Hall of Fame

1987 Hall of Fame Inductees

John Kenny
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Mr. John Kenny was born in St. John's, Newfoundland March 4, 1896 and educated at St. Patrick's Hall School.

He made his first appearance at lakeside during Victory Regatta of 1919 rowing in the Factory Race with A. Harvey & Co. and finished a respectable second place.

Naturally he had his share of thrills and had appeared in championship races a countless number of times either as a coxswain or a member of a crew. His career as a rower spanned the years 1919-1933 and among those years 1925 was his best. In that year he was a member of a crew that rowed the "Cadet" to victory in the Championship Race in the time of 9:44. A week later during the St. Joseph's Regatta crews from Outer Cove and Torbay challenged his crew and arrangements were made immediately to "take them on" in the big race of the day. However, when race time came around neither Outer Cove nor Torbay made their appearance and Jack's crew rowed the course themselves in the amazing time of 9:36.

His greatest success came when he retired from rowing and came back on the Lake in the role of a coxswain which lasted until 1968 - a total of fifty-one years active as a rower and coxswain.

Jack's first year as a coxswain he won his first race. A newspaper clipping of July, 1962 while interviewing Mr. Kenny states that when asked about his first year steering. Mr. Kenny's reply was "I just hit it lucky". This kind of modesty continued up to the time of his death.

In 1944-1945-1947-1948 the U.S. Army Dock crew with Jack Kenny won the Championship Race. Their fastest time was in 1944 rowing in the Star of the Sea 9:46.6. This same crew also won six labour races.

In 1946 Jack Kenny was involved which provided one of the most thrilling races ever seen on our historic Kitty Vitty Lake. The four boat race was the Trade Race and Jack Kenny steering Hubly in a gigantic struggle all over the Lake which ended what people believe to this day a dead heat. The Committee Judges after two or three minutes discussion, though not unanimous gave first place to the C.N.R. Machinists Cox Harry Browne. There is a picture of the finish - close, so very close.

In the mid sixties Gordon Tilley steered both the Nfld. Light & Power and the Chalkers crews. Both were great crews which qualified for the Labour Race. Tilley had to make a choice so he took what he thought was the better crew, Nfid. Light & Power. A member of Chalkers crew came to Kenny and asked him to steer them as they had no coxswain. Kenny did steer them right to the finish line in the Labour Race eight boatlengths ahead of the Light & Power crew. Instances such as this are too numerous to mention and oarsmen today still say he was tops.

A picture taken July 13, 1970 of Max Dowden, President of the Coxswains association presenting Jack Kenny with a special jacket at the Boathouse at Kitty Vitty in recognition of his 51 years as a coxswain. No other coxswain was so honoured in the 161 years of our Annual Regatta. If their was a coxswain so honoured we have no records to substantiate such a claim.

In May, 1979, Veteran Coxswain Jack Kenny was once again honoured by the St. John's Coxswain Association for his sixty years involvement in the St. John's Annual Regatta. On this occasion he was made a life member of the Association.

Jack Kenny took crews that no other coxswain wanted and turned them into championship teams. He won a championship race in the dark. He saw a great competitor Charlie Peters drowned in 1919 when the boat in which Peter rowed filled with water and capsized. He beat Levi (Shotty) Rogers (Canadian Hall of Fame) in many, many races. Jack Kenny did and saw it all during his fifty years as oarsman and coxswain on Kitty Vitty Lake. Jack Kenny earned for himself the respect of every oarsperson, coxswain and committee member involved in the St. John's Annual Regatta Day. He won some six Championship Races - his last being the famous William Summers Jr. crew in the dark. He also had over seventy awards as a coxswain and in-1960 he received a gold medal from the American Air Force for his well appreciated and expert services to the American crews.

Bob Cole (the now famous hockey broadcaster) and Jack Kenny were very close friends and Bob had great admiration and respect for Jack Kenny. He coached Bob in steering and Bob had several successful years as a coxswain after he finished rowing. Bob's success was due totally to his friend Jack Kenny who passed on to Bob his many secrets of Kitty Vitty Lake.

In 1963 Jack Kenny steered Bob Cole who was stroke, in winning two races - Amateur and Club. They also had time to be eligible for the Championship Race.

Jack Kenny was a member of the Committee for several years. He also worked with Shotty Rogers in the Boathouse for a number of years and managed the Boathouse himself for many years.

There is no doubt that Jack Kenny is rated in the 3 or 4 top coxswains who competed in the Regatta. In all of his years as coxswain a crew considered themselves lucky to have him steer them on Regatta Day.

St. Bon's crews in the middle forties were fortunate to have Jack Kenny as coxswain. In all the years he steered St. Bon's they lost only one race.

Jack Kenny was a very dedicated and independent gentleman. He was an exceptional husband and father. There are many young and old around Nfid. today who received their introduction to the fundamentals of rowing and sportsmanship from Jack Kenny. To so many people who knew Mr. Kenney they say "He was the Greatest".