Seymour Legrand "Sy" Cromwell II (February 17, 1934 – May 2, 1977) was an American

rower Rowing, often called crew in the United States, is the sport of racing boats using oars. It differs from paddling sports in that rowing oars (called blades in the United Kingdom) are attached to the boat using rowlocks, while paddles are ...

. He won a silver medal in the double sculls event at the

1964 Summer Olympics The , officially the and commonly known as Tokyo 1964 (), were an international multi-sport event held from 10 to 24 October 1964 in Tokyo, Japan. Tokyo had been awarded the organization of the 1940 Summer Olympics, but this honor was subseq ...

and at the

1966 World Rowing Championships The 1966 World Rowing Championships was the second time that world championships in rowing were held. The regatta was held from 8 to 11 September at Lake Bled in Bled, Slovenia, Yugoslavia. There were 613 rowers from 32 countries who competed ...

Private life

Cromwell was born in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

in 1934. His paternal grandfather, and namesake, was Seymour L. Cromwell, a former

president of the New York Stock Exchange This is a list of presidents of the New York Stock Exchange. References {{reflist, 30em External linksPresidents and Chairmen of the New York Stock Exchange
(PDF) Lists of people by employer, New York Stock Exchange New York Stock Exchang ...

. Cromwell prepared at

Groton School Groton School is a Private school, private, college-preparatory school, college-preparatory, day school, day and boarding school located in Groton, Massachusetts, United States. It is affiliated with the Episcopal Church (United States), Episcop ...

graduating in 1952. After graduating from

Princeton University Princeton University is a private university, private Ivy League research university in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial ...

in 1956, he studied at

MIT The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Established in 1861, MIT has played a significant role in the development of many areas of modern technology and sc ...

and

Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

. He then briefly worked as a naval architect, but then changed to teaching.

Rowing

During his rowing career, Cromwell won seven national titles in the single sculls and several more in double sculls. He won the

Diamond Challenge Sculls The Diamond Challenge Sculls is a Rowing (sport), rowing event for men's single sculls at the annual Henley Royal Regatta on the River Thames at Henley-on-Thames in England. First run in 1844, it is open to male scullers from all eligible rowin ...

at the

Henley Royal Regatta Henley Royal Regatta (or Henley Regatta, its original name pre-dating Royal patronage) is a Rowing (sport), rowing event held annually on the River Thames by the town of Henley-on-Thames, England. It was established on 26 March 1839. It diffe ...

in 1964, rowing for the Nonpareil Rowing Club of New York. He competed at the

1961 European Rowing Championships The 1961 European Rowing Championships were rowing championships held on the Vltava (Moldau) in the Czechoslovakian capital Prague. The event for women was held from 18 to 20 August, and 9 countries competed with 32 boats. The event for men was h ...

in single sculls and won bronze. Although he was selected only for the 1964 Olympics, he continued to be a top US rower up to 1970s, finishing third at the 1976 Olympic trials. In 1963, he won a gold medal at the

Pan American Games The Pan American Games, known as the Pan Am Games, is a continental multi-sport event in the Americas. It features thousands of athletes participating in competitions to win different summer sports. It is held among athletes from nations of th ...

in single sculls.

Death and family

He died of pancreatic cancer on May 2, 1977, in

Cambridge, Massachusetts Cambridge ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. It is a suburb in the Greater Boston metropolitan area, located directly across the Charles River from Boston. The city's population as of the 2020 United States census, ...

. He was survived by his wife, Gail Pierson Cromwell, originally of

Natchitoches, Louisiana Natchitoches ( ; , ), officially the City of Natchitoches, is a small city in, and the parish seat of, Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana, Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana, United States. At the 2020 United States census, the city's population was ...

and his daughter, Abigail W. S. Cromwell, of Cambridge, Massachusetts, who was born after he died.

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Cromwell, Seymour 1934 births 1977 deaths Rowers at the 1964 Summer Olympics Olympic silver medalists for the United States in rowing American male rowers World Rowing Championships medalists for the United States Medalists at the 1964 Summer Olympics Pan American Games gold medalists for the United States in rowing Rowers at the 1963 Pan American Games European Rowing Championships medalists Medalists at the 1963 Pan American Games Deaths from pancreatic cancer in Massachusetts 20th-century American sportsmen