Evening star., 1925-09-02

But this isn't true any longer. u
graduates are just as alive 10 the va
with realistic point OF view, and I
the visiting newspaper correspondent
Like the other developments Of col
lege foot ball, this has come about
gradually. II is my impression that
big business was a jump or two ahead
of the college people in seeing the pos
sibilities of utilizing the notoriety
gained by college athlete. A few
years ago 1t became noticeable that
college stars were slipping into pleas
ant employment with big concerns,
and that usually they were out in
front" somewhere, where the Arm
would be sure to get the adventurous
advertising OF their name and fame.
Graduate managers were not slow to
see the significance Of this. and hence
building name" and guiding its
possessor up to some dazzling emil
nence, where he will be lure TO
other ambitious boys. has become an
important detail Of the graduate man.
ayers job
Practical Education.
When a scout goes after a high
school boy ne is equipped with con
Ylncing list of athletes from his col
lege who have found soft landing
places out in the big world of finance
Here the boy begins to get a new.snd
canny point of view with regard to
this rather vague thing called "edu.
cation" and after he has been worked
on by two or three other scouts and
finally lands in some college he Is
apt to have long-range view of
where he is going and what he wa nts.
Any curious person having a little
time to spend for investigation would
be astonished to see how smoothly the
rough ways Of life are creased for the
successful athlete, or for any boy who
gains fame IN college. Let him look
over a few biennial college reports on
living graduates, and then stake a
stroll through the Offices OF concerns
like the Pennsylvania Railroad, Lee,
HigElnson & Co, kidder. Peabody &
Co. of Boston, J. z. Morgan & Co. OF
New York. the Peoples Gaslieht and
Coke Co. of Chicago, or any big city
bank. BY making a few inquiries
here and there, about who's who in
Office and executive stats. he will
begin to think that the intricacieS of
signal practice are the best prepara-
ton for financial career.
Foot Ball as Business Asset.
The point I am making is that big
concerns are eager to get boys whose
names get into the papers, and to put
them in the show window 1t obvi-
ously is TO the interest Of the college
TO help the boys build up reputa-
tons. as a lure 10 the annually recur-
ring crop of high school stars, and of
course it is good business for both the
business concern and the employe.
An alert graduate manager watches
the placing of his graduates very
closely. In addition to helping them
make the best possible connections
he must also take care that some Of
them are planted in soft berths some
where close to the college. As
alumni and former star they always
continue to plug" for the college
and when some high school boy meets
one OF budding giants Of finance in a
fraternity house or on the campus.
he is of course impressed with the
practical advantages of this particular
college.
Watching the continual stream Of
ca ger. ambitious youth. as the years
flow by, | have been intensely inter
ested to see the subtle changes which
are worked in the fumble.footed boys
who come out of high school-many
of them, of course. from humble
I shall call Jerry. His story. l think,
will round up the story of these trans
formations, and their bearing on
American college life.
Jerry's Rise I'm Life.
Jerry came from small town in
Vermont. His father had been first
farmer and then contractor. He
was a bright. likable ow-headed
country boy. with high-water pants.
There we're great changes in Jerry
the first year, but the real change did
not come until he made the team.
during his second wear. Soon after
ward he Joined a fraternity He be-
came a personable. assured young
| man. md he used his head. both on
and OF the field. When the foot ball
team ira veled the boys rode on extra
fare trains. and were put up at ex-
elusive country clubs.
Three years of this worked the com
plete and final transformation. Jerry
was fastidious In his dress and his
person; he was easy and assured with
no suggestion OF self-consciousness in
his conversation: he had taken on an
valuations of life. In short Jerry
was no -four bitter"
Our part of il was TO steer Jerry
to some high plateau of success where
he could continue on good terms with
himself and the world. We made
good. Jerry was eased into an ex-
elusive bond house in Boston. So
complete has beer the transformation
that no one would ever suspect that
Jerry was not born to the purple
L doubt whether Jerry had any