Joe Burk: An American Ideal

"Lest we forget one of America's greatest scullers and coaches, E. J. Woodhouse has captured Joe Burk-his perseverance, his modesty, and his trust in science -in a definitive biography told in part by the many champions he mentored." Dotty Brown, author of Boathouse Row: Waves of Change in the Birthplace of American Rowing

Joe Burk is a biography of 1930s University of Pennsylvania oarsman, American and Canadian sculling champion Joe Burk, twice winner (1938-39) of the Diamond Sculls at Henley Royal Regatta, and the single sculler for the 1940 U.S. Olympic Team. Burk's chance at a likely Olympic gold medal was prevented by the cancellation of the Games due to WW2. Burk won the Navy Cross for valor. After the war, Burk married the sister of a fellow Naval officer, and left a brief business career to coach crew, first at Yale, then as Head Coach at Pennsylvania. Among his proteges was Harry Parker, later famed rowing coach at Harvard whose mid 1960s crews dominated college rowing until challenged by Burk's last three crews ('67-'69). Burk remained a mentor for coaches and oarsmen until his death in January of 2008.

Woodhouse maintains "Burk participated in some of the greatest moments in American rowing history in the 20th Century, and he remains perhaps the greatest example of what is best in the sport of rowing."

"In choosing Joe Burk as his subject, E.J. Woodhouse documents the rarity of a powerful will channeled by an equally stout moral center. He seems to have interviewed every possible witness and scoured every extant document to create a multi-dimensional portrait of the complicated, remarkable man. Woodhouse has done rowing history, and American history, a great service with this biography of Burk, whose character should be studied by experts and known by citizens everywhere." Peter Raymond, 1968 and 1972 Olympian (Silver in 8s), Coach Harvard Lightweights, Radcliffe Crew, 1980 U.S. Olympic Quad.

Author: E. J. Woodhouse
Publisher: Lynnhaven Press
Published: 08/12/2025
Pages: 378
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 1.11lbs
Size: 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.84d
ISBN: 9798218748852

About the Author
Woodhouse, E. J.: - Edward James Woodhouse is a retired corporate lawyer, now focusing on writing biographies. He rowed at Kent School, Litchfield (Ct.) Rowing Association, and Harvard. He was a member of the New England Champion 1970 Kent Varsity, the 1970 U.S. Junior eight that placed 4th in the World Championships, the undefeated 1972 Harvard freshmen crew that won the Thames Challenge Cup at Henley, and the 1974 Harvard Varsity National Champion crew--the "Rude and Smooth." A Sports Illustrated reported he was named "the smoothest" by his boatmates (SI, July 1, 1974). Upon graduation from Harvard, he helped coach the 1975 U.S. Junior National championship eight that placed 7th in the Worlds in Montreal. During his law career, he ran 23 marathons in 40 years "to stay sane." He now lives on the banks of Claytor Lake, Virginia where he rows daily, and competes in Masters head races each fall.