The Nashville globe. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1906-193?, 1912-09-27
NO FOOTBALL
AT MEHARRY
ANNUAL SOCIETY EVENT CAN.
cELLED.
Faculty Takes Decided Stand-cause
Not Definitely Known-Grave Ru-
mors About Last Game--said
Some Students Pawned
Clothes to Ret-others
Pawned 5ooks-some
Went Broke.

1t will come as great surprise to
the reading public and especially to
the lovers of outdoor athletics. to
learn that there will be no football
at Meharry Medical College in 1912.
The Board of Directors has definitely
decided this matter, and numerous
pleas have been met with the same
storm reply: There viii be no foot
ball at Meas~ry in 1872" Which
means that the great annual Thinks
giving event, Meharry and Fisk foot
ball game, will not be witnessed.
This game had become one of the
most popular plays in the South. It
drew to Nashville every year thou
sands of visitors. They have come
ON every section of the country; as
far north as Maine and as far east as
Boston; and in Nashville the people
look forward to this day with great
interest; but conditions have arisen
that have compelled the Board of Di-
rectors to discontinue football at the
Meharry Medical College.
1t could not be learned definitely
just why the sport was discontinued
but it is rumored that on the eve Of
last years game between Fisk and Me-
harry many of TIE Meharry students
engaged very lavishly in betting on
the game. 1t is said some paWned
their clothes; others their books, and
those who had few dollars put up
every cent they had ON Meharry. One
gentleman was heard to remark that
he begged the Meharry boys not to
bet, first because it was bad habit
and second because it was uncertain
what the outcome of the game would
be. To all who were present the out
come of that game is known. which
meant that any number of Meharry
students were in financial straits aft
er the game.
1t cannot be stated definitely that
this is the cause of the discontinue
ance, but it is believed that the Board
of Directors would have permitted the
game to go on had this state of affairs
not arisen.
letics will be resumed after this year,
but those close to the Dean and the
executive members of the faculty ex-
press the opinion that this is the end
Of football at Meharry.
It is known that DR.. Hubbard is
strong advocate of the game and that
he has always been very liberal to
the football boys and has never been
known to miss a game. On the field
he has always shown a deep interest
and was delighted few years go
when the Fisk nd Meharry boys were
restrained by citizens to decide among
themselves that they would not have
white officials to handle their games,
but that they would play under col
ored officials and abide by their de-
cisions. This was very pleasing to
DR.. Hubbard, as he has spent his en-
tire life in the education of the young
Negro men of the South, and he was
gratified to learn that they had
reached the point where they could
obey a member of their race. He was
also cognizant of the fact that a foot
ball team is a slendid advertisement
of a school; but such a condition
arose there as is reported to have
come about as the result of last years
game that left no other alternative
but a discontinuance of the game.
It is not known whether Fisk will
play in Nashville on Thanksgiving
day or not, but it goes without say
ing that the people here will use their
influence to have a god game between
some teams on the annual holiday.