New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-11-15
Dr.. Butler Sees Improvement
in Game and Change of At
htude in Student Body
on Its Restoration.

Footballs return 10 Columbia Uni
versity. after the absence Of decade.
following its abolition in 1900. has
more than justified itself to the uni.
versity authorities. in the opinion OF
President Nicholas Murray Butler. who
sets forth his views in his annual re-
port to the university trustees. made
public Yesterday.
The game as il has returned 20 Morn
ingsid. Heights is satisfactory TO fac
ulty, undergraduates and alumni alike,
according 10 DR.. Butler. and further
more he feels that il has gained popu-
lar approval.
In speaking of the general football
situation with reference TO its restora-
tion at Columbia. he says:
at WAS never the intention OF the
university authorities 10 prescribe in
tercollegiate football If the rules gov
erning the game were improved; If the
attitude of students and the public
toward il became more reasonable. and
II participation in the game was no
longer in necessary conflict with proper
performance of academic work. So
striking was the improvement in all %
these respects that when, in 1914, a
serious and concerted effort was made
to secure permission TO re-establish In
tercollegiate football at Columbia. the
several academic authorities were quite
ready 10 hear what was 70 be said upon
the subject. The representations made
on behalf of both students and alumni
were entirely reasonable and in the
best possible spirit IL was a great
satisfaction to find the board of stu
dent representatives including the fol-
lowing statement in their memorandum
submitted 10 the university committee
on athletics. under date of December
IS, 1914:
'Columba's fine stand in refusing
TO play the old style game has helped
TO improve the sport, 50 that il now ac-
cords with the sound principles Of col
lege athletics and physical exercise.
The university would increase its in
1uence toward making athletics clean
and wholesome by recognizing the
change which it has. in a large meas
ure, helped to bring about This it
would do by permitting the establish
ment of this new game, WHICH still goes
under the old name
Similarly the chairman OF the uni
versity committee on athletics, himself
a keen participant in outdoor sports of
every KIM ana an dlumnuS OF thirty
years standing, in the report submitted
on behalf of his committee. wrote:
1.-THE present game should not be
classed with the game Of ten years ago.
IL has been tremendously improved in
every way, and there is no reasonable
doubt that the general agitation at the
time when Columbia abolished football
and that action itself had a most ma
terial effect in bringing about this i'm
provement.'
ut is easy 10 see that arguments
/ presented in this spirit and temper
would have great weight, since they
| proceeded from a recognition and an
! appreciation of what the university had
/ tried 70 do when intercollegiate foot.
| ball was prohibited in 1905. The uni.
versity was not then trying TO punish
/ students or to deprive students anC
alumni Of anything in which they were
interested and which they found useful
I and stimulating 10 the development OF
college spirit; for no one better under
stands the value and significance OF
, college and university spirit than the
university authorities themselves. But
! il was trying TO dissociate Columbia
from what it believed to be an academic
scandal and an academic abuse Of the
! first magnitude. In that attempt il
was wholly successful.
During the autumn and winter OF
! 1914-15 the representations made by
the board of st0dent representatives
and by the university committee on
athletics were considered by the faculty
committee on student organizations, by
the faculty of Columbia College and by
the university council. AS result &C
ton was taken without dissent re.
establishing intercollegiate football fol
a trial period of five years. under Ger.