The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1904-02-06


Brown university taken tho day before
yesterday was condemned by the execu-
tive and advisory committees yesterday
when these two bodies met The ad-
visory committee met and passed reso-
lutions condemning the action of the ath-
letic board and the executive committee
refused TO accept the designations OF
Profs. Meiklejohn and Hill
President Faunce arrived in this city
IN the afternoon of yesterday and hastily
called a meeting OF the executive commit
tee OF the corporation at o'clock De
spite the brevity Of the notice given. all
but two of the members were present,
and after deliberation upon the matter
drafted the following resolutions
whereas, The designations OF Profs.
Meiklejohin and Hill from the board OF
directors OF the Brown University Ath-
letic association have been presented be-
cause OF the action OF a majority OF said
board on the question OF professionalism
In college athletics.
Resolved That we decline TO accept
the designations of these gentlemen, anu
we condemn the action OF the BOARD III
repeating certain imporIanh, dh rS, sctSen ~ the
faculty, corporation or students OF 'ne
university
IL would seem that inc acuou vl ~ ~
corporation was more a declafauoh
against the action OF the board I'm de-
Gliding the matter without consultation
with the faculty, corporation or the STU
dents This matter will be heard thor
oughly this morning. All who are VIII
ing 20 talk upon the subject are wiinng
10 admit that some radical change IN the
eligibility rules IS necessary, out uon
think II advisable for Brown to take the
stand alone. All say that the old RUE
is futile and obsolete. but question the
sdvisabsIity OF assuming the leadership
and abolishing the rule entirely;
Among the members OF the board,
whose action Is being so seVereiy "lu-
cized- Martin S. Fanning was the an,y ~
one TO DO interviewed yesteruay' anu i'
part he spoke as follows
II feel called upon 10 make iranh
and open statement 20 all persons inter,
ested in the good name OF 'Old Brown,
In doing this / am speaking as an moi
vidual and not as a representative or the
board OF directors OF the Athletio asso-
citation OF Brown university.
.sAfy FIRST official connection with Brown
university athletics was In 1883. when
was elected treasurer of the association.
At that time the assoclauoh was nx,n
n student body and managed us own
athletics. This condition existed Tor sew
eral years, when IL seemed wise 20 ihaAe
change. A committee OF three Was vas ap AZ,
pointed to Investigate the manaSem,eant
of athletics at other universities ine
committee consisted OF Prof. Wiirreo
Munro Walter Peck and myself
eramca by the committee which practical
iv embodied the plan in use az the Univer-
eity OF Pennsylvania. The report OF u'e
committee was accepted by the facuity
and student body. In accordance with uhe
plan a. board OF directors was chosen py
the student body and faculty. The board
consisted of four members OF the faculty
elected by the faculty. three graduates
and four undergraduates elected by the
students This board, while a great I'M
provement in administration, ala no'
have full control OF athletics. for the rea-
son that the faculty insisted mat certalI
eligibility rules must be adopted Strenu-
Gus exceptions were taken 10 this compul-
sion by the graduate members or he
board who felt that In all matters. with
the exception OF scholarship. the board
should have full control. In order. now
ever not to overthrow the association
which was doing much good work, the
graduates acquesced In this ruling.
Two years ago the corporation ol
Brown University voted to give the con
troll OF sll athletic matters at Brown 70
board OF directors. but decided that sucf
directors Should be chosen in dneren'
manner than formerly. Their plan was for
the corporation to elect three graduates
one TO serve one year. another two years
and third three years. The faculty was
TO elect three of it's members 10 serve Ike
wise and the student body was 10 cleo
three members from the three upper
classes In accordance with this plan
now board OF directors was elected and :
new constitution for the association
adopted.
this is the present condition OF AFFAIR."
at Brown. Tt seemed necessary for ms e
erplnin these conditions I'm order that
might clearly show my consistent stano
on certain matters for 10 or more years
During this time the question OF 'summe
ball has received the closest attention o.
the different boards You must keep II
mind. however. that until the presen
board was elected the matter OF eligibility
OF players was entirely in the hands o
the faculty.
"One OF their rules was to the effec
that no student OF Brown University whC
played ball I'm the summer for which III
received anything directly or indirectly
should be eligible TO play on Brown
Varsity team. II is in regard 10 this rule
that most OF the criticism comes, anC
Justly. for nearly ~ per cent OF the base
ball players OF the different colleges play
summer ball. To prove that they reoeiv,
anything is a different matter. The col
leges are not uniform In their rules OF Ell
gibllity on in the Interpretation OF same
During the past few years a number o
conferences on athletics have been held
attended for the most part BY faculty
members from different colleges.
Very little progress has been made
for the reason that mutual agreement
could not be reached. Last year tn,
Brown board instructed Its delegate to Of
fer 10 the conference certain contemplated
changes. The changes were as follws: Tt
do away with the professional rule. not e
allow Freshmen 20 play on Varsity
teams to strictly enforce the scholarship
rule; I'm colleges where there were grad
uate schools. not 20 allow such gradus =
to play on the Varsity teams.
For reasons best known 10 them
eelves the members OF the conference
although they had entire sympathy foi
Browns altitude. did not deem IL advis-
able to indorse such action
Last year Caspar whitney I'm Outins
published long list OF men who hac
played summer ball. this list included
representative men from every we'll
known college IN the country
IT Is acknowledged by every fair col
iese man that baseball men DO play sum
mer hall and will I'm all probability con
eH~4aa 40 s.IaNs