BOSTON — The Northeastern women's rowing program will celebrate its founder and first coach, Janet Swanson, on Saturday, April 27, when it christens a new varsity eight boat named in her honor. A Northeastern alumna, Swanson enjoyed a 16-year coaching career at her alma mater, leading both the rowing and swimming programs. She will be in attendance on Saturday for the christening, which will begin at 11 a.m., at Henderson Boathouse.

“The name Janet Swanson resonates with all female student-athletes at Northeastern, especially women rowers,” said women's rowing head coach Joe Wilhelm. “As the founder and first coach of Northeastern women's rowing, Janet has had a major impact on the life of every woman who has gone through the program. Without her efforts, and the efforts of the founding student-athletes, the women's rowing program may not exist. At the very least, it would not be the program it is today.”

Alumni and friends of the program are invited to Saturday's boat christening. There is no fee to attend, but registration is required. CLICK HERE to register.

Swanson, a “Double Husky,” earned an undergraduate degree in recreational therapy from the university in 1974 and a master of science degree in recreational therapy rehabilitation in 1976. Her legendary career as an athlete and coach earned her induction into the Northeastern Hall of Fame in 1994. She was a four-sport athlete at the university, competing in field hockey, swimming, tennis and lacrosse. In the pool, she represented NU as a finalist in backstroke at the New England Championships.

Swanson's coaching career started in 1975 when, as a graduate student, she was asked to serve as the faculty advisor to the women's club rowing team, which she helped mold into the university's highly-successful varsity program. In the early years of the crew program, Swanson put her oarswomen in the pool as a means of cross-training. Through that effort, two years later in 1977, the varsity men's and women's swimming programs were launched, with Swanson at the helm.

Swanson retired from coaching in 1991 to work in rehabilitation services at Boston-area nursing homes and adult care centers. She later became vice president of the Celebrate Life Foundation. The foundation partnered with the American Cancer Society to help with the formation of the AstraZeneca Hope Lodge Center in the Jamaica Plain neighborhood of Boston. The foundation dedicated more than $500,000 to the creation of Hope Lodge, a state-of-the-art facility that serves as a "home away from home" for patients traveling more than 40 miles to their outpatient cancer treatments.

This fall, Swanson became the first donor in Northeastern history to make a six-figure gift to women's athletics — a fitting celebration of the 40th anniversary of the landmark Title IX legislation. A portion of Swanson's gift will support the athletic department's summer bridge program — which enables student-athletes to enroll in summer session classes to remain on pace to graduate. The summer bridge program has helped Northeastern achieve an NCAA Academic Progress Rate well above its national peers. Swanson's gift also continues a legacy of advocating for the continued enhancement and awareness of women's sports at the university. Her generosity will enhance opportunities for women athletes at Northeastern and will offer increased visibility for the programs and their accomplishments.