Charlotte Billingsley and Bowdoin College: A Legacy of Achievement, Leadership, and Kindness
Bowdoin College has a long and storied history, marked by academic excellence, athletic achievement, and a strong sense of community. Among the many individuals who have contributed to Bowdoin's vibrant tapestry, Charlotte Billingsley '24 stands out as a beacon of leadership, achievement, and kindness. Her legacy, though tragically cut short, continues to inspire the Bowdoin community and beyond.
A Rising Star: Charlotte Billingsley's Bowdoin Journey
From her steady presence on the rowing team to her passion for physics and her enthusiasm for Arabic, Charlotte Billingsley '24 embodied the ideal of a Bowdoin student. Born in Connecticut in 2002, Charlotte moved to Rye, New York, in 2004, where she grew up as a doting older sister to her two younger twin siblings.
Those who knew her remember Charlotte for her humility, easygoing demeanor, and genuine care for others. "I remember how easy it was to talk to Charlotte," said Sachin Maharaj '24, one of Charlotte's friends. "I’d see her in passing at Moulton or on the quad, and she’d always be willing to hear you speak, but there was also never dead air."
Charlotte's affinity for sharing spaces with others led her to find a second home on Bowdoin’s rowing team. She was a dedicated team player, willing to contribute in any way she could. Lucy O’Sullivan ’23, captain of the rowing team, noted, "She was very much a team player and willing to be in whatever boat, any day."
Beyond her commitment to the team, Charlotte also advocated for inclusivity and social responsibility. She actively participated in DEI programming, offering thoughtful insights on how to make training more inclusive and encouraging non-alcoholic events to foster a stronger sense of community. "Her advocacy for that-it wasn’t for a personal agenda. It was genuinely so she could see more of her teammates," O’Sullivan said.
Read also: Charlotte Football Team Roster
Charlotte's rowing career reached a personal pinnacle when she won a gold medal at the New England Rowing Championships (NERC). In a remarkable display of determination, Charlotte’s boat surged from fourth place to first in the final 500 meters of the 2000-meter race. Carey, a teammate of Charlotte's, recalled, "They did not look like they were a contender for gold, and then they just plowed through everyone else." She further added, "We ended up being in the same boat, and then we went to the New England Championships that spring and did something similar, where we went from fourth to first. I remember feeling so lucky to be in her boat."
Academically, Charlotte excelled as a Physics major, demonstrating a quiet determination that impressed her professors. One professor noted, "At the beginning of the semester, I would have never thought I could make something like this." He added, "I let her go through the process because it didn’t seem to get to her. She ended up succeeding a lot on her own. That’s the part that I really enjoyed, and I could count on the fact that she was always in a positive state with respect to what she was doing."
Charlotte's intellectual curiosity extended beyond the classroom. She spent a summer researching optical sensors as part of The Internet of Things for Precision Agriculture (IoT4Ag) and planned to research biophysics in James R. and Helen Lee Billingsley Professor of Marine Biology Amy Johnson’s lab. This research would have served as the base for her honors project, which she planned to pursue on sea star locomotion.
During her time at Bowdoin, Charlotte also embraced opportunities for global engagement. She spent a semester studying abroad in Amman, Jordan, with the Middlebury Language School, immersing herself in Arabic language and culture at the University of Jordan. While in Jordan, Charlotte also dedicated her time to teaching English to young Syrian refugees. "It was really special for me to get to know Charlotte in a place and a language that she has such a deep connection to and that meant so much to her," said Van Miltenburg.
Charlotte's caring nature extended to all those she encountered. She was known for her thoughtfulness and genuine interest in others. Carey recalled, "She was a truly thoughtful person. She would always remember that little thing that you told her and then check-up on it a few weeks later."
Read also: Your Gateway to Engineering Career
Bowdoin Rowing: A Tradition of Excellence
Rowing has had a long and intimate relationship with Bowdoin College, first appearing in 1858. The sport was revived in the 1870s, when a Boating Association was formed with funds raised by alumni and undergraduates to purchase boats. The "Forget-Me-Not" was entered in the state regatta, marking Bowdoin’s first participation in regional competition.
