Evening star., 1951-08-10
By Francis Stonn

at the Pentagon, older brother of
one of West Points brightest foot
ball stars. today lashed at critics
of the United States Military
Academy's varsity athletic policy
now spotlighted by the cribbing
scandal.
when Col. EarD Blaik is ac-
-cused of Turing football players
to West Point without proper re-
gard for their academic qualiflca-
tions it Is the most vicious kind
of distortion" Maj. Ben Filipski
OF >Fairlee, Va. charged.
The officer, former University
of Tampa football player before
joining the lar Force as a bonn
bardier-navigator in 1910, volun-
teered to trace the circumstances
leading up to Cadet Eugene c.
Filipski's appointment to West
Point and his subsequent status
as one of the Army players in
volved in the current investiga-
ton.
Il regard Gene as typical of
those football players who find
themselves in this regrettable
trouble" Maj. Filipski said. per
haps his story will clarity the
West Point football picture for
the general public"
Family of Eight Children.
Maj. Filipski, II years older
than Gene, who turned 20 last
June IA, virtually raised the Army
star, who this season was to play
regular halfback.
Our mother died when Gene
was 18 months DID," he explained.
MY father. a grocer, was left with
eight children-six girls, Gene
and I. We lived in Webster, Mass.
and Gene played football one year
for Bartlett High School there.
After graduated from the
University of Tampa I Joined the
Air Force. In 1947 I was stationed
in Sacramento, Calf. I sent for
Gene and he entered Grant Union
High School.
HE was good football player
and a good student" Maj. Flip
ski continued. He produced a
book. Who's Who Among Stu
dents in American High Schools
for 1949," an annual compilation
of the names of outstanding senior
students selected by their respec-
tive school administrations.
Keeps Scrapbook on Brother.
Here's Gene" he pointed out.
Activities" he read. Football
co-captain, All-City, All-Confer-
ence, All-State and honorable
mention on All-American scholas-
tice football teams, baseball, track,
basketball, boxing, student coun-
Gil, student body vice president,
Footlighters "a theatrical group =,
block &c" club, Boys Club, Junior
Rotarian, Phila Teens Club.
Scholastic average: B. Appoint
ed to United States Military Acad-
emy at West Point"
Maj. Filipski. who keeps large
scrapbook for his brother, called
attention to newspaper clippings.
dating back to 1948, in which
Filipski had an1eunced his in
tention OF going to West Point.
Il don't recall all the colleges
which were after Gene" he said
These are the ones / remember
offhand: Notre Dame. Holy Cross.
University of Washington, Uni
versity of Oregon, California Poly ;,
California, Southern California,
Stanford, Santa Clara, st. Mary's
and the Naval Academy.
Wrote to Senator.
Gene and I talked over the
offers. Finally he narrowed the
field to four schools-Stanford,
California and the two service
academies. He preferred West
Point and wrote to Senator Leroy
Johnson regarding an appoint
Mai. Filipsqi produced a letter
dated April 13. 1948. from Blaik.
It read: "Deear Eugene: Through
an old friend of mine, Col. Luck
EFT. I have learned that you are
interested in coming to West
Point, probably in 1949. If this
is the case, shall be glad to have
a letter from you giving in detail
your academic background, and
listing your extra-curricular ac-
tivitieS.
This is the time to write your
Congressman, giving him a full
realization that you are interested
in becoming appointed to West
Point. If you will send me the
Congressman'S name I shall be
glad to indorse you to him, and
will at a future date call on him
personally to go over your record.
II trust that your interest in
West Point is not a casual one,
put that you are one who antici-
oates a career in the military serv-
ce. Yours sincerely, Earl H. Blaik.
Didn't Shop Around.
That's the kind of pressure