Ford Weiskittel founded the modern rowing program at Hobart and William Smith Colleges in 1982 and served as its first coach from 1982 until 1986. He rowed at Henley Royal Regatta in England in the coxless pairs with Hans Feige, Hobart '86, competing as Hobart College, the first time the College raced at Henley.
A former professor of classics and ancient history at Hobart and William Smith, Weiskittel was the chair of the classics department from 1979 until 1986, leaving to become director of Trireme Trust USA, a non-profit corporation which sponsors research into ancient maritime history and operates a research vessel in the Mediterranean. This vessel, a replica of a fifth-century B.C. trireme, was designed and built by the Trireme Trust and is the largest man-powered ship in the world, with a crew of 170 men and women rowing together on three levels. Launched in 1987, she was christened Olympias and is a commissioned warship in the Hellenic Navy. Olympias represents the largest, most expensive, and most elaborate archaeological experiment ever undertaken.
For his dedication and commitment to William Smith Athletics, Weiskittel was presented with the Heron Award at the 2007 William Smith Athletics Banquet.
Ford’s commitment to the Geneva Community runs deep and is evidenced by his service as the president of the Geneva Board of Education, chairman of the City of Geneva Historic Districts and Structures Commission, treasurer of the Geneva Historical Society, secretary of the Geneva Rotary Club, and member of several other boards of directors.
Weiskittel earned degrees from Princeton University, where he studied architecture and art history, and Oxford University, where he studied philosophy and ancient history. He has published articles on Roman architecture, Pompeii, Vitruvius, and the Greek trireme. He was one of the oarcrew for the first season of sea-trials in 1987 and has been rowing master for the series of sea-trials since then.
