Evening star., 1940-08-15
Full Athletic Control
Assumed by Chops
After Long Probe
Conference Post Cops
ColorfuI Career of
Washington Man
BY LEWIS r. ArCHIsON.

A quiet, serious gentleman by the
name Of Edwin N. Atherton will
WELD the big stick over Pacific
Coast athletics for the next three
years, and If the name strikes q
responsive chord In your memory
you're right-he is the same
Chops" Atherton who played Gen.
ter on the Central High School
football teams of 1894.
Chops" was here for a couple of
days visiting friends and renewing
old acquaintances before heading
for Chicago and a conference with
Maj. John L. Griffith, commissioner
of the Big Ten Conference. The
old gang says he hasn't changed
much since he attended classes in
the red brick building at Seventh
and o streets and trudged over to
Fifth street and Florida avenue
NE. every afternoon for football
practice.
He's had q varied and colorful
career since those days at Central,
one that led into and out Of George
town law school, the United States
consular service, Federal Bureau
Of Investigation and lucrative
private investigation business. 1t
was the latter that landed him in
his current position as virtual die
tator Of sports in the Coast con-
ference, and it's the last place he
expected to be in 1910.
Two-Year Probe Conducted.
Atherton was called in when con-
ference officials decided little
housecleaning would be highly
beneficial to the entire circuit. Find
out what's going on. they told him.
get all the facts and figures and
they would do the rest. But he
needed more than carte blanche to
do the Job. He asked every school.
every alumni club and civic organ
ization to unburden its soul to him
with a guarantee Of no punitive ac-
ton. Come clean and all would be
forgiven. Well, they did and as a
result there have been drastic
changes in the conference code.
"Of course, like anything else, the
picture was distorted" he said. II
didn't find the star fullback living
in a swanky hotel. driving block
long roadster and wearing 500 suits
That happens only in stories and
cranks' imaginations, but I did find
some rather serious problems and In
nine out 10 cases the alumni-not
the schools-were to blame"
During the investigation, which
lasted two years-almost as long as
his prying into San Francisco's po-
lice department corruption-he in
terviewed over 500 football players,
having them fill questionnaires and
taking stenographic notes.
Sports Program Revised.
He delved into their personal his.
tories. found out who approached
them with scholarships, what they
were offered, what they received,
how they lived and how they stood
in class. He read coaches corre-
spondence, examined bank accounts
Of athletic associations, alumni as
sociations and individuals. He
looked at time sheets, pay roll sheets
and examination papers. He got
everything it was possible to get. in
cluding hat, neck and shoe sizes.
The upshot of it all was that fac
ulty members governing conference
athletics agreed the sports program
in general-and football in partic-
ular-was going to Hades unless
quick action was taken. They de-
cided to act. Subsidies were abol-
ished except In cases Of absolutely
needy students and with the excep-
tions Of Stanford and Southern CAL
ifornia. both private schools not re-
ceiv.ng State support.
Neither coaches nor alumni were
permitted to approach prospective
grid candidates and full responsible
ity Tor enforcing the rules was placed
on faculty memberS-not coaches or
athletic boards. If the scheme fails
1t will be the fault Of those schol-
arly. stiff f-bosomed gentlemen who
long have yelped about footballs
enormous inroads on college life
the gentlemen who wanted to de-
emphasize the game
But the plan will work." Ather-
ton believes, because everybody is
interested in saving football from
the category of tramp's sport.
We know we can have the same
high grade of football we've al
ways had on the coast without
the cutthroat competition for
players and without sacrificing
one iota of scholarship. This plan
will take a terrific load off the