Princeton University Athletics
Arshay Cooper to be Featured as part of Jake McCandless ’51 PVC Speaker Series
November 01, 2023 | General
The PVC and Princeton Athletics are excited to welcome Arshay Cooper, a member of the country's first All-Black high school rowing team and dedicated activist and philanthropist in the sport, to campus on Wednesday, November 8th as the featured guest for the Jake McCandless '51 PVC Speaker Series.
The event will take place in on Princeton's campus in McCosh Hall, Room 50 (map) starting at 7:30 p.m. and is free and open to the entire Princeton community and general public (note: the event will not be streamed online). Advanced registration is not required but encouraged for planning purposes.
RSVP HERE FOR PVC SPEAKER SERIES
Arshay Cooper is a Rower, Bestselling and Award-winning Author, a 2x Golden Oar recipient for his contributions to the sport of rowing, a motivational speaker, activist, and the protagonist of the film, A Most Beautiful Thing. Arshay grew up on the West Side of Chicago in a community surrounded by gangs and drugs. In 1997 he joined (and later became captain of) the country's first All-Black high school rowing team at Manley High School, an experience that changed his life. Inspired by the power that the sport had on his own life, Cooper wrote the award-winning book A Most Beautiful Thing which tells the inspiring true story about the most unlikely band of brothers that form a family, and forever change a sport and their lives in the process. In 2020, his memoir was made into a powerful award-winning film A Most Beautiful Thing (trailer), that chronicles Cooper's life and the story of the Manley Crew team.
As an activist and philanthropist, Cooper has created youth rowing programs across the country, and following the release of his recent book and film projects, he founded the A Most Beautiful Thing Inclusion Fund to introduce thousands of under-resourced youth to the sport of rowing. Since its inception two years ago, this fund has introduced rowing to more than 3,000 young people and provided more than $450,000 in equipment and grant funding. Cooper has built a relationship with Princeton rowing over the years, including partnership on an advanced screening of his film in 2020.
Click here for additional background on Arshay Cooper.
The Jake McCandless '51 PVC Speaker Series was endowed in the name of J.L. "Jake" McCandless '51, who coached Princeton to the 1969 Ivy League football championship during the Tigers' centennial year of football. Since its inception, the Series has featured a variety of speakers including Professors, Olympians, Civil Rights Activists, Sports Professionals and Team Owners, and more. Click here for a feature on past McCandless series speakers.
The event will take place in on Princeton's campus in McCosh Hall, Room 50 (map) starting at 7:30 p.m. and is free and open to the entire Princeton community and general public (note: the event will not be streamed online). Advanced registration is not required but encouraged for planning purposes.
RSVP HERE FOR PVC SPEAKER SERIES
Arshay Cooper is a Rower, Bestselling and Award-winning Author, a 2x Golden Oar recipient for his contributions to the sport of rowing, a motivational speaker, activist, and the protagonist of the film, A Most Beautiful Thing. Arshay grew up on the West Side of Chicago in a community surrounded by gangs and drugs. In 1997 he joined (and later became captain of) the country's first All-Black high school rowing team at Manley High School, an experience that changed his life. Inspired by the power that the sport had on his own life, Cooper wrote the award-winning book A Most Beautiful Thing which tells the inspiring true story about the most unlikely band of brothers that form a family, and forever change a sport and their lives in the process. In 2020, his memoir was made into a powerful award-winning film A Most Beautiful Thing (trailer), that chronicles Cooper's life and the story of the Manley Crew team.
As an activist and philanthropist, Cooper has created youth rowing programs across the country, and following the release of his recent book and film projects, he founded the A Most Beautiful Thing Inclusion Fund to introduce thousands of under-resourced youth to the sport of rowing. Since its inception two years ago, this fund has introduced rowing to more than 3,000 young people and provided more than $450,000 in equipment and grant funding. Cooper has built a relationship with Princeton rowing over the years, including partnership on an advanced screening of his film in 2020.
Click here for additional background on Arshay Cooper.
The Jake McCandless '51 PVC Speaker Series was endowed in the name of J.L. "Jake" McCandless '51, who coached Princeton to the 1969 Ivy League football championship during the Tigers' centennial year of football. Since its inception, the Series has featured a variety of speakers including Professors, Olympians, Civil Rights Activists, Sports Professionals and Team Owners, and more. Click here for a feature on past McCandless series speakers.
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