Gentry, Amy
Date Born/Est
26 Jul 1903
Date Died/Ceased
11 Jun 1976
Biographical Display
Amy Gentry OBE, sculling champion, founder member of Weybridge Ladies RC and chairman of the Women's ARA
Gentry was a founder member of Weybridge Ladies RC which pioneered women's club rowing in Britain. She stroked her club eight to the head of the river in 1928. She was GB sculling champion for three consecutive years (1932-34) and mixed doubles champion of the Thames with her brother Frank from 1924-26.
From 1926 to 1938 Gentry was secretary of the Women's Amateur Rowing Association and thereafter chaired it until her retirement in 1968, by which time WARA had become a committee of the ARA. In 1960 she persuaded the international federation (Fisa) to hold the women's European championships on the Welsh Harp in Willesden, London, an early step in the acceptance of women's rowing into the Olympic games (1976). She was awarded the OBE for services to rowing in 1969.
Amy Gentry was secretary to the chief designer of Vickers Armstrong, Barnes Wallis, when he was developing the bouncing 'dam busters' bomb (1941-43). She was also an accomplished Gilbert and Sullivan s and old-time variety singer.
Gentry was a founder member of Weybridge Ladies RC which pioneered women's club rowing in Britain. She stroked her club eight to the head of the river in 1928. She was GB sculling champion for three consecutive years (1932-34) and mixed doubles champion of the Thames with her brother Frank from 1924-26.
From 1926 to 1938 Gentry was secretary of the Women's Amateur Rowing Association and thereafter chaired it until her retirement in 1968, by which time WARA had become a committee of the ARA. In 1960 she persuaded the international federation (Fisa) to hold the women's European championships on the Welsh Harp in Willesden, London, an early step in the acceptance of women's rowing into the Olympic games (1976). She was awarded the OBE for services to rowing in 1969.
Amy Gentry was secretary to the chief designer of Vickers Armstrong, Barnes Wallis, when he was developing the bouncing 'dam busters' bomb (1941-43). She was also an accomplished Gilbert and Sullivan s and old-time variety singer.
Place Of Birth
Barnes/Richmond Upon Thames/Greater London/England
Place Of Death
Middlesex/England
