Samuel Vaughn Merrick (born on 24 March 1914,

Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania Bala Cynwyd ( ) is a community in Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania. It is located on the Philadelphia Main Line in Southeastern Pennsylvania, bordering the western edge of Philadelphia at U.S. Route 1 (City Avenue). It was originally two sep ...

- 17 April 2000,

Medford, New Jersey Medford is a Township (New Jersey), township in Burlington County, New Jersey, Burlington County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, the township's population was 24,497, an increase of 1,464 ...

) was a

sailor A sailor, seaman, mariner, or seafarer is a person who works aboard a watercraft as part of its crew, and may work in any one of a number of different fields that are related to the operation and maintenance of a ship. The profession of the s ...

and preeminent labor lawyer under Presidents Kennedy and

Johnson Johnson is a surname of Anglo-Norman origin meaning "Son of John". It is the second most common in the United States and 154th most common in the world. As a common family name in Scotland, Johnson is occasionally a variation of ''Johnston'', a ...

from the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

Personal life

In 1947, Merrick was married to Eleanor Perry of

Dover, Massachusetts Dover is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 5,923 at the time of the 2020 United States Census. With a median income of more than $250,000, Dover is one of the wealthiest towns in Massachusetts. Located abou ...

. The couple has three son's John, Gregory and Tad. Sam earned a

Bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...

engineering Engineering is the use of scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad range of more speciali ...

in 1937 and a law degree in 1940, both from the

University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest-regarded universitie ...

Professional life

Merrick retired in 1977, after working 35 years in labor and Congressional relations. He was a preeminent labor lawyer under Presidents Kennedy and

Sailing

Merrick was an accomplished sailor in one-design sailboat races since 1926. He won twice the E-scow Nationals (once in the 1930s and once in the 1980s). In his

Soling The Soling is an open keelboat that holds the World Sailing "International class" status. The class was used from the 1972 Olympics (Kiel) until the 2000 Olympics (Sydney) as " Open Three Person Keelboat". Besides the Olympic career of the Soli ...

years he had an intense rivalry and friendship with Stuart H. Walker. After his retirement Merrick became the (unsalaried) director of the United States Olympic yachting committee. In 1980, he added the title of chairman. He prepared the American Olympic team until the

1980 Summer Olympics boycott The 1980 Summer Olympics boycott was one part of a number of actions initiated by the United States to protest against the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. The Soviet Union, which hosted the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, and its allies later ...

. After that disappointment for the US sailors Sam started to get sailors to be engaged for competing in the 1984 Olympics. Merrick's team was able to win a medal in every of the seven Olympic classes (three gold and four silver Medailles. For this he was awarded the most prestigious award in American sailing, the Nathaniel G. Herreshoff Trophy, in 1984. Sam was president of the

International Soling Association The International Soling Association, ISA, was founded as soon as the Soling became an International class in 1967. Originally an "Owners Club" became a very self-supporting organization who provided great support for the whole Soling community and ...

from 1987 - 1990.

Death

Sam died at the age of 86 as result of pancreatic cancer at his house in Medford, New Jersey.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Merrick, Samual Vaughn 1914 births 2000 deaths People from Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania American male sailors (sport) University of Pennsylvania alumni Deaths from pancreatic cancer