Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-19

. better organized than at the
Naval Academy. Everything
that goes to help make sue
cess in intercollegiate sports is
boxed after with apparently little ef-
ort. The machinery that controls the
peration of things. whether in the
ymnasium, on the field, in the water,
on a railroad train, or in the train
hg quarters, never encounters break
own.
And If organization, as it has been
aid, is no better than it is admins
cred. then back of the scenes at An
lapolis is brain and personality that
h its particular field is well nigh fault
ess. That brain and that personality
elong to Comdr. Jonas II. Ingram. the
han responsible not only for the very
Elective organization and its admins
ration, but for the fine relationships
hat are being developed with other
blleges and universities.
Comdr. Ingram, of Jonas, as he is
allied by nearly all those he has come
/ contact with in the universities, took
barge of Naval Academy athletics In
o26. He realized that certain changes
Fould have to be made in the policies
hat governed sports If the Navy was
Institutions and he set about effecting
hose changes. One was more liberal
Iolicy in leaving Annapolis to play foot
ball. and those close to athletics at An
hapolis know what that has meant, both
creating better feeling in other
echools and in building up financial
status that otherwise would have been
Impossible.
Has Built Up Finances.
Take this matter of finances, for in
stance. For years and years before In
gram was detailed to head athletics,
the Navy had hard time making both
ends meet. 1t did not have anything
hike the money to spend on its sports
that other big institutions had and
without money to spend there could
be no really big developments. Ingram
began to build up that side OF sports
and out of foot ball he has made enough
hard cash to put the Navy on "easy
street" for years to come. AS one man
at Annapolis put 1t, Jonas has had
the business acumen to make our ath-
1etic future absolutely secure" Which
in other words, means that Ingram has
been so successful in handling finances
that he has created big reserve fund
for sports that in itself is sufficient to
guarantee against any lean years. 1t is
understood that the Navy has a reserve
fund for its athletics that runs up into
six figures, and Ingram undoubtedly Is
the man to whom credit for that
should go.
Another thing that Ingram has done
which may not be so well recognized by
those at the Naval Academy, but which
nevertheless has q valuable and far
reaching side, Is the establishment OF
lTnore cordial relationships with other
schools. That has been almost q fetish
with Ingram and he has gone to great
lengths to accomplish it. It Is not 9
secret to anybody connected with col
lege athletics that there was not any
great rush on the part Of other uni
|versities to schedule games with Navy
and the feeling of many other uniyer-
stiles toward Navy was not any toe
good, but Ingram has gone long way
howard changing that.
It was only last Winter that ingram
visited one university and spent three
days there for no other purpose than to
learn just what lay back of that uni
versity's lack of desire to play Navy
and to eliminate whatever feeling there
was. And, needless to say. the genia
Navy man virtually accomplished just
what he set out to accomplish. That
kind of thing helps not only Navy ath-
letics, but it helps the Navy generally
from the highest ranking admiral down
to the greenest recruit. And it helps
popularize the Navy among the people
at large, and does not hurt any when
1t comes time for Navy men to seek
larger appropriations from Congress.
Familiar From All Sides.
Comdr. Ingram was Navy foot ball
player himself. He later coached the
Navy and consequently when he took
charge in 1926 knew just where the
weak spots were, knew how to go about
them, and has to his credit
during his regime some of the greatest
successes Of all Navy athletic history.
Incidentally, Comdr. Ingram placed Bill
Ingram, his brother and also a graduate
of the Naval Academy, in the job as
head coach, and under him Navy has
risen to a high place in foot ball.
It must not be thought that Navy &C
complished nothing in an athletic way