OCC’s Grant collects another honor

The honors keep mounting for retired Orange Coast College

president and 38-year crew coach Dave Grant.

Grant was recently inducted into the prestigious Leander Club in

Henley-on-Thames, England, one of the world’s oldest and

most-renowned rowing clubs.

The club is made up of 3,000 past and present oarsmen and

oarswomen from Great Britain and other countries, as well as those

who have given special service to the sport of rowing.

The club is situated at the finish line of the Henley Royal

Regatta rowing course.

Grant, 63, took his team to the Henley Royal Regatta for the 10th

time this year, as the Pirates reached the second round. OCC beat the

University of Bristol, England by four lengths in the opening round,

but lost to Queen’s University of Belfast by two lengths in the

second race.

Grant joined the OCC faculty in 1963 and served as president from

1989-95. He coached the crew team through this past season.

During his 38 years as OCC’s crew coach, Grant’s Pirates won more

than 80% of their races against distinguished four-year programs such

as UC Berkeley, Stanford, UCLA, Washington, Harvard and Pennsylvania.

His crews have competed in international regattas in England, Ireland

and Canada.

In 1984, his OCC squad became the first Western crew to row in the

People’s Republic of China.

Grant was inducted into the National Sailing Hall of Fame in 1975,

only the sixth West Coast mariner to win the honor. He was also an

assistant U.S. Olympic crew coach for the 1984 L.A. Olympic Games.

Grant was OCC’s assistant dean of students from 1964-74 and dean of students from 1976-86. He was director of marine programs,

facilities and services from 1986-89, becoming OCC’s sixth president

in ’89.