Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-04-11
BARRED ATHLETES
UNAWARE OF RULE
Princeton Student Explains Sit
uation Resulting in House,
cleaning by Committee
ARE NOT PROFESSIONALS

Princeton. n. j.. April lit is
very costly to go to Princeton. think
that poor boys who come here seeking
an education and have athletic talent
are particularly unfortunate. A man
who has the ability to make n varsity
team and does not come out for it Is
considered disloyal to the university.
"Many boys come to college depend
ing on financial aid from other sources
than parents and guardians. II boy
is wealthy he is strictly amateur ath-
lete. If he's poor he is looked on with
suspicion as being a pro. Eighteen ath-
letes at Princeton have been declared
ineligible. Speaking for some Of them.
honest that they have turned down
offers to play professionally solely to
retain their positions on Princeton
teams and that they were ignorant Of
wrong doing, IL they actually did any
wrong"
Thus smoke Princeton student to-
day. He is a close friend of several Of
the athletes under fire. He is thoroughly
convcrsant with what has been going on
"behind closed DOORS here. For sew.
eral reasons his name cannot be used. "
Three of the students declared ineli-
gible were captains Of teams-..Gilroy,
football; Mcnamara, baseball, and
Wittmcr. basketball.
They were barred because there Is
rule at Princeton that any athlete re-
ceiving money from other sources than
a parent or guardian must report the
amount and source to the eligibility
committee. 1t is said the first these
men knew of this rule was when II
was published as the reason they were
barred
Their spokesman denied today that
they had done any wrong other than
break the rule they "knew not Of
Take Mcnamara. for instance.
said the student today. ole Is a SEN
Tor. He has kept up in his scholastic
work only with the greatest difhculty
and extra work. for the reason that
his services were badly needed on the
diamond. They thought so much of
him they elected him captain: Why
not? He deserved the honor. The Uni
versity approved it. He wanted an
education. They wanted him to play
ball. too.
ut was hard for him to get along
financially in college. Many times he
was approached last summer by hotel
league teams and other independent
teams to play professional baseball.
With that money he would have had no
trouble in getting through college. But
he turned them all down. He refused
several offers in Philadelphia because
he was captain Of the team and wanted
to retain his amateur status.
"But this self deprivation would have
put him on the financial rocks unless
he had been able to borrow from an
alumnus.
a." In the summer I can play base .
ball, after graduate, and then I'll
pay you back he told the alumnus.
Both were ignorant of the faculty
rule"
= 1t is said the whole investigation
started with Treat. the Boston Col
lege football star. who came to Prince
ton as n transfer and could not play
till n year had passed. Treat borrowed
money from an alumnus with the in
tcntion Of paying it back. There were
other athletes who came down from
Boston. and it is said wind came to
Harvard Of It.
The rumor is that Harvard suggested
the status of these boys be examined.
1t is said here, however, with great
emphasis that the whole investigation
started within Princeton's walls"