The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1922-04-17
find ATHLETES
Good STUDENTS
Naval Academy Board Makes
Report After Scanning Rec
ords of Thirty Years.
TEND TO STAY IN SERVICE
Members of Sports Squad Likely to
Stick to Career Planned, lnvesti-
cation Shows-Sane Conclu-
sion at Harvard.

AnnapoliS.=Factsa as to the ScholaS-
tic work of college athletes and their
careers in later life have probably
been developed in a more thorough
and accurate manner than ever before
by a board of officers at the Naval
academy. These men have traced the
course of every academy athlete over
a period of 80 years.
1t has been shown that the athletes
are slightly better students than the
other midshipmen, and that they snow
a far greater permanency in the serv-
ice than the others.
The conclusions as to the scholarship
of athletes are in line with the re-
suits of similar investigations at other
institutions of learning where attn
letics are conducted on sane basis.
AS to the careers of athletes in the
service the application is more limit
ed, but it is believed by authorities
here that qualities which promote sue
cess in life in general are developed
through properly handled sports.
The board of officers was composed
Of Capt. John Halligan, Commanders
Nacgillivray, Milne and Douglas L.
Howard and Lieut.. Everett B. Taylor,
medical corps All but the last named
are graduates of the Naval academy
and were active athletes while there.
Captain Halligan, though captain and
guard in the football team and mem
Der of the crew, led his class in stud
les. Commander Howard was captain
and end of the eleven.
AS a basis for its Investigations the
board examined the membership OF
the classes graduated from the naval
academy during the years 1891 to 1911,
inclusive. The work Of the midship-
men Of these classes while at the
academy was examined and their
careers in the service were followed.
Nearly One-Third Athletes.
OF the 1,761 graduates of the Naval
academy during this period SOP quail
fed as athletes by winning first or
second letter in some branch. The
scholastic work Of the athletes while
at the academy was compared with
those who did not qualify as such.
Two hundred and ffty-fve of the
SOP athletes Of this period were In
Guided in the upper half of the class
grouped enthusiastically, and PAT were
in the lower half. A like proportion
was indicated when class was d.
course after the war. 1t was found
that there was 9 slight advantage on
the part Of the athletes, rather more
than half being in the upper group OF
scholars.
The slight scholastic advantage ex-
tends to the midshipmen who have
won letters in one or two sports, but
1t Is notable that 1t did not extend
to those who had won three letters,
indicating that they have been In ac-
tive training for an athletic team
during practically the whole Of the.
scholastic year.
The average standing of midship
man who had won one letter was 1884
in hundred, and that of a two-letter
man 49.11. The standing of three-let-
ter men, however, fell to 1914. 1t is
now the rule at the academy that
midshipman may join but two team
squads during the scholastic year.
Same Conclusions at Harvard
A recent official investigation at
Harvard has developed about the same
conclusions, but it is believed that the
principle that properly conducted ath-
letics do not interfere with studies Is
general. The conclusions reached as
to the success of athletes in the serv-
ice, although not Of such general ap-
plication, are of much interest.
1t was shown that there was no
doubt at all that the athletes had a
stronger tendency to stay in the serv- I
Ice than their comrades in the acad-
envy. An examination Of the history /
of all the members of certain classes
which had been in the service for
from % to 80 years showed that 80
per cent of the non-athletes had be-
come separated from the service, while
but 40 per cent of the one-letter men
and 80 per cent OF the two-letter men
had lost their connection with it.
The board indicated It's belief that,
while the Improvement of health and
strength from athletics might have had
something to do with this condition,
the controlling factor was the attach
ment to the service engendered
through active participation in sports
Prizes Given for Neat Homes.