Judy Geer '75 Th'83 to Receive Dartmouth Honorary Degree

Former Olympic rower Judy Geer '75 Th'83 at Craftsbury Outdoor Center. (Photo by John Sherman)

"Each of these seven remarkable people has made a mark in their respective fields—in the arts, medicine, sports, and public service—even as they have opened doors for others and continued to serve their extended communities," says President Sian Leah Beilock. "On behalf of Dartmouth, it is a great privilege to be able to recognize them for all they have accomplished."

When Judy Geer transferred to a newly coeducational Dartmouth, joining the Class of 1975 in her junior year, she immediately began to take advantage of life in the north woods, majoring in ecology, singing with the Handel Society choir, helping to found the women's swim team, and—notably—signing up to row on the women's crew team. 

With the encouragement of Dartmouth crew coaches, she successfully tried out for the US Olympic rowing team, for which she competed in the 1976 and 1984 Summer Games, and would have competed in 1980 if the US had not boycotted the games in protest of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. During this period, she coached at Dartmouth and earned a master's degree in engineering. 

After her Olympics career, Geer joined Concept2, a Morrisville, Vt-based rowing equipment and exercise machine company founded in 1976 by her husband, Dick Dreissigacker, and his brother. 

In 2008, Geer and Dreissigacker bought the Craftsbury Outdoor Center in Craftsbury, Vt., which serves athletes of all ages and abilities with a focus on the lifelong sports of rowing, cross-country skiing, biathlon, biking, and running. Under their leadership, the center has become a nonprofit, prioritizing sustainability and stewardship. The couple has three children, all Dartmouth alumni, and a growing number of grandchildren. 

Prospective recipients are nominated each year by members of the Dartmouth community. These confidential nominations are reviewed by the Council on Honorary Degrees and selected by the president and the Board of Trustees.