Author, E.J. Woodhouse, describes in the second chapter of this biography how the renowned American oarsman and coach, Joe Burk, and his brothers attended Westfield. While the chapter may not detail his rowing career (which started later in high school), it sets the stage by depicting the environment that shaped his determination and unassuming nature—traits that defined him both as a champion sculler and a successful coach at the University of Pennsylvania.
Joe Burk was America’s strongest sculler in the three years before the Second World War, and was selected to be America’s single sculler in the 1940 Olympics—just before the Games were cancelled due to WW2.
Woodhouse maintains “Burk participated in some of the greatest moments in American rowing history in the 20th Century, and he remains perhaps the finest example of what is best in the sport of rowing.”
“That’s why I wrote the book,” said Woodhouse. “The best thing about rowing is what it teaches you about effort and commitment--which helps you in the rest of life. In my view, Joe Burk was the best role model for how anyone should behave, whether in rowing or elsewhere. That’s why the subtitle of the book is ‘An American Ideal.’ I believe Burk embodies the ideal of what anyone should seek to become .”
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