Los Angeles herald., 1908-08-04
FAMOUS COACH
TO BE ENGAGED
JACK Gates, YALE '06, FOR
OCCIDENTAL
PRESIDENT BAER EXPECTS TO
SECURE HIM
Has Not Given Acceptance of Offer,
but 1t Is Believed He viii Not
Decline Offer That Has
Been Made to Him

That football in Southern California
colleges, before many years have
passed, will be on as solid a basis as
it is in eastern colleges is proven by
the efforts now being made by Presi-
dent John w. Baer of Occidental col
lege, who is summering at Marshfield,
Mass. In a letter to The Herald, Mr..
Baer says: "You will, am sure, ap-
preciate our efforts to secure first
class, clean and aboveboard coach for
our athletics. 1 find a lot of men
anxious to get out to California and
have six or seven splendid college
men who want to come, but, of course,
none has had the experience Of Gates"
President Baer has offered John M.
Gates, Yale '06, the position of ath-
lettc coach of OccidentaPs teams.
Jack Gates became noted as an all
round athlete of the right kind when
he was in Phillips Andover academy
From there he went to Yale While
at Yale he was three years right end
of the varsity football team. He also
was captain of Yale's famous track
team of 1906, which was his last year
in college. For the past two years
Gates has coached the Navy football
team of Annapolis and during both
years the Navy won over the West
Pointers.
Gates has not yet given his accep-
tance and is off on a cruise. He eX-
poets to visit President Baer at his
cottage at Marshfield sometime in
August and then will give his de-
cision. President Baer writes that he
is doing all he can to bring Gates to
Southern California but hardly has
dared hope that Gates would come,
because it would mean large finan-
cial sacrifice for Gates. The young
collegian is thinking seriously of TAX
ing up his permanent residence in Los
Angeles and later following his pro-
fession, that of law
Mr.. Baer further writes: "Mr. Gates
is an unusual man and the type of man
needed in Southern California. He is a
strong student leader and a speaker of
ability and power, particularly popular
with the college men. He may not
of personal matters holding him east.
If Gates fails Capt. Magoffin of the
football team of the University of
Michigan is anxious to go to Occidental
and is waiting for Gates to decide"
When Alfred e. Stearns, principal of
Phillips academy, heard that President
Baer was trying to engage Gates as
the former:
IF you succeed in securing the SER
| vices of John M. Gates you Will be
fortunate Gates record as an athlete
speaks for itself at Andover, at Yale
and later at Annapolis, where he coach
ed the navy football team with re-
markable results. But, better still,
Gates is a fine scholar and as clean and
as highminded fellow as I ever met
His history is a most interesting one,
the story of a selfmade man rising
from obscurity to prominence and in
huence through sheer force of will
natural ability and square, but agres-
sive endeavor. Gates is a natural
header, perhaps, for his own interests
overa aggressive at times, but fellow 10
whom l place absolute confidence and
whom 1 am proud to own as a close
friend. know of no successful athlete
more averse to underhand or tricky
| work and methods. He plays the game
hard, but fair, and his enthusiasm and
spirit have invariably carried his teams
| to victory"