The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1912-11-30

eAO ~ l. ~ 80 WAOSN w tNAAS -N~NN-NS
chairman of athletic committee, Uni
versity, Mississippi: THE eligible
ity certificate of R. H. Fletcher. can
didate for the football team, is per-
fectly regular and duly signed by you
and also by DR.. Hume, and on that
certificate l had declared Fletcher
eligible to participate in football con-
tests as a member of the university
football team. l have now received
your letter of the 21st informing me
that Fletcher is not eligible under the
one-year rule and asking me to take
his name from the list of eligible play
ers on. the football team, and on this
letter I have declared Fletcher not ELI
gible and removed his name from the
list of eligible players on the univer
sity football team.
81 have just received telegram
from Mr.. Johnson, secretary of the
athletic committee telling me that
your letter of the 21st was not au-
thorized by the athletic committee of
the university and that Fletcher is
eligible and asking me to confirm it
by wire. But Fletcher is now declared
not eligible and must so remain until
the matter is cleared up.
81 beg to insist upon perfectly clear
athletic teams and shall certainly use
my best endeavor to keep athletics
pure and on high plane in the Third
district of the S. !. A. A."
On October 80 Vice President Walk
er sent all the papers in the Fletcher
case to DR.. Dudley, Vanderbilt Uni
versity, and asked that the president
of the executive committee of the S. l..
A, A. review the case and pass judg-
ment on the ruling On November
President Dudley writes to Vce-Presi-
dent Walker as follows:
"Your letter of October 80, with in
closure about Fletcher at hand Your
ruling stands until you change it, and
there is no need of sending 1t to the
executive committee. indorse it
thoroughly. and 7 shall write to Chan
cellor Kncannon to that effect. and
7 shall enclose a copy of my letter
to him"
| On November I, President Dudley
writes Chancellor Kincannon as fol
lows
81 beg to state to you that the pro
hibition of Mr. Fletcher from plaping
from playing on the Mississippi team
by vice-President Walker holds until
ne is satisfied that Fletcher is eIigi-
BILE. He must be shown that Fletcher
did not attend some other college and
that he did not coach the Ada High
| School team. I permitted him (Fletch-
er to play on your team against Van
| derbilt on the assurance from you
through rofessor Perdue, that he had
not been at another college and on
Flechers own statement that he did
not coach the Ada High School team
These matters must be cleared up to
the satisfaction of Professor Walker be
fore he can play again"
| On November 6, Professor Longest
writes Vice-President Walker as fol
lows:
| 'Tasmuch as there was a question
| raised as to my authorization in writ
ting you as to the eligibility of Fletch
er, l think it only just to all con
] cerned that you know the action taker
: on October 10 of which I notified yor
was based on a letter signed by Re
corder Parker and Dean Gale of the
University of Chicago, certifying that
Mr. Fletcher was a student in the un
iversity in the fall quarter of 1910 and
in the winter, spring and summer
quarters of 1911"
Then on November s, DR.. Dudley
writes the chancellor, In part, as fol
lows:
"Mr. Fletcher is unquestionably in
eligible on account of the one-year rule
and do not understand how you 81
any member of the faculty committee
on athletics can see it any other way
Mr.. Fletcher's affidavit admits it when
he says that he really attended during
the summer session of the University
of Chicago, while the university re
corder says that he was matriculate
during the autumn quarter of 1910, the
winter quarter of 1911, the spring quar-
ter of 1911, and the summer quarter
. of 1911. Now it is well known that
the quarter of the University of Chi
cago is like all other quarters. l dc
not think there could be clearer
case"
On November II, DR.. Dudley again
writes Chancellor Kincannon as fol
lows: