New Britain herald., 1925-03-14
Famous Old Time Yale Athlete And Sports Authority Fatally Stricken At Hotel Belmont.
Was Born in 1859, Played Six Years on Eli EIevens and Had Been Pick. ing All-American Teams Since 1889.

New York, March 14.--Walter Camp, famous football authority and former Yale coach, died of heart failure today in the Hotel Belmont.
 Arrangements for the funeral probably will be made later today after the arrival of Mrs Camp, who was in Atlantic City this morning.
 Camp attended a meeting of the football rules committee last night leaving about midnight and retir- ing to his room at the Hotel Bel- mont. He apparently was in good health when he went to bed, hotel attaches said.
 Found Dead by Roper
 When the rules committee assem- bled this morning in the hotel Pennsylvania the members delayed opening their meeting pending Camps arrival. When some time had elapsed and he had not ap- peared, Bill Roper. Princeton coach, was delegated by the committee to look for Camp at the Belmont. Roper went 10 Camps room and getting no response had the door opened. Camp was lying dead on his bed.
 Walter Camp. Jr., the coach's son, who is New York business man, was summoned immediately but plans for the removal of the body were held in abeyance until Mrs. Camps arrival.
 A host of famous gridiron stars at Yale, many of whom are now suc- cessful mentors of college elevens throughout the country, received their football training under Mir. Camps personal supervision. Before the present highly developed coach- ing system in American colleges was adopted, Mir. Camp was for many years the guiding genius of the sport at Yale.
 Was Eli Stratcgist.
 Year after year, when the sons of Eli were supreme in the football world, Mir. Camp was the power back of that supremacy. It was re- called that he started coaching the Blue elevens soon after he was grad uated and that often his wife, who was keenly interested in thes port, attended the practice and offered practical suggestions.
 AS the game developed and the Yale e-Harvard-P Princeton classics be- gan to attract the atetntion of thou- sands, Mir. Camp headed what be- came known as the Yale board of strategy.
 The board would meet in the Old Fel Haven House, since torn down, and confer until the early hours of morning mapping out plays for the "big games" The Blue quarterbacks carried out Mir. Camps instructions to the letter for his word was law.
 Father of Football.
 Although a man Of varied activi- ties, Walter Camp was best known through his connection with ath- letics, particularly football. To the great American college game he had devoted large part Of his time since his graduation from Yale, and he came to be known affectionately as "The Father of Football" He earned this title because the numerous amendments to the playing code, which he suggested and which were adopted, not only revolutionized, but virtually recreated the game.
 As a player on Yale football teams for six years, MT. Camps interest in the game extended far beyond the goal posts and the improvements in the game which he evolved were readily accepted by the intercolle- giate football committee. It was dur ing his incumbency as chairman of the committee that the game was ex- tensively nodded along the lines on which it Is played today.
 Proposed First Change.
 The first revolutionary change in the gridiron game suggested by MT. Camp was the rule requiring five yards gain in three downs. That was in 1883 and was the first step that led to the modern style of play. He also suggested the change to ten yards gain in four downs in 1906.
 While he did his share in repre- senting Yale on various athletic teams during his undergraduate days, Mir. Camps greatest service to the university was performed after ward in his capacity as athletic ad- wiser, which embraced a number of activities. He had been a member of the university athletic committee for 90 years and for a similar period was treasurer of the Yale Financial Union, which he founded.
 Up to the time of the formation Of the financial union each of the ma for sports was regarded as a sepa- rate organization and the funds of each were kept separately. And in- variably there were annual deficits. Under NIT. Camps plan there was but a single financial sheet for the entire athletic body, which was