In 1872, a college crew represented Bowdoin at the Intercollegiate Regatta held in Springfield, MA. Bowdoin finished fourth, behind Amherst, Harvard, Amherst Agricultural, and ahead of Williams and Yale. In 1876, the Bowdoin Rowing Team withdrew from the National Association and began work on building a new boathouse, which was completed in 1879 at a cost of $800.
The varsity team dissolved in 1890 due to heavy expenses and a shift in institutional focus toward football and baseball. However, rowing was reborn in the modern era thanks to Brad Lisle ‘87, who established the Bowdoin Rowing Club in 1985.
The Bowdoin Rowing Association, formed by Sprague, Brown, Harding, and Gibbons, oversaw operations of the Bowdoin Rowing Club in its formative years and continues to advocate for and support rowing today. In the spring of 1993, a March snowstorm collapsed the fabric shelter where the club stored its four shells, significantly damaging all the boats.
Gil Birney joined the club as coach in the fall of 1995 and continued to coach for 22 years until retiring in the summer of 2018. In 1999, Bowdoin won a third place medal in the Men’s Club Four at the Head of The Charles, the first of many over the next two decades. In 2000, the men won gold at the New England Rowing Championships and the Dad Vail Regatta, earning the Henley Prize and the opportunity to compete at Henley Royal Regatta in England.
Read also: Is UNC Charlotte Right for You?
In 2003, Bowdoin earned 4 medals at Dad Vail, including wins by the Women’s Four and the Men’s Pair. That Summer the women competed at Henley Women’s Regatta, and the men returned to HRR, where the first boat was awarded the honor of being named one of 8 Select Crews for the Britannia Cup. The second crew deserving special recognition was the women’s four of 2014. After winning the Head of The Charles in 2012, and Dad Vail in 2013 and 2014, the crew traveled to England to take its shot at winning the Senior Four at Henley Women’s Regatta.
In the summer of 2002, the college constructed a “phase one” boathouse on land purchased from the town in Sawyer Park, named Smith House to honor the family who worked so tirelessly to secure the club at Bowdoin. Doug Welling joined Coach Birney as assistant in the fall of 2011, as the club was celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the Restoration of Rowing at Bowdoin.
Assistant Coach Ry Hills retired at the close of the 2025 spring season, capping a remarkable tenure that spanned seven years with Bowdoin Rowing. In 2025, Ry’s work was recognized nationally when she was named ACRA Women’s Coach of the Year, an honor that underscored her role in guiding Bowdoin’s women to the team points trophy in Oak Ridge.
Bowdoin's top boats included women's varsity 8+, which won the bronze, and women's second varsity 8+, which won the gold and the national title for its division. Additionally, the women's novice 8+, with first-year rowers, came in third, winning the bronze. The women's team last won a national title in 2023. In 2024, they placed second. At the ACRA National Championships in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, the women scored their second overall national championship. The men and women's team together placed fifth behind Purdue, Michigan, University of Virginia, and Orange Coast.
The squad moved into the new boathouse in March of 2025 just in time for the Spring season. Head Coach Doug Welling said in the last four years, the team has been boosted by a phenomenal group of rowers who graduated this spring. “The senior rowers were remarkable for their competitive spirit and leadership,” he said. He noted, too, that support from the community-and a brand new boathouse-has buoyed the team. “The generosity of those who have come together to support the boathouse project also brings a lot to the team,” Welling said. Another motivator this past season was the pending retirement of Ry Hills, who coached Bowdoin's team for eight years after a long career in the sport. “That was another level of spirit, motivation, and legacy that brought a lot of speed to the team,” Welling reflected.
Honoring Charlotte's Memory: The Charlotte C. Billingsley Endowed Scholarship Fund
To honor Charlotte's life and legacy, her family, friends, and classmates established the Charlotte C. Billingsley Endowed Scholarship Fund. This fund supports future Bowdoin students who embody Charlotte's spirit of leadership, achievement, and kindness.
Charlotte was a beloved role model at Berkshire, earning the respect and admiration of classmates and teammates as a selfless leader and a warm friend to all. Serving as co-captain of Berkshire’s Crew team, she went on to win a gold medal for Bowdoin at the New England Rowing Championships. Addressing the community as Berkshire’s 2024 Commencement speaker, Campbell shared a life lesson that her older sister helped instill in her, encouraging classmates to “Take each precious step on this earth with assertiveness and joy.”
tags: #charlotte #billingsley #bowdoin #college #accomplishments
