Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-01-26
President of University Gives
His Views for Benefit of
South Dakota Legislature
IS GOOD THING IN COLLEGE LIFE
.BilI Has Been Introduced in South Da-
ko.a Legislature to Prohibit Playing
of Observation-Disclosures Thinks That It
Is Productive Of a Hettor College
Spirit and Better StudentA
Special to Times Republican.

N1dCLedH OI u oAANClSity u I've
holds, in a letter written today to Prof.
A. HI. Whittemore Of the University OF
| South Dakota, that football Is a cause
of much good in college life, and that
no harm comes from 1t in any case.
! The development of university spirit,
the development of students into better
men intellectually and morally, causing
universities Of America which have
neglected the physical needs of their
students to pay attention to them, and
an improvement in scholarship among
students who might be inclined to
shirk, are some of the benefits of foot
ball in DR.. MacLean's estimation. He
holds that the evils of football are not
inseparabale from 1t, that betting
should be vigorously condemned and
punished, and that proper physical di-
rectors and faculty alumni committees
should supervise football.
Prof. Whittemore wrote to President
MacLean because Of the bill to prohibit
football which will be introduced into
the South Dakota legislature this win
ter. President MacLean writes of foot
ball after a connection of eighteen
years with the football of the western
universities Of Minnesota, Nebraska
Iowa.
You will find Of material service"
writes DR.. MacLean to Prof. White
more. "the paper presented o. athletics
by President Prather of Texas, at the
National Association Of State Universe
ties in Washington, Jam. Sd. It seemed
to be the unanimous oainion of the rep-
resentatives Of the fifteen or twenty
trolled, has a prominent and permanent
place in college athletics.
I'm an experience OF eighteen years,
either directly or indirectly related to
athletic committees in state universe
ties, I have never known q player to be
degraded by football. l have often
known a fellow OF large physique and
animal spirits who has frequently been
elevated into a man of more intellectual
and moral type. To state 1T in another
way, 1 have often known men without
lofty instincts, and possibly with low
tendencies, to go upon teams, n i
never knew them. to go any lower, and
frequently have observed lneir elevi.-
ton in every particular. Since the
preaching far and wide of muscular
Christianity, it has often come about
that the leaders of our teams lave been
members Of the Y. NJ. C. A. For Exam
pie. the captain of the team of the Uni
5versity Of Iowa is a Y. M. c.. A. a
and president Of the university associa-
ton.
The universities which formerly
the student and did not take sufficient
interest in his play, in no small degree
thru the influence Of football. have come
to recognize not only the Importance of
physical training and of play In educa-
ton, but also the social obligations of
the university to its students. The de-
velopment OF university spirit is trace
able in no small measure to football.
TOO great prominence is frequently
given to football in the university re-
ports; nevertheless, the support Of foot
ball and athletics Is a significant straw
as to which way the wind blows in a
university in all lines of its activities.
'sThe effect of the game upon scholar
ship has been negative rather than
positive. 1t has been found necessary
to demand q minimum standard of
scholarship upon the part Of the play
ers. Some OF the best scholars main
tain a high standard of scholarship and
a similarly high standing on the teams,
but 1T is doubtless a strain upon the
individual. Scholarship is gained in
the way of a greater scrutiny Of the
standing of students upon the part of
the faculty.
THE evils which spring up about
football, like betting, are not attribute
BILE to it: they are evils too much fos-
tered in the general home life and So
cial life of America. They should be
prohibited and suppressed, not only as
vices, but as doing harm to a legiti-
mate sport which w need among oth-
ers in our country which has been lack
ing In healthful amusements.
1T is to be understood that | am writ
ing only of football in a college or uni
versity. under a proper physical direc-
tor and with a thorough faculty and
supervision. The major por-
ton of the accidents and evils OF which
we hear occurs among the unframed
players, and on other than university