Oregon State Men's Rowers to Dedicate Shell in Honor of Former State Senator Frank Morse
May 2, 2013
Boat will be named in former senator’s honor before Sunday’s OSU baseball game with California
CORVALLIS, Ore. – A lot has changed since former state senator Frank Morse rowed collegiately at Oregon State in the early 1960’s, but Sunday, the OSU alum will connect the past with the present as the men’s crew will name a new shell in his honor.
The dedication ceremony will take place May 5, prior to the OSU baseball team’s 12:05 p.m. scheduled contest with California. Senator Morse will be joined on field with members of the current OSU rowing team as well as the new boat, which will appropriately be named, ‘Senator Frank Morse’.
“Our team wishes to honor and show our appreciation to Senator Frank Morse for his service to the state of Oregon, the University and particularly the rowing program at Oregon State,” men’s head coach Steve Todd said.
Morse is a native of Lebanon, Ore., and served his home state’s eighth district in the state senate from 2003 until his retirement in 2012. Before his entrance into politics, he was a key member of the Morse Brothers construction company, rising as high as the business’s president and chairman. During his time with Morse Bros., he played an instrumental role in helping the Oregon State rowing team gain access to the lake on the company’s property in Linn County, which was used as an alternate training location.
Morse and his wife Linda were also key contributors to the OSU Boathouse project, and the senator continues to be a supporter of the Beaver Baseball program. Morse rowed for the Beavers from 1961-63 and earned the Award for Outstanding Oarsman following the 1963 season. He went on to recieve degrees from two state school's, OSU in Corvallis as well as Northwest Christian in Eugene.
“We are dedicating a new 2013 Men’s Pocock Hypercarbon K4+ as ‘Senator Frank Morse’, Todd explained. “This top of the line racing shell will help the men throughout the year; when we are putting in long miles in the fall and winter, as well as in a few weeks at the Pac-12 Championships.’
The Pocock 4+ is one of the top rowing shells in the country and was built in Everett, Wash. The team’s newly dedicated boat is expected to make its debut during the Pac-12 Championships in Sacramento, May 19, but will be on display outside of Goss Stadium for the general public to see before Sunday’s official dedication ceremony.
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