The Bantam Oar
The Story of Rowing at Trinity College
By B.C. Mooney
Barbara Connell (B.C.) Mooney M’68, P’74, ’75, was the author of The Bantam Oar, the Story of Rowing at Trinity College, Hartford, Connecticut. The book takes the reader from the earliest days of rowing at the college in the mid-1800s, through to the 1970s, when coeducation saw the addition of women’s teams. Presented here as an audio-book, read by Kevin MacDermott, Head Coach of Trinity College Men’s Rowing, with images from the book in the media gallery at the bottom of the page.
This project was undertaken in order to make available The Bantam Oar to all alumni and friends of Trinity Rowing and Trinity College. Originally published in 1974, this incomparable work has been out of print for over forty years. With the total number of physical copies dwindling over time, the audio-book format presented itself as a way to preserve a seminal piece of Trinity Rowing history and to make the book available for wide distribution. Kevin’s acknowledgements and dedication follow below the audio player.
Acknowledgements and Dedication
It was an honor and a privilege to bring Barbara Mooney’s extraordinary volume of Trinity Rowing history into this format. I began voice acting in 2015 and have done projects for Lego, Google, NPR, and The Connecticut Science Center among others. This however, was my first effort at recording, producing, and editing an entire audio book. This project would not have been possible without the considerable contributions of time, expertise, and support from many individuals.
Most significantly, my sincere appreciation to the Mooney family, particularly Christopher Mooney ’75, for approval and support of this effort. I hope this project serves as a respectful tribute to the memory of Barbara M’68, P’74, ’75 and Chad ’74 and also as a testament to the immeasurable contributions your family has made to the college, the rowing program, and the department of athletics.
Thank you to Tyler Somerville ’21, Trinity varsity oarsman, computer science major, gifted musician, audio-engineering whiz nonpareil, and personification of the liberal arts ideal; your contributions to this project were pivotal.
For pushing this project across the finish line, thank you to Director of Sports Communications Dave Kingsley and Ellen Buckhorn, Manager of Web Services for the Office of Communications.
Thank you also to Director of Athletics Drew Galbraith and Assistant Athletic Director Karen Shu for steadfast and indomitable support of athletics and rowing at Trinity.
Finally, I would like to dedicate my portion of this project to the memory and spirit of Robert Benjamin ’71. For his unwavering support, counsel, and friendship, I will forever be grateful; for his peerless commitment to the college and passionate, life-long support of the rowing program, Trinity will forever honor his memory. Taken from this life far too soon, Benjy’s generosity, intelligence, and warmth will light our way for years to come.
The Bantam Oar
The Bantam Oar
The front cover of B.C. Mooney's The Bantam Oar, The Story of Rowing at Trinity College, Hartford, Connecticut.
The About the Author page of The Bantam Oar, profiling B.C. Mooney M'68, P'74, '75.
The Preface of The Bantam Oar.
"Boating on the Hog." Trinity's first campus on College Hill, later the site of Connecticut's State Capitol, is shown in the background.
Page 6 of The Bantam Oar.
Pages 28 and 29, showing the reintroduction of rowing as a sport at Trinity in 1961.
Pages 30 and 31, with the old tobacco barn and ground breaking for the Bliss Boathouse.
Page 32, The Friends of Trinity Rowing presidents and the captain of the 1971 Trinity Varsity Crew.
Page 53, the 1973 varsity crew out on the Connecticut River.
Pages 54 and 55, A Coach's Life on the River.
Pages 58 and 59, champion oarsmen and new faces on the river.
Page 75, Trinity at the 1969 Henley Royal Regatta.
Pages 76 and 77, Trinity competing at the Henley Royal Regatta in the 1970s.
