Established in 1871, the Pennsylvania Athletic Club and Rowing Association is an athletic organization, providing rowing programs at all levels. In addition to harboring two local high school programs (The Shipley School and Monsignor Bonner High School), Penn AC produces competitive programs for elite rowers looking to make the US National Team, masters of all levels, and intermediates looking to further their rowing achievements during the summer.

Over the years, Penn AC has undergone many changes since its roots on the other side of the Schuylkill as the West Philadelphia Boat Club. Nonetheless, our core traditions have stayed the same. At Penn AC, we have a tradition of winning for over a century. Since the club’s first recorded victory in the pair oared cup race of the 1882 Schuylkill Navy Regatta, it has continued to plaster its walls with plaques, pennants, and banners, testimonies to its success. Today, we perpetuate this legacy with both national and international victories. Over the years, Penn AC has given birth to dozens of United States National Team oarsmen. Currently, no fewer than ten National Team members spent time in either their past or present training and racing for Penn AC.

With a history of accepting all who want to pull an oar, Penn AC has space for anyone with dedication and drive. Never turning a willing rower away, Penn AC derives its strength from the motivation of its members. When a the growth of the club demanded a new boat bay, it was its own, currently training members that took to laying the concrete foundation and entire construction. Penn AC was literally built from within. Our motivation may be what drives us personally to pursue rowing, but it is also the common denominator that lays the steadfast foundation for our proud club.

A club once notorious for its members’ inclination to swim off the west bank of the lower Schuylkill still finds its members maintaining the tradition from its current location in Boathouse Row. Consequently, it is no surprise why the keystones of our predecessors – drive, dedication, and a taste for victory – were also passed down to us and serve as the bond that makes us stronger.

If you want to put some time behind the weight of an oar, Penn AC will provide you with one.

For more information on the history of the Pennsylvania Athletic Club and Rowing Association, please look into A Saga of a Philadelphia Rowing Club by Joe Sweeney through the History link .