San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-01-14
WESTERN CONFERENCE
COMMISSIONER MUST
BE MANY-S SIDED MAN
Major Griffith Has Job That
Involves Beth Diplomacy
and Force.
By LAMRENCY PERRY.

Copyright, 1928, by The san Antonio Light.
When the athletic directors of the
Western Conference universities decided
that the best interests of intercollegiate
sport required specialize observation
they began to scan the country in search
of a man best qualified to meet the re-
quirements Of the job. Il was no easy
task to locate such a person if only for
the reason that the work he would be
called upon to do involved a vast knowl-
edge Of intercollegiate sport in its polit-
ical as well as its practical aspects, an
understanding Of college boys and Of
alumni and sense of what was desir-
able and not desirable in the way of
publicity.
The position called for a man with no
small ability as a diplomat and yet one
who at the right moment could be strong
and Outspoken in a given cause. Even
tually, Mai. John l.. Griffith was select
ed for the post.
Major Griffith took office at a time
when the public was interested in re-
ports of college athletes who had CAPT
talized their athletic ability in various
ways, when the air was rife with talk
Of transfers from one college to an
other, purely for purposes of sport, with
charge and cOunter-charge concerning
activities in the tramp athlete market
and with brewing ruptures among old
time rivals due to misunderstanding
concerning schedules This is not to
say that the Western Conference col
Eleges were concerned or involved in all
this mud throwing. In any event, there
was enough mud being thrown to preju-
dice the cause of intercollegiate sport
generally and Major Griffith was the
man designated to sit at the helm and
steer to apply brakes, safety valves
whistles and all other necessary appli-
anCeS.
He has been working at the job now
| for nearly a year. In the course of the
| football season there developed IN un.
dercurrent situation between two
schools of the Big Ten. There were all
the preliminary rumblings and tremors
that herald n vast earthquake. Major
Griffith went to the scene. Rumbling'
ceased and all evil pOrtents disappeared
| The institutions involved will meet
again. Ais serene. This is the sort o.
work Major Griffith does. He is NJ
Judge lands or Will Hays. He ha:
| no arbitrary authority. He is an Obsery
err a mediator, a fiXer, while in even
of necessity he can invoke the strong
arm of the physical directors OF the con
| ference.
Major Griffith is a Beloit COLLEGE
product After he grad lated he coached
fourteen years in all at NanktOn Col
lege, Morningside College and Drak'
University. While at Drake he founded
and managed the famous Drake Relays
In his last two years at Drake he wa
dean of men and in the last year h
served in the absence Of the president
acting president.
He entered the army in 1917 and wa
stationed ut Camp Dodge where he wa
made division athletic officer. Later h
was ordered to Camp Gordon to help or
ganize a special bayonet and physica
! training school. From there he serve
in charge Of a physical and bayone
school at Camp Pike where he was sta
toned when the armistice was signed.
In January, 1919, he was ordered {
| take charge of physical and bayone
work in Washington and his department
also assisted the surgeon generals ottlc
in the reconstruction work for disable
soldiers. In October he was discharge
from the service and took up work 3
the University of Illinois where he d
rected the school Of coaching and assis
ed in the athletic department. Viii
there he began the publication Of III
Athletic Journal, a professional mag
zine that reaches some fifteen thOusan
athletic coaches each month.
He was appointed commissioner
Western Conference athletics in Angus
1922, and in the interests of this pos
ton has abandoned all activities asst
from the publishing Of the Athlet
Journal.