Peter V. Gardner ’46

For 31 years, Dartmouth College enjoyed the privilege of seeing its highly competitive rowing crews coached by Pete Gardner. He was recruited there after seven years of coaching Princeton freshman crews. And from 1973 until he retired from Dartmouth in 1987, he coached the U.S. lightweight crews in the summertime world championships, including the 1980 Olympic oarsmen.

“There is nothing I would rather do than coach,” Pete wrote for our 25th yearbook. “It combines the best of teaching and competing. I am my own boss. I feel I am doing something creative, and I cherish the continual contact with young men.” When he said that, his Hanover rowers had, in the most recent two years, beaten every major crew in the United States except Harvard.

In Hanover, Pete served on the town’s board of education, taught Sunday school, and served as deacon at the Congregational Church. He also supervised a children’s skiing project.

Pete’s death April 10, 2011, was not reported to Princeton until October 2012. His presumed survivors included his wife, Lou; three sons; one daughter; and two grandchildren. The class is proud to have had Pete as a member.