Talk:Charlie Butt

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[edit] Charlie Butt

Calling Charlie Butt the "father of scholastic rowing in Washington DC area" is a stretch. No one denies the importance of his role, and success as a coach. But George Washington High School in Alexandria was rowing in 1947, started by Julian Whitestone and Jack Franklin. Today that program is carried on by T.C. Williams High School, successor to GW and Hammond High. Ref http://gwaa.acps.k12.va.us/crew.html, and the obituary of Jack Franklin from the Washington Post, 4/22/2000.

Know Charlie had a lot of respect for these two gentlemen as they were also at Old Dominion Boat Club at that same time. I have heard different versions from Charlie himself, which is now only a memory as to when W-L and GW both started organized rowing at their respective schools. (maybe Millie can give some insight) My recollection was that Charlie at W-L helped Jack get the program going at GW. Really does not matter for in 20 years, this was the mecca for all high school rowing, at all these public schools no less. Private school Kent with a long tradition might have been good on occasion, but schools like Exeter or St. Pauls did not know what to do with the likes of W-L, TC Williams, JEB Stuart or even Holy Spirit who all defined toughness. St. Andrews under Coach Washburn was the only exception for a private school and it took his son Pete to get things going at Andover. For the most part people like Charlie, Dee Cmmpbell, John Ferris, even Mike Gash had to show the high school world that this sport is about hard work and there is nothing "prep" about training hard and rowing fast.

[edit] Rebuttal

See references: "Charley's father, Charles Butt, Jr., the head coach for 41 years at Washington and Lee High School, is widely regarded as the father of rowing in the Washington DC area. The senior Butt's progeny include our coach, 19 scholastic national titles, and one of the nation's fastest growing high school leagues. He will be remembered fondly for all three."

[edit] W-L Alumni Coaches

  • Pete Sparhawk, '49 -- coached Princton Heavyweights and was member of 1956 US Olympic Team
  • Tony Johnson, '58 -- Georgetown, Yale and now Georgetown again, and was member of 1968 US Olympic team
  • Frank Benson, '63 -- now an assistant coach at Georgetown
  • Mark Coleson, '68 -- Mclean HS
  • Larry Davis, '69 -- University of Alabama head coach
  • Craig Spraggins '92 -- Yorktown HS
  • Wilson DeSousa '96 -- Yorktown HS
  • Bobby Meeks '72 -- Mclean HS
  • Chris Gordon '71 -- Mclean HS
  • Jeff Lucier '91 -- Forest Park(West Fields next season)
  • Tim Ulsacker '71+ -- Mathews HS
  • John Fleck '99 -- Robinson HS
  • Bill Howard '57 -- Westfield HS
    • Note his son Charles, III was coached by his dad, but did not go to high school at W-L, he is at Harvard