Kingston upon Thames, England, UK
DiedMarch 19, 1976(1976-03-19) (aged 84)
Seattle, Washington, U.S.

George Yeomans Pocock (March 23, 1891 – March 19, 1976) was a leading designer and builder of racing shells in the 20th century.

Pocock-built shells began to win U.S.

oars built by Pocock.[2][3] Beyond his achievements as a boatbuilder, his influence, promotion and philosophy of rowing have inspired countless oarsmen and coaches.[4]

Biography

A native of

sculler himself, Pocock (along with his brother, Dick) used prize money earned from racing to emigrate from England to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, in 1911, in search of better employment prospects.[7] The brothers, with help from their sister Lucy, who had emigrated with their father and another sister, established an independent boat-building business, initially supplying rowers affiliated with organizations such as the Vancouver Rowing Club, and the Prince Rupert Rowing Club.[8]

In 1912,

Pacific Aero Products, which was the forerunner to Boeing.[10][11] In 1922 as the use of wooden components in the manufacture of airplanes began to decline in favor of metal, George left Boeing to return to boatbuilding for Pocock Racing Shells on the campus of the University of Washington.[12]

Over the next half-century, Pocock perfected the craft of building fast and efficient wooden shells, introducing many innovations including the use of

western redcedar for the outer skin of the shells.[13] He was appointed Boatman to U.S. Olympic Rowing Teams in 1936, 1948, 1952, and 1956.[14] He was a mentor to many of the day's rowing coaches,[15] and continues to be revered by oarsmen and coaches for his contributions to the sport of rowing.[16]

Awards

Pocock was named "Sports Star of the Year" for 1948 by the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.[17]

Inducted into USRowing’s Hall of Fame in 1966 as “Premier boat-builder.”[18]

Inducted into Washington State Sports Hall of Fame in 2015.[19]

See also

References

  1. ISBN 978-0-7624-3522-7
    .
  2. ^ "Pocock, George Yeoman (1891-1976): Seattle's Master Racing-shell Builder - historylink.org". Retrieved 2013-07-21.
  3. ISBN 978-0-670-02581-7
    .
  4. ^ "100 Years In Seattle Sports - Seattle Times Newspaper". The Seattle Times. 1999-12-16. Retrieved 2009-09-24.
  5. ^ Brown, pp. 42-43.
  6. ^ "Lucy Pocock and Women's Rowing | American Experience | Official Site | PBS".
  7. ISBN 0-295-96473-1
    .
  8. ^ "Lucy Pocock and Women's Rowing | American Experience | Official Site | PBS". According to Lucy's granddaughter, "Her brothers always had immense respect for Lucy and thought of her as their guardian angel. When Lucy landed in Vancouver, British Columbia and then Seattle, she took cooking jobs to support the family. The boat business was slow to take off and payments for boats were even slower in arriving. Lucy’s steady paycheck was what paid the bills."
  9. ^ Newell, pp. 31-39.
  10. ^ "Washington Rowing History: 1917-1918 - huskycrew.com". Retrieved 2013-07-21.
  11. ISBN 0-615-11206-4
    .
  12. ^ Newell, p. 63-65.
  13. ^ "Pocock, George Yeoman (1891-1976): Seattle's Master Racing-shell Builder - historylink.org". Retrieved 2013-07-21.
  14. ^ Newell, p. 149.
  15. ^ Newell, p. 168
  16. ^ Newell, pp. 149-159.
  17. ^ "WAYBACK MACHINE: SPORTS STAR OF YEAR (1935-49) - sportspressnw.com". Retrieved 2013-07-21.
  18. ^ "U.S. National Rowing Hall of Fame". Retrieved 2014-12-17.
  19. ^ "WAYBACK MACHINE: Master Builder George Pocock - sportspressnw.com". Retrieved 2015-08-12.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=George_Yeomans_Pocock&oldid=1226870792"