The New York herald., 1922-01-29

April %, 1888. and the Eastern and
Western track and field championships.
the former being held at Travers Island
on June / and the latter at Chicago on
September IL. The union also managed
the individual general athletic cham
pionships at Bergen Beach, N. j., on
June and also the swimming competi-
tions on Long Island Sound on August I.
President Mcmillan made many trips
to the East and West and Interested
prominent men in the various cities,
both large and small, in athletic games
and the formation of athletic clubs.
Vice President Frank w. Eddy OF De-
troit worked up the Western section and
Treasurer Howard S. Perry linked ath-
letics with his official duties and trips
10 different cities on behalf of the De-
partment OF Justice at washington,
D. c., where he was an influential Of
fetal. Fred Jansen. as chairman OF
the committees on invitations and en-
rollments, proposed numberless new or
ganizations that were duly elected
and thereafter were among the unions
stanchest pillars. Among these were
such clubs as the Berkeley A. {. OF New
York. Orange A. c.. Palma A. G. and Jer-
scy City A. G. of New Jersey Southern
A. c. of New Orleans; Denver A. G. OF
CISCO Buffalo A. c. of Buffalo: Brook
lyn A. c., Louisville A. c. of Kentucky
and Maryland A. c. OF Baltimore.
The business meetings of the gov
ernors were held every two or three
weeks in Philadelphia, Baltimore. wash
ington. Boston. Detroit, st. Louis. Chica-
go, Staten Island, Jersey city. wilmington
and other places. These meetings were
always well attended and helped materl-
ally to boom athletics and interest The
rising generation in clean athletic sports.
5000 at Title Meet.
The big event of the country was the
first track and field championship
games held at Detroit. Mich. on Sept.
10. 1888, on tho Woodward avenue
grounds Of the Detroit A. G. II must
be remembered that at that time tennis
and golf were very little played ana
that athletics were the rage outside or
baseball. The program OF eighteen events
was successfully carried out before a
crowd of 5000 people by 2o7 competing
athletes. who had assembled from all
over the country.
Previous TO the holding of this meeting
the old National Association of Amateur
Athletes had been making n fight for cx-
istence. The association had become
local in character and its membership
had dwindled to some seven or eight
clubs most OF which we're mere shells
on paper and had ceased TO function as
a factor in the athletic world. Its main
supporter was the famous Manhattan
Athletic Club, with its magnificent club
house at Forty-fifth street and Madison
avenue. later the Tiffany Studio. and its
fight lasted through the year 1883 and
into the spring of 1889. after which II
ceased TO exist. and some four or FIVE
OF its remaining club members Joined
the Amateur Athletic Union.
IL was during this war that the ex-
ccutivc committee Of the newly organ
lied union, composed OF Harry Mcmillan.
John T.. Huneker, ed Mllligan, Fred w.
Jansen, James Il. Sullivan and otto
RuhI. held meeting at Travcrs Island,
N. Y, on August 25, 1883, that lasted
from r. NJ. to 2 A. M. and passed tho
famous resolution that put the union on
top throughout the country, and which
was accepted by clubs throughout the
land as proper method OF placing
athletic contests on a firm and respected
basis. This resolution was as follows:
"Resolvcd, that any amateur athlete
competing I'm any open amateur games
In the United States not governed by
rules approved by lnC AinhtcuT AtDl'tiV
Union shall be debarrcd from competing
IN any games held under the rules OF
the Amateur Athletic Union. and that
this resolution shall take effect immc-
diately."
The work done by tho officers and
governors OF the union during the first
five years of its existence did world
of good for athletic sports in America.
1t created and crystalizcd among tho
youth OF this country physical and
mental education OF untold value TO our
future men. The education OF self-re-
lance and physical development was
brought before our nation on lines OF
recreation and pleasure with manly and
friendly competitions. II was so cx-
tensIvely and ably placed before the
American sport loving public that its
beneficial results have since been wit
messed in every walk of life OF our
people.
AS time went on there were changes
in tho list of governors, and it was Ave
years later that the union was divided
up into territorially bounded associa-
tions. but the original organizers werc
ihc brains ard ability of athletics IN
America.