James Dunbar

Who is James Dunbar?

James Ralph Dunbar is an American competition rower and Olympic champion. At the 1952 Summer Olympics, he and his teammates, all members of the U.S. Naval Academy's Crew Team, captured the gold medal in the men's eight rowing competition for the U.S. in Helsiknki, Finland. Following his Olympic win, Dunbar graduated from the United States Naval Academy and joined the U.S. Air Force where he spent his career as a fighter pilot, retiring as a full Colonel in 1982. He flew an F-105 Thunderchief in combat in the Vietnam war, and received the Distinguished Flying Cross. He has stayed connected to the sport of rowing by coaching high school rowing teams, including the J.E.B. Stuart High School Crew Team in Fairfax County, Virginia. He has also raised money for local rowing teams and was involved in choosing the site for rowing competition in the 1996 Olympics games in Atlanta. He is a resident of Arlington, Virginia.