From roots of tragedy, professor gives back to Crew

Scott Gratson’s connection with crew fueled him to donate a boat, and advice, to the team.

BY RYAN MACK For The Temple News

When Scott Gratson visited a friend at Durham University in England in 1989, he did not plan to fall in love with crew. But after watching his friend, who was on the school’s team, roll on the river, he quickly became a fan. Despite not being athletic himself, Gratson enjoyed the competition his friend introduced him to.

“I was fascinated by crew,” said Gratson, Temple’s director of communication studies at the Klein College of Media and Communication. “Just thought it was the most intriguing sport.”

Fast forward several years later, his friend tragically died of suicide, pushing Gratson to carry on his memory through their shared passion for the sport.

Sports bring people of different backgrounds together and that’s exact-

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With Temple Athletics undergoing significant change during the past year following the arrival of Vice President and Director of Athletics Arthur Johnson, Jordan’s role at Temple is as crucial as ever. By performing the duties of a top liaison, he is at the forefront of the relationship between the athletic department and university administration.

Jordan, who is also a sports recreation and management professor at Temple, has even taught some of his current coworkers in his classes.

“Jeremy and I started at Temple around the same time,” said Kristy Bannon, executive senior athletic director for compliance and student affairs. “He was actually my first professor that I had in grad school. We go back a very long time.”

Jordan’s pride in Temple Athletics and sports business research led him to ly what crew did for Gratson, who has mentored many students who are on the Temple Men’s Crew team.

Gratson frequently attends Temple Men’s Crew regattas and tournaments and speaks one-on-one with many members of the team about their lives. He then took his appreciation for the sport to the next level by donating money for a boat after flooding from Hurricane Ida affected the program in 2021.

Temple Athletics will hold a dedication event for Gratson and the boat on April 29 at the East Park Canoe House. He named the boat, “Gratson (The Professor),” and had it designed as a unicorn, Scotland’s national animal which is also associated with the LGBTQ+ community.

Almost a year and a half ago, the hurricane struck Philadelphia, flooding the city’s major roadways and leaving the team’s boathouse and many of their boats destroyed.

Nothing could have prepared the team for this adversity. Not the 5 a.m. wake-up calls, the rush to get to class co-found Temple’s Sports Industry Research Center in 2008. The center has united sports and business at the university and connected many students to companies and networking events, like the National Football League and Philadelphia Marathon Weekend.

The main reason he is so active in the NCAA is the students themselves.

“Being Faculty Athletic Rep gives me a reason to continue to engage with students,” Jordan said. “It’s fun to see students grow and develop and see them experience success.”

The American Athletic Conference nominated Jordan for his role on the infractions committee because of his long standing knowledge of college athletics. Yet even on a local scale, Jordan aims to enhance Temple students’ experience by connecting faculty members and students.

A major part of Jordan’s role as faculty athletics representative is to align the educational and athletic departments. As a liaison between the different after practice or even even the regattas that they race during the spring.

While hardships may have hurt the team’s morale, the members went to the boathouse to clean up the damage instead, making them more grateful for their teammates and coaches while reigniting their determination to rebuild.

“We have to just take the opportunity we have right now,” said junior crew member Brandon Van Vuuren. “Having to see the boathouse in the shape it was in after the hurricane and building it back up and coming back from it, I think it like speaks to the team’s resiliency, you know.”

Gratson attending team races and donating has helped form a bond that extends beyond the sport as many crewmates now stop by his office to talk.

“I think I had a very engaging conversation with him,” said senior crew member Kenneth Raynor. “We actually met up about three weeks after that to continue chatting, so I’ve had very pleasant experiences with him.”

Gratson is known for taking time to groups, Jordan communicates daily with many of Temple’s key administrators about strategies to improve the student athlete experience between different departments.

Jordan is once again providing the bridge between business, sport and education while fulfilling the liaison role he sought for years with pride, he said.

“Jeremy is just a phenomenal resource for Temple,” said Justin Miller, executive senior athletic director and chief of staff. “He’s passionate about the student athlete experience, he’s passionate about all that Temple has to offer.”

Even though Temple is in a big city and a key state for college athletics, the university’s idea of the student athlete experience serves as a recruiting mechanism for every sport.

Although he will have a lot of reading on his plate for a while, Jordan’s goals for Temple come first, and it all begins with connecting people.

“If a school or college or department or faculty member has an idea or an issue speak with members of the student body, but through his history and connection with crew, he felt a certain compassion for these student-athletes. ryan.mack@temple.edu and it’s helpful to connect with athletics, how can I support that,” Jordan said. “Or if athletics has an idea or an issue, how can I connect them across campus, how can I help student athletes understand opportunities available at Temple.” nicholas.gangewere@temple.edu @nick_gang16

The relationship is the first time a faculty member has formed a close connection or sponsorship with the crew team, a testament to the role that the sport has played in Gratson’s life, Van Vuuren said.

“That connection that Gratson made years ago planted the seeds for the tree that blossomed into an incredible relationship with the crew team that we hope goes on for as long as it can,” Van Vuuren said.