Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-05-17
HARVARD ATHLETICS ECONOMICALLY /
CONDUCTED WITH TICKET RECEIPTS
COMPOSING MOST OF FINANCES

Cambridge, Mass, May 1G.-Of1cial
announcement today of the report of
the standing committee on health and
athletic sports of the board Of over
seers of Harvard University brought
out the fact that all but the current
funds of the Athletic Association
hereafter will be deposited with the
treasurer of the university for in
vestment pending capital expendi-
lures. This recommendation by the
committee which was adopted by the
board, was made on the ground that
with such deposit 1T may become
more generally apparent that what
seems to be an outside organiza-.
ton IL In reality, ~ II should be.
an integral part Of the university"
It was reported last night that al the
funds Of the Athletic Association
would be placed with the university
treasurer. The standing committee
recommended that the athletic COM
mittee submit an annual budget to
the corporate
The standing committee added:
I'VE wish that it were more gen.
orally understood that athletics at
Harvard are economically conducted
and that the ticket receipts make 1t
possible to carry on sports for all
without any tax on the undergrad
yates such as is maintained at many
institutions. This, of course, is a
great help to the student of mod
crate means. The spectacle of big
football game attracts interest, of
course, nothing else in Harvard
does; but it would be a mistake to
forget the tremendous amount of
healthful and enjoyable exercises
which the receipts from these big
games make possible for the rest of
the student body.
1.-THE enormous public interest in
football has brought with 1t many
new problems which Harvard and
other universities are trying to solve.
The chief problem is one of great
value; and it must be met by fol-
lowing the principle that athletics
is an element neducation to be
given its due place, but no more than
that: the object being all-round de-
velopment in intellectual, physical,
and moral-of the student. To sac
rifice the all round development of
individual undergraduates to the en-
tertainment of graduates Of the pub
lie, or to the supposed extension of
would be as mistaken as to disre-
gard entirely the educational value
of athletics.
"Thc college authorities have
wisely decided that the regular
academic requirements must be met
by all and that athletics must be so
arranged as not to interfere with in
tellectual training or prevent the
attainment Of academic distinction.
That this can be done is shown by
the fact that one member Of last
years football team, H. T. bunker.
sophomore, had a straight record
of AS in his freshman year, during
which he played ON the freshman
football team and was captain Of
the freshman track team; and that
]. Hubbard received four AS and
one B at id-years. We are in en-
, tire accord with the efforts of the
university authorities to maintain
academic standards.
"Anothe~ problem is that of elm
mating everything that tends in
the direction OF professionalism. We
all agree that college teams ought to
,, be made up of bona fide students.
,, and not &C men whose presence in
the college depends on their ath-
letic prOWess. But between clear
amateurism and clear professional
ism there is debatable ground
where cases are exceedingly diff
cult to handle and where "the mo-
tives Of those who give the aid and
the motives OF those who received
ito quite from the text of the
| recent Harvard Yale Princeton ag-
reement-have to be aiken into con-
sideration.
1.-THE colleges are determined to
keep college athletics clean by pre-
, venting the entrance of undesirable
players: on the other hand they are
! naturally unwilling to draw the line
in such way as to handicap the
| student Of small means who happens
to have athletic ability. or to debar
| men who on some trivial technical
account may be professionals but
who in spirit and intention are am
ateurs."