LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION mourning the death of William Arthur Stowe, Olym-
pic Gold Medalist, distinguished citizen and devoted member of his
community

WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to pay tribute to
citizens of the State of New York whose lifework and civic endeavor
served to enhance the quality of life in their communities and the great
State of New York; and
WHEREAS, William Arthur Stowe of Lake Placid, New York, died in his
home on Monday, February 8, 2016, at the age of 75; and
WHEREAS, Born on March 23, 1940, in Oak Park, Illinois, to William
Pearson and the former Darleen Allen, William Arthur Stowe, affection-
ately known as Bill, was raised in Bronxville, New York, and enjoyed
spending the summer with his family in his beloved Adirondacks; and
WHEREAS, In 1954, Bill A. Stowe enrolled at the Kent School in Connec-
ticut, where he began a long and distinguished career in rowing; after
participating in the international Henley Regatta in 1958, he attended
the School of Hotel Administration at Cornell University where he
stroked and served as Captain of the undefeated 1959 freshman heavy-
weight crew that went on to win the 1962 IRA Championships, a victory
memorialized on the cover of SPORTS ILLUSTRATED; while a student, he was
a member of Psi Upsilon fraternity and the Sphinx Head Society; and
WHEREAS, After college, Bill A. Stowe proudly served his country as a
Lieutenant in the United States Navy; while stationed in Saigon, Viet-
nam, he rowed for the Club Nautique in Saigon, Vietnam, while managing
the Naval Officer's Club before returning to the United States to join
the Vesper Boat Club where he trained for the 1964 Olympic Games; and
WHEREAS, Bill A. Stowe stroked the crew to victory at trials and then
to the Gold Medal in Tokyo, Japan; the row to victory of the Vesper
Eight is the subject of Bill's 2005 book, ALL TOGETHER: THE FORMIDABLE
JOURNEY TO THE GOLD WITH THE 1964 CREW; and
WHEREAS, Bill A. Stowe distinguished himself in his profession and by
his sincere dedication and substantial contribution to the welfare of
his community; and
WHEREAS, Following the Olympics, Bill A. Stowe continued his rowing
career as a coach at St. Joseph's University; in 1967, he accepted the
head coach position at Columbia University; and
WHEREAS, From 1971-1985, Bill A. Stowe served as head coach of the
United States Coast Guard Academy Rowing Team, and led the Cadets in
defeating Yale University and winning the Dad Vails the following year;
for a short time, he held the position of Sports Information Director;
and
WHEREAS, Furthermore, Bill A. Stowe coached the Litchfield Rowing
Association to numerous youth national championships from 1968-1971, as
well as the Blood Street Sculls during the 1970s; and
WHEREAS, Bill A. Stowe served as the ABC television rowing commentator
for the 1968 and 1972 Olympic Games alongside Howard Cosell; he also
served on the National Association of Amateur Oarsmen (NAAO) Board of
Directors; and
WHEREAS, This remarkable man held the position of Chairman of the
Publicity Committee and is remembered for his work on the Rowing Safety
Committee which established standard procedures demonstrated in a video
required for rowing organizations to follow; and
WHEREAS, In 1983, Bill A. Stowe married Ann Parsons, and together they
had a son, William Parsons Stowe; three years later, he earned his
Master's degree in Business Administration from Rensselaer Polytechnic

Institute and continued to work for the Coast Guard Academy fundraising
for the CGA Foundation; and
WHEREAS, Bill A. Stowe and his family moved to Lake Placid in 1990,
and he went to work for the Olympic Regional Development Association
(ORDA); he then was employed by Hospice, and later, at St. Joseph's
Rehabilitation Center; and
WHEREAS, On January 1, 2000, at midnight he married his second wife,
Barbara Kellogg on the frozen surface of Big Wolf Lake, New York; and
WHEREAS, Bill A. Stowe's commitment to excellence, and his spirit of
humanity, carried over into all fields of enterprise, including charita-
ble and civic endeavors; and
WHEREAS, After his much deserved retirement, Bill A. Stowe devoted his
time and energies to numerous community organizations serving as Presi-
dent of the Ledyard, Connecticut Rotary Club from 1989-1990, and
co-founding the Lake Placid, New York Rotary Club in 1994, where he
twice served as President; and
WHEREAS, An enthusiastic Rotarian, Bill A. Stowe organized the Great
Adirondack Outdoor Rendezvous weekend which served as an precursor to
many antique shows as well as Potato Gleaning, and he supported Polio
Plus awareness and fundraising with the Iron Lung, bike-a-thons and
walk-a-thons including his own personal journey on foot from Lake Placid
to Tupper Lake; and
WHEREAS, Bill A. Stowe originated the River Road Ironman Aid Station
where for over 10 years, runners could view and touch his 1964 Olympic
Gold Medal; and
WHEREAS, A faithful congregant of the Church of St. Luke the Beloved
Physician, Bill A. Stowe regularly attended the 7:45 a.m. service and
served on the Vestry; an avid supporter of Northwood School, he organ-
ized the donation of a shell which restored the rowing program, and
enjoyed leading Wednesdays Are for Hiking, a North Country after school
program; and
WHEREAS, A man of many interests, Bill A. Stowe wrote and published
numerous articles about the sport of rowing comparing his experiences in
the sport to mountain climbing; this energetic man traveled the globe
climbing Mount Rainier, Kilimanjaro and the 46 major peaks of the
Adirondacks, and hiked the Grand Canyon Rim to Rim Trail, the Chilkoot
Trail in Alaska, Death Valley, part of the Pacific Coast Trail, and from
Miami to Key West in memory of Admiral Hayes; and
WHEREAS, Bill A. Stowe is a member of the Athletic Hall of Fame at
Kent School, Cornell University, and the United States Coast Guard Acad-
emy, the Helms Hall of Fame, and National Rowing Hall of Fame, as well
.SO DOC S R4299 RESO TEXT 2015
as the International Rowing Hall of Fame; and
WHEREAS, Bill A. Stowe held the title of President of the National
Rowing Foundation where he was a Trustee, and was the Director of
Philadelphia's Annual Aberdeen Dad Vail Regatta where he served as
regatta ombudsman for many years; and
WHEREAS, In 2011, Bill A. Stowe was the inaugural recipient of the
Jack Kelly Golden Oars Award for superior achievements in rowing,
service to amateur athletics, and success in a chosen profession; and
WHEREAS, Predeceased by his brother, Allen (Wendy), Bill A. Stowe is
survived by his loving wife, Barbara; one son, William P. Stowe; two
brothers Denby and Michael Stowe; one step-daughter, Susanne (Chip); a
step-son, Jack (Nina); six grandchildren, Paige, Eliza, Katherine, Caro-
line, Ian, and Alexandra Herndon; and
WHEREAS, Armed with a humanistic spirit and imbued with a sense of
compassion, Bill A. Stowe leaves behind a legacy which will long endure
the passage of time and will remain as a comforting memory to all he
served and befriended; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
mourn the death of William Arthur Stowe, Olympic Gold Medalist, distin-
guished citizen and devoted member of his community; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to the family of William Arthur Stowe.