The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-12-29
REASON JIM WRAY
GOT RELEASE AS
COACH AT HARVARD

There seems to be the same Senti-
Inent growing in Harvard rowing as
that which shook Yale football just
a, month or two ago. The latest critic
of Jim Wray, Francis Peabody of the
class of 80, charges In the Harvard
Graduates Magazine that the varsity
Fights should have won all the races
with Yale and most of those With@Cor-
nell in the last IL years.
The article is the first official state
ment since Wray was replaced as
head of the coaching system by Rob-
ert f. Herick and Bill Haines of the
Union Boat club.
In writing of the last Harvard de-
feat on the water Mr.. Peabody says:
up to the season of 1914 Wray ap-
pafently took his victories modestly
and his defeats in a good sportsman
like spirit, but after the Cornell race
of that year, when Harvard was de-
feated by less than two lengths and
again after the Yale race, he made an
undeserved attack in the press on his
own crew and especially on that ex-
ceIlent stroke, Lund. He should not,
therefore, complain if indicate
where some of US think the RESPONSE
bility for 1osing-though it be by a
hair-the Yale race of 1914 belongs.
''Wray began the season with the
best material coach ever had Pea
crew, six Of the Henley Grew and prac-
tfcally all of the first class freshman
crew of 1914 were ready in his hand
ssNickaIls, on the other hand; had
but three of the Yale crew of 1914,
and had to dig out the rest of his crew
from the Yale second varsity and
freshman crews of 1914, both of which
had been badly beaten by Harvard.
THAT the latter should have been
able to wfn-somewhat easily seems to
me not only one of the greatest coach
ing triumphs of recent years, but also
Iof itself to go far to prove the SUI
pertortty of the English standard
stroke over the Wray stroke.
Surely, no one who saw this years
race can doubt that the eight fine men
who sat in the Harvard crew, if
coached by Nickalls, would have easily
beaten the lighter Yale crew if coach
ed by Wray.
'tSome of us who have followed uni
versity rowing for the last II years
firmly believe that, Wray has had I'M
usually good material ever since he
Richardson, the Cutters, the Bacons,
the Withingtons. Waid, Chanier, Tai
colt and other stars too numerous to
mention and we equally firmly believe
that during these years Wray should
have won all the Yale and a majority
Oh the COTnGI1 races ana SnOuld GER
tain1y have beaten Columbia and
Princeton. Is it not literally true that
not one of Ways crews has ever
beaten a crew physically it's equal?
Elm view of the Yale races of 1914
and 1915, is it not quite certain that
his possibility of usefulness at Cam
bridge was absolutely at an end? The
plan to intrust the full responsibility
for the control of Harvard coaching
to Mr.. Herrick has everything to
recommend it. No one has followed
university rowing SO closely he, no
one has done so much for the Har-
ward crews. and I may add that Har-
ward is most fortunate in securing his
brains, his experience and his public
spirit. Haines, too, has seen plenty
Of good rowing, and has excellent
judgment and the right spirit for he
is not only willing to teach but anx-
ious to learn