BELVEDERE – After completing the registration process as a freshman in 1951, Rodney Friedman walked out of Harmon Gym and immediately ran into four members of the Cal men's rowing team along with legendary coach Ky Ebright, accompanied by a sign promoting sign-ups for the team.

"I'll row," Friedman told them.

Ebright looked at Friedman's 130-pound frame and said, "You're going to be a coxswain. Be on the bus at 5 o'clock in front of the gym."

Friedman had no idea what a coxswain was at the time, but nearly 70 years later, he is still having an impact on the Golden Bears.

Friedman recently made a $1 million gift to Cal men's rowing to create a scholarship in the name of his late wife, Shirley Friedman. The Friedmans had previously purchased six boats for the team, including three that are named after Shirley.

"Rodney is a great example of the lasting impact you can make on the program and our young men," Cal head coach Scott Frandsen said. "The program continues to mean so much to him that he's motivated to support it in this way. Without his leadership, we don't have the program that we do. We are indebted to him for his generosity."

Friedman went on to a successful career as a coxswain for the Bears before graduating in 1956. After serving in Germany as one of the few architects in the Air Force, he settled down with Shirley in the Bay Area and formed a world-renowned architectural firm with partner Bob Fisher - Fisher Friedman Associates. Friedman designed a diverse array of residential and commercial units all over the globe, winning countless awards and serving as a keynote speaker at events multiple times on different continents.

After selling Fisher Friedman Associates in 2008, Friedman reconnected with the Golden Bears. In addition to the gifts he has made to the program, Rodney and Shirley accompanied the team to different events, including an annual trip to the Henley Royal Regatta on the Thames River in England.

Shirley passed away last April after a three-year bout with stomach cancer. Before that, she had become somewhat of a good luck charm for the team. The Bears won multiple championships with Shirley watching in person. That included the Freshman 8 winning the national championship in the boat named "Shirley Friedman."

"The guys on the team loved her," Rodney said. "She was like the team grandma. They really identified with Shirley. She was a very likable person. She was very supportive."

Now 87, Rodney continues to remain involved with Cal men's rowing. He still hosts an annual Gregory Peck movie night for the team – Peck rowed for the Bears in the late 1930s.

"We are deeply grateful for Rodney and his late wife Shirley's longtime support of the Cal men's rowing program," Cal Director of Athletics Jim Knowlton said. "They have positively impacted hundreds of student-athletes' lives, and the creation of the scholarship in Shirley's memory is a phenomenal way to honor her legacy."

The shells donated by the Friedmans are named Golden Bear II, Golden Bear III, Shirley Friedman, Rodney Friedman, Shirley Friedman II and Shirley Friedman III. The team held a boat christening for the Shirley Friedman III in December, and Rodney shared an oral history of his life for the team and their guests.

"The only thing I'm interested in is that there is always a shell named after Shirley," Rodney said.