Matt Leanderson
Encyclopedia
Matthew "Matt" Fillip Leanderson (March 11, 1931 – November 2, 2006) was an American
rower
who competed in the 1952 Summer Olympics
.
He was born in Seattle, Washington
and grew up in Alderwood Manor, and graduated from Edmonds High School.
In 1952, he was the strokeman of the American boat in the Olympic coxswain fours event. Because their coach was absent at the Olympics, Leanderson directed his team, which won the bronze medal with a 7:37.0 finish, just 0.5 seconds behind the silver-medal-winning Swiss team.
He went on to coach at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and later left MIT to coach the freshman crew team at the University of Washington, where he took over as head coach from 1959 to 1967. He also coached rowing at Western Washington University from 1977 to 1993. Leanderson was inducted into the Western Washington University Hall of Fame in 1998 and the University of Washington Hall of Fame in 2002.
He died in Kirkland, Washington
. He is interred at Evergreen Washelli Memorial Park
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
rower
Rowing (sport)
Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...
who competed in the 1952 Summer Olympics
1952 Summer Olympics
The 1952 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Helsinki, Finland in 1952. Helsinki had been earlier given the 1940 Summer Olympics, which were cancelled due to World War II...
.
He was born in Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
and grew up in Alderwood Manor, and graduated from Edmonds High School.
In 1952, he was the strokeman of the American boat in the Olympic coxswain fours event. Because their coach was absent at the Olympics, Leanderson directed his team, which won the bronze medal with a 7:37.0 finish, just 0.5 seconds behind the silver-medal-winning Swiss team.
He went on to coach at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and later left MIT to coach the freshman crew team at the University of Washington, where he took over as head coach from 1959 to 1967. He also coached rowing at Western Washington University from 1977 to 1993. Leanderson was inducted into the Western Washington University Hall of Fame in 1998 and the University of Washington Hall of Fame in 2002.
He died in Kirkland, Washington
Kirkland, Washington
Kirkland is a city in King County, Washington, United States. It is a suburb of Seattle on the Eastside . The population was 48,787 at the 2010 census makes it the 9th largest city in King County and the 20th largest city in the state...
. He is interred at Evergreen Washelli Memorial Park
Evergreen Washelli Memorial Park
Evergreen Washelli Memorial Park originated in 1885. It is located on both sides of Aurora Avenue in Seattle, Washington, and occupies roughly . It is the largest cemetery in Seattle.-History:...
.