Sidney Jelinek

Sidney Carter Jelinek (March 18, 1899 – March 9, 1979) was an American architect who worked primarily in Philadelphia. As a competitive rower in his youth, he rowed eight man shells for the University of Pennsylvania, and won a bronze medal in the coxed fours crew at the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris. He got his start rowing on the lightweight crew for the University of Pennsylvania in 1920, but moving to varsity in the following year, he competed for the Penn eight-man crew in the seventh seat for his remaining three years of collegiate competition. Showing versatility in his athleticism, he was also a member of the Penn water polo team. Jelinek rowed for Philadelphia's fabled Pennsylvania Barge Club, which was founded in 1861 and had produced 22 Olympians by 1932.

Demonstrating academic achievement in architecture, in June 1924 he received the Historic Ornament Medal for his first semester of that year from the University of Pennsylvania School of Fine Arts.

Olympics At the 1924 Olympic Trials, his Penn eight rowing crew failed to defeat Yale for the Olympic berth, but Jelinek made the team in the fours while rowing for the Bachelor's Barge Club.

After their arrival in Paris, the American coxed four team from the Philadelphia area won their heat in the preliminary round with a time of 7 minutes 19 seconds for the 1.24 mile course. In the final round, the Americans won the bronze medal in the coxed four event in Paris France. The competition, the fourth appearance of the event, was held from July 13–17, 1924 on the river Seine. There were 10 boats (51 competitors, with Switzerland making one substitution) from 10 nations, with each nation limited to a single boat in the event. The Americans finished with a time of 7:23, only two and a half seconds behind France who took the bronze. Switzerland, the pre-race favorite, finished with a sizable three-minute lead over second place France. Bob Gerhardt took the important position of bowsmen rowing in the front, Jelinek rowed in seat two, Edward Mitchell Jr. rowed third, Henry Welsford rowed fourth (last) or Sweep, and John Kennedy functioned as coxswain.

Architecture After completing his architectural degree at Penn, Jelinek designed factories, office buildings, several recreation centers, theatres and apartments in Philadelphia, establishing his own office in 1945. He served as an assistant in architecture at the University of Pennsylvania from 1920 to 1922. As a noted urban architect, he later served on the Philadelphia City Planning Commission from 1933 to 1934. In a larger project, he created plans for a 3 million dollar Aquarama at 34 South Broad Street, a South Philadelphia landmark, which replaced the old city-operated aquarium, and had grounds spanning 10 acres. A 1,200 seat "Theatre of the Sea" was included in its modernistic layout, which featured trained porpoise shows. At the time, the broad scope of the project was paralleled only by Seaquarium in Miami, Florida, and Marineland in San Diego. In 1960, he was also a primary architect for the 300 room Franklin Motor Inn on the Parkway at 22nd Street with his associate Edward B. Todd, and in 1967, he completed plans for "Theatre 1812" on Chestnut Street.

In a late life marriage at 63, in September 1962, Jelinek married Irma Sporkin, 57. Jelinek was living at St. James Place in Philadelphia.

He died March 9, 1979, in Philadelphia, having most recently resided at the Wellington Apartments at 19th and Walnut, and was survived by his wife Irma, and one son. Memorial services were held on March 11 at Philadelphia's Congregation Rodeph Shalom.