Schoch Awarded USRowing Medal of Honor

Fred Schoch, who recently retired after 33 years as President and Executive Director of Head of the Charles, was awarded the USRowing Medal of Honor at HOCR 2024.

In addition to being honored by USRowing, the HOCR Board of Directors announced that the Men’s Championship Eights competitors will henceforth compete for the Fred Schoch Trophy.

“It was a big surprise and very gratefully received after my 33 years behind the plow for the Head of the Charles,” said Schoch. “Both are about as preeminent awards as you can get in rowing in the same year, so I was very honored.”

2024 was the first year Schoch had the opportunity to see the regatta from a new perspective of retirement.

“It was a really odd, an out of body experience,” recalled Schoch. “It was great to see all of my friends. All of the social aspects of the regatta were the same, I just didn’t have a hand in the organization. I was involved in running it for more than half of its life and building the brand up worldwide has been one of my proudest achievements. It’s a bucket list event for rowers around the world.”

Schoch’s father Delos ‘Dutch’ Schoch, who was a legendary coach at Princeton University and was the alternate in the 1936 Olympic men’s “Boys in the Boat” eight, ensured he was involved in the sport from a young age.

“My whole life I’ve been involved in the rowing community,” said Schoch. “I feel very fortunate to have been able to make a living in rowing my whole life. I was able to capitalize on my experience and my relationships. I think from a personal point of view, being able to make a contribution to rowing following my father has been a meaningful part of my life.”

The Fred Schoch Trophy is now one of two such trophies. The original Schoch Cup, named for Dutch, was presented in the 70s and was stolen out of the Washington boat house.

“One of my board members was online looking for trophies and found it being advertised,” laughed Schoch. “We got it back and it’s now sitting on my mantel. There was a duplicate made that’s in Seattle. I may have to negotiate a deal and give the original back to the school. The new Fred Schoch Cup will sit in the trophy case at Cambridge Boat Club.”

The Fred Schoch Cup for the Head of the Charles now will stand on the metaphorical shelf alongside the Dutch Schoch Cup, which is awarded to the winner of the California-Washington dual race each spring.

“I look back at some of the previous winners of the USRowing Medal of Honor and I’m really humbled to be considered in that group of individuals and I couldn’t be more thrilled to have my name on the HOCR trophy,” Schoch commented on his achievements. “I hope to present it for many years ahead.”

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