The Rathdrum tribune. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1903-1963, 1922-06-02
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, invesrl-
ostion Shows--Same Conclu-
sion at Harvard.

, Annapolis.-Facts as to the scholaS
tic work of college athletes and thel
careers in later life have probabl
been developed in more thoroug
and accurate manner than ever befor
by a board of officers at the Naya
academy. These men have traced tn
course of every academy athlete owe
a period of 80 years.
1t has been shown that the athlete:
are slightly better students than the
other midshipmen, and that they SHOW
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 ath-
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
Macgillivray, 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 q 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 a 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 fifty-fve of the
500 athletes of this period were in
Guided in the upper half of the class
grouped enthusiastically, and 247 were
in the lower half. A like proportion
was indicated when a class was di-
v1ded in order to restore the four-year
course after the war. 1t was found
that there was slight advantage on |
the part of the athletes, rather more |
than half being in the upper group of
The slight scholastic advantage ex-
tends to the midshipmen who have
won letters In one or two sports. but
{ Is notable that it did not extend
o those who had won three letters.
Indicating that they have been in ac-
i've training for an athletic team
Turing practically the whole of the
cholastic year.
Inc average standing of midship-
nan who had won one letter was 1924
n hundred, and that of two-letter
IAN 49.ll. The standing of three-let-
er men, however, fell to 55.14 IF is
ow the rule at the academy that
hdshlpman may join but two team
luads during the scholastic year.
Same Conclusions at Harvard.
A recent official investigation at
award has developed about the same
'nclusions, but it is believed that tbe
'ihcipie that properly conducted atb-
Tics do not interfere with Studies ;s
neral. The conclusions reached &c
the success of athletes in the serv. II
e. although not of such general an II
lcatlon, are of much interest. III
IL was shown that there was M
uDt at all that the athletes had
'onger tendency to stay in the sarv- III
lnan thelr comrades in the acad-
~. An examination of the history AL
an the members of certain classas =
lch mad been in the service for -
I'M 70 to 30 years showed that IN
cent of the non-athIetes had bo
ne separated from the service while
~ per cent of the one-Ietter mon
4 oo per cent of the two-letter mon
lost thelr connection with if =
ne BOARD indicated its belief that
lie the Improvement of health ord
ength from athletics might have had
letlllng TO do with this condition
controlling factor was the attach
IL TO the service engendorod III,
'uen active participation in snorts