Vesper Boat Club
The Vesper Boat Club had its beginning on Feb. 22, 1865 a decade into the flourishing of rowing clubs on Philadelphias Schuylkill River with the founding of the Washington Barge Club. Five years later, on Jan 1, 1870, it changed its name to Vesper Boat Club and quickly became one of the most celebrated rowing clubs in the United States and the world. It has always been central to the Philadelphia rowing story. Vespers eight-oared shell took the gold medal in Paris in 1900 at the first Olympics rowing regatta. The Vesper eight repeated its victory at the 1904 games in St. Louis. And at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, Vesper eight won again, making it the only rowing club in the United States to win the title three times.
The mission of Vesper Boat Club is to perpetuate its legacy of developing highly skilled and competitive rowers at all levels by providing its diverse community of members with premier rowing programs and first-class facilities and equipment. The club motto, ALL TOGETHER symbolizes an organization open to all people who want to row, and promotes character development and physical fitness through the challenge of the sport. Perhaps the best known names associated with the Vesper Club, are John B. Kelly Sr., an Irish brickworks owner who became influential in city politics and his son, John B. Kelly Jr., a city councilman and brother to Princess Grace of Monaco.
For more information, please visit http://www.vesperboatclub.org