mary “Gwen” Knapp ’83 — a sports journalist for The Harvard Crimson, the Philadelphia Inquirer, the San Francisco Chronicle, and the New York Times — died on January 20 at age 61 after a yearlong battle with lymphoma.
Longtime friend and former classmate Nancy W. Boutilier ’83 first met Knapp during a rain delay under the scorer’s table at the 1981 Harvard softball game. Boutilier pitched, and Knapp covered the game for The Crimson.
“His warmth, curiosity, and passion for sports drew me in from the start! It didn’t take but 5 minutes with Gwen to know she was great! Boutilier wrote in an email.
Known for his San Francisco Chronicle column that ran from 2000 to 2012, Knapp covered sports and its intersections with controversial topics from racism to doping to homophobia.
Prior to his career as a professional sports writer, Knapp got his start as an associate sports editor at The Crimson. In addition to covering athletics on campus, Knapp swam for the women’s swimming and diving teams.
Claudia S. Leonard ’83, one of Knapp’s freshman year roommates, remembers meeting him on move-in day at 33 Matthews South, their dorm in Harvard Yard.
“He can look so gentle and sweet at first meeting, and little did I know at that first meeting, the kind of ferocity he has underneath,” Leonard said.
‘A desire to do the right thing, to see the right thing done’
Knapp’s friends and family said he was known for his integrity and strong standards of ethical reporting — traits that extended into his personal life.
In 2001, Knapp questioned the legitimacy of former cyclist Lance E. Armstrong’s multiple victories 12 years before he admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs during his Tour de France victories.
Caroline A. Miller ’83, a friend from the swim team, said she was not surprised to read about Armstrong’s story in an obituary for Knapp.
“I just laughed because it was Gwen,” he said.
“I admired her because a lot of women – still at that time – would just agree to pretend, and Gwen was someone who didn’t care if other people agreed with her or not,” Miller added. “He just always had strong opinions about everything.”
One of Gwen Knapp’s younger sisters, Rebecca Knapp Adams, said Gwen Knapp’s courageous reporting stems from her ethical behavior.
“If you know Gwen, if you’ve worked with Gwen, if you’ve had a relationship with Gwen, you understand that she has no guile and that her demands and determination and persistence don’t come from a place of ego,” he said. . “It comes from a desire to do the right thing, to see the right thing done.”
Along with his commitment to covering injustice in the sports world, Knapp remains a constant optimist, according to Leonard.
“He will hold the best,” he said. “Despite the fact that he always had something that saddened him about the state of the world – some injustice – he was still at heart an absolute optimist.”
“He laughed hard, argued hard, and worked hard at everything,” Miller added.
Remembering the ‘Little Things’
Lawrence R. “Larry” Countryman ’83 first met Knapp in eighth grade after joining the swim team at their middle school in Delaware.
Although they attended different high schools, they kept in touch until they arrived at Harvard, where they both swam at the varsity level.
Countryman recalled that when Knapp was covering the 2000 Sydney Olympics, he called him during the men’s 1500-meter freestyle to hear him race.
Countryman is a distance freestyle swimmer, and he admires Knapp’s penchant for remembering the “little things” about others and engaging them in experiences he knows they’ll enjoy.
“He wants to make sure you’re taken care of, that you’re part of the thing — whatever that thing is,” he said.
“I’ll never forget that,” he added.
The Countryman also spoke of Knapp’s “loyalty” and generosity.
When her mother got sick and had to travel home, she said Knapp told her, “just go to the airport tomorrow morning – there’s a ticket there for you.”
‘Big Sister Figure’
The eldest of four sisters, Knapp is remembered as an influential teacher – both formally and informally.
One of Knapp’s younger sisters, Adams, said Gwen was always a role model for a big sister.
“The big sister role is very important to her. She really sees it as a responsibility for all of us,” she said. “I think she’s also — whether it’s conscious or not — a real role model.”
Adams added that when working as a summer swim coach, Knapp would find kids who needed a “big sister.”
Susan Knapp McClements, the second oldest sister, said Knapp served as “a wonderful teacher” to all of her sisters’ children.
During her time in San Francisco, Knapp volunteered as a teacher at A Home Away from Homelessness, a nonprofit organization that provides mentorship, coaching, counseling, and legal assistance to homeless children.
Reverend Alyson Jacks, the director of volunteer and mentoring services during Knapp’s time there, said he was a valuable volunteer.
“He’s just one of those volunteers if you’re lucky enough to have them, who’s consistent, shows up, doesn’t have a lot of pretensions about anything, and is just there to support the kids and brings his curiosity and love of life.” and love of learning,” he said.
Nancy Knapp Piccione, another sister of Gwen Knapp, said Gwen Knapp enjoyed her time with the nonprofit’s children more than her role as a teacher.
“I think he’s obviously a role model and an adult who takes care of them, but I think he wants to be on their level and understand their lives and tease them and support them.”
Gwen Knapp is survived by her three sisters, as well as her father, Laurence Knapp.
According to the Countryman, Gwen Knapp’s legacy is rooted in her passionate journalistic career as a female sportswriter who always strives for fairness and truth.
“Gwen was always trying to do something different and wanted to be good at it and wanted to succeed and make things better,” he said.
“I think going to the games for her is kind of like, ‘Hey, people don’t expect this from girls, and I’m going to show them that girls can do it,'” she added.
—Staff writer Paton D. Roberts can be reached at paton.roberts@thecrimson.com. Follow him on Twitter @paton_dr.
—Staff writer Sophia C. Scott can be reached at sophia.scott@thecrimson.com. Follow him on Twitter @ScottSophia_.
