Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-12-06
SCHOLASTIC STANDING AS BASIS
OF ELIGIBILITY URGED BY EXPERT
Murdock Kendrcl Offers Solution to End DiscussioD
on Amateur Code in Coeges-Says Pres
ent System Is Unreasonable
By MURDOCH KENDR1cK
rules that cannot be enforced should Dr

! rules that cannot be enforced sbon,s :.
| be In existence. nO'
II, however, scholastic stand,n.
made the sole and only requirerAen, "ere 81,
rule for scholastic eligibility wouis 'se s
enforced by the faculty, who arc ~. ~
likely TO be swayed by their irnpuissss 20
enthuslasms o.
one, and very advantageous ro.,.,.
from this rule would be that a. 'esult
who come to college for athletlcs men
not for an education, would gradranu anu
concentrate in the colleges of low.
scholastic standing and reo,,iro,.'N.er oNer
their lower standards would be LrosA'
and recognized, and more attentIon .ss
respect given to the colleges which rDs,n aas
tain the higher educational standards
The unfortunate results of tho nr,,..,
rules are many: '"'
l. Continual disputes as to the e,,p,Aru,.
of individuals
?. There is no court of final jurisa..
tion to act on such disputes IN sn.",
with authority and lay down rules Wh,.s
shall governsin other and similar case.
3 There are numerous instances uhs..
two members of one family may 20 10 m,
or more educational institutions and \.
good athletes, good citizens and gooS
fellows, yet the one may be an ama,sn.
and the other n professional.
d. The rules are made by persons rh.
frequently attempt by phraseology 10 "a.
cure some partisan advantage or an in,s-
probation which has n partisan effect
SIGN UNTRUE STATEMENTS
g. Students who are assisted financ,o,,.
are required TO sign statements which a..
untrue. and such students thereby becors
guilty of deceit, lose their own self,a-
spect, respect of and for their team.
mates who have knowledge of the frapa
and respect for the coaches who ran.
nived at the fraud This J the most earl.
GUS charge that can be made against ou,
present laws.
When men learn that untrue statemspt,
and deceit produce success they have sc.
quired an evil knowledge which no amour,
of education in the classroom can over.
come.
Furthermore, our present rules would
suggest that there Is some shame al.
tached to n professional athlete. and tha,
1t Is proper to conceal such shame. II Ia
ridiculous that a man who desires an
education and can honestly earn il BY
playing baseball or football should bs
compelled to conceal his honesty BY n pre.
tense of working at some other occupa.
ton for which he is not as well quail.
fed.
(6) The son of rich parents who care,
nothing for his education is encouraged
to go to college and will stay in college
as long as he passes the examination
making him eligible to participate in the
sports, while the poor hoy who may be an
athletic, however much he may desire an
education, cannot openly on the strength
of his athletic prowess obtain an edu.
cation. OF the two classes the latter Ia
more likely to become an efficient citizen
than the former.
HERE is THE SOLUTION.
My solution for the problem would %
to eliminate the distinction between anna.
teur and professional and to fix the
standard only on scholarship, with rule
that would prevent the floating athlete :
or out-and-out professional from selling
his ability to that institution which will !
pay the highest. ''its'
l do not believe that the percentage Of {.
professional athletes, or those who are
assisted In their education. would be in.
creased, nor that their treatment at the
college would be worse. but rather would
be better, by reason of the fact that (
they would do openly what they now do
surreptitious!y. This would:
O Eliminate deceit and false pretense.
(2) Place responsibility for eligibility 90
the various lacultleS OF the colleges ana
thereby emphasize the importance Of
scholastic requirements.
90 Make greater distinction between
those colleges that give preference to the
athlete and undue importance to ath-
letics, and those colleges that recOsnl
their principal function to be to give edu-
cation at the University whether the par
ticipant earns his livelihood by coaching
his fellow classmates In studies or Sup.
ing" n the theatres and no such dis
tinction should exist in athletics so long
as the participants stand up properly IN
their scholarship.