Conference on the Management of Athletics.

The importance of the subject warranted a larger audience than assembled in Sever 11 last night. Professor White, for the Athletic Committee, gave a most lucid and interesting history of the management of athletics at Harvard, and explained with admirable clearness the position at present held by the committee of which he is chairman.

On May 29, 1892, in Faculty meeting, an instructor of the college claimed the floor and said that he held in his hands a document of grave import to the college. This proved to be a schedule of the base ball games to be played that spring. Nineteen were to be played away from Cambridge, necessitating the almost continual absence of the members of the nine. Such a state of affairs called for action, and a committee of five was appointed by the Faculty to investigate athletics. This committee recommended the formation of a permanent committee of three. The original members were Professors White and Norton, and Dr. Sargent. This committee acted as a sort of buffer between the Faculty and the students, and from the first had most friendly relations with the latter. After three years the committee recommended changes in its constitution, of which the chief was the addition of two undergraduate members. These changes were adopted, and from the first the undergraduate members were a success. The new committee did much valuable work, especially in revision of the playing rules of foot ball. It remained unchanged for three years, but trouble was brewing in an unexpected quarter. The number of men engaged in athletics and the number of contests had been constantly increasing since 1880. The Athletic Committee had looked upon this as a subject for congratulation, but many old graduates, who could remember the days when the race with Yale was the sole undergraduate contest, began to take alarm. Their fears for the future of the college resulted, in the spring of '88, in the appointment of a committee of the Overseers, charged with investigating the whole matter. Four of the five members of this committee recommended to the Overseers that all intercollegiate contests for the future be forbidden. Their report was not, however, accepted. On May 2 the Overseers voted:

That in the opinion of this Board intercollegiate contests should take place only in Cambridge, New Haven, or such other New England city or town as the Committee on Athletics may from time to time designate, that University teams alone should be permitted to take part in intercollegiate contests, and that students. should be prohibited from taking part in contests with organizations not belonging to the University, except on Saturdays and holidays."

The Board also recommended changes in the constitution of the Athletic Committee. These changes were adopted and as at present constituted, the committee consists of three graduate and three Faculty members, appointed by the corporation with the consent of the overseers, and three undergraduate members, elected by the majority vote of the following students: the presidents of the senior, junior and sophomore classes, and a representative from each of the following athletic organizations: the Boat Club, the Cricket Club, and the Athletic, Base Ball, Foot Ball, Lacrosse, and Tennis Associations, who shall be called together for the purpose of making this choice by the President of the University.

This Committee has entire supervision and control of all athletic exercises within and without the precincts of the University. The control of athletics is thus taken entirely away from the Faculty. The committee reports once a year to the Corporation but has never received any instructions from them except those accompanying the vote which constituted it. These were contained in the following vote:

Voted, That the Faculty and Committee be informed that the Corporation and Board of Overseers are of opinion that further restrictions should be placed upon intercollegiate contests, in regard to the places where and the days when they should be played, and the teams that shall take part therein.

This vote was understood to refer to the recommendations of May 2, '88, and the Athletic, Committee has felt bound to follow as well as it could the lines laid down in that vote, without forgetting its second and no less important duty, the fostering of the sports committed to its charge.

Two illustrations will show in what spirit the committee has discharged its two duties:

I. The New England rule. At its very first meeting the present athletic committee advised the foot ball management to arrange games for the future in New England as far as possible. A year and a half afterwards the Athletic Committee passed the rule since known as the New England Rule, deferring to the known wish of the Corporation and Overseers. The Committee has not always, however, insisted on the letter of the rule, but rather on its spirit. When the negotiations for the dual league with Yale were in progress, the Athletic Committee was willing to allow Yale to name the place of one foot ball game, if two were played annually. But Yale insisted that only one should be played annually, and that in New York. The negotiations therefore fell through, as such an arrangement would clearly be unfair both to the undergraduates and to the Boston graduates. In track athletics a model arrangement has been made with Yale for future contests, and Yale is allowed to name the place of meeting every other year.

II. The vote of May 2, '88, recommended that University teams alone should be allowed to take part in the intercollegiate contests. But the Athletic Committee has considered that freshman games are necessary to arouse a proper interest in athletics in each succeeding class. They have therefore allowed them to continue, but have regulated them in two ways. First, all arrangements made by freshman teams must be approved by the 'varsity management of the sport. Secondly, freshmen are defined as first year men in the academic and scientific departments, regular or specials. Our freshmen teams have been run on these principles for three years. Thus the Athletic Committee has deferred to the Overseers, while consulting the interests of athletics at the same time. The Graduate Advisory Committees in each sport advise confidentially with the captains of the several teams. They each consist of three members. One member is elected every year, to serve for three years.

After the conclusion of Professor White's address many questions were put by men in the audience to the members of the Athletic Committee, who were all present, and much interesting information was was given.