Joe Burk

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Joe Burk
Born
Joseph William Burk

(1914-01-19)January 19, 1914
DiedJanuary 13, 2008(2008-01-13) (aged 93)
EducationMoorestown High School
Joe Burk
Medal record
Men's Rowing
Representing  United States
Diamond Challenge Sculls
Gold medal – first place 1939 Henley-on-Thames Single sculls
Gold medal – first place 1938 Henley-on-Thames Single sculls
Gold Cup Challenge
Gold medal – first place 1940 Philadelphia Single sculls

Joseph William Burk (January 19, 1914 – January 13, 2008) was an American oarsman and coach.

Raised in Delanco Township, New Jersey, he graduated from Moorestown High School in 1930.[1][2]

At the University of Pennsylvania, Burk rowed in the varsity boats. After graduating in 1934, he began racing in the single scull (1x), a one-man boat. Burk won 46 consecutive races in the single scull from 1937 to 1940, inclusive. He was the U.S. and Canadian champion for those four years. In 1938, he won the Diamond Challenge Sculls at the Henley Royal Regatta when he set a Henley course record of 8:02, which was to stand for 27 years. He won Diamonds again in 1939, beating Roger Verey in the final. He became known as the "world's greatest oarsman", and at the end of the 1939 season, Burk was voted the James E. Sullivan Award as the country's outstanding amateur athlete.

Portrait of Joe Burk taken by Carl Van Vechten in 1940.

In 1940, Burk won the Olympic try-outs, the National Regatta and the Philadelphia Challenge Cup, also known as the Gold Cup. The 1940 Olympics, however, were cancelled because of World War II. An attempt was made to schedule a match race with world professional sculling champion Bobby Pearce, who was then living in Canada, but that race failed to materialize.

Burk served as a

Navy Cross for his efforts. At the time of the award he was a Lieutenant (j.g.).[3]

Burk began to coach the

Harvard in the finals of the Olympic trials for the right to go to the 1968 Summer Olympics
.

At Penn, Burk coached

Harvard
. Parker would train by doing workouts with Burk in an opposing boat. Parker has stated that he never remembers beating Burk in practice even though Burk was 20 years his senior.

The Burk Cup, awarded annually to the winner of the rowing race between

Northeastern
, is named after him.

Burk died in Scottsdale, Arizona, on January 13, 2008, just short of his 94th birthday.

Awards

References

  1. ^ Stephany, Kevin. "Not Your Average Joe", From The Front Porch, June 2010. Accessed August 9, 2019. "The world’s greatest oarsman graduated from Moorestown High School in 1930: his name was Joe Burk."
  2. ^ Joseph W. "Joe" Burk, Delanco Military Veterans Honor Roll, updated October 6, 2021. Accessed October 4, 2021. "Joseph William Burk was listed on the original Delanco WW II Honor Roll. He was born January 19, 1914 in Philadelphia, to Paul and Margurite Burk. Joe was the elder of the two Burk brothers of Delanco that grew up on a farm on Creek Road in Delanco.... Joe returned to Delanco after the war and returned to competitive rowing and coaching."
  3. ^ PT Boat Organization

External links