Penn AC Rowing Association

The Penn Athletic Club Rowing Association, commonly known as Penn AC, is an amateur rowing club located at #12 Boathouse Row on the historic Boathouse Row of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Established in 1871 as the West Philadelphia Boat Club, the Club traces its origins to the west side of the Schuylkill River and later became known as Penn Athletic Club after the downtown Penn Athletic Club of Philadelphia (located at 18th and Walnut) sponsored the rowing organization in the 1920s.

Penn AC joined the Schuylkill Navy in the late nineteenth century and has long been part of the rowing community centered on the Schuylkill River. Its Boathouse Row home is included within the historic Boathouse Row district, a setting that reflects Philadelphia’s, and Penn AC’s, central role in the development of amateur rowing in the United States.

The Club’s modern identity was shaped in part by John B. “Jack” Kelly Sr., the Philadelphia Olympic champion, whose support helped bring leading rowers and coaches to the organization. From that period forward, Penn AC became closely associated with competitive success, junior development, and the training of athletes seeking national and international competition.

Today Penn AC continues to serve rowers with a broad range of experiences. Its programs include learn-to-row opportunities, masters rowing, junior rowing programs, and a High-Performance Group for elite athletes training for national team selection, World Rowing competition, and the Olympic Games. The Club’s mission is to: educate and enable rowing athletes across all levels to achieve sustained excellence; to offer equal opportunity to compete without discriminating on the basis of any federal or state protected class or status; and to promote high-performance opportunities.

Like the other Clubs on Boathouse Row, Penn AC’s history reflects both the cultural fabric of Philadelphia and the continuing effort of its members to maintain an active rowing institution within one of the world’s most recognizable rowing landscapes. Its legacy combines the preservation of a historic boathouse, the development of athletes at every level, and a tradition of competitive achievement that remains central to the Club’s character.

Welcome to the Penn Athletic Club Rowing Association History Website, where you can explore more than 100 years of Penn AC history through trophies, cups, plaques, photographs, uniforms, banners, stories, and other artifacts that reflect the Club’s place in Philadelphia rowing and in the broader history of American and international competition.

The Penn AC Collection includes historic trophies and cups, some dating back to the early 1900s, along with Canadian Henley winner plaques and other awards that document generations of racing success. Together, these objects help tell the story of the athletes, crews, coaches, and members who carried the Penn AC name from Boathouse Row to national championships, international regattas, World Championships, and the Olympic Games.

Visitors can look through photographs of medal-winning Penn AC crews and see banners from World Championship and Olympic competition. The Collection also includes other early rowing artifacts that connect today’s members to the equipment, uniforms, and competitive traditions of earlier generations.

Beyond the objects themselves, the Penn AC Collection preserves the stories that give them meaning. Long-time members have shared memories of crews, regattas, training, club life, and the people who helped shape Penn AC across the decades. These personal accounts add depth to the record and help bring the Club’s history to life for rowers, families, researchers, and visitors.

Please continue to visit as more materials are added. Penn AC’s history is still being gathered, organized, and shared, and the Collection will continue to grow as additional trophies, photographs, documents, uniforms, banners, and member stories are preserved for future generations.