Big 3 Coaches Cool Toward Elis' De-Emphasis Program

Herman Hickman and Charlie Caldwell, head football coaches at Yale and Princeton Universities, gave cool receptions yesterday to the steps proposed by Yale's Torch Honor Society to lessen the "excessive time spent on athletics by voluntarily limiting the role of major sports."

Torch's statement, which advocated "a maximum 12-week season with no supervised team practice allowed except within that season and a maximum of two hours spent per day in any supervised aspect of a major sport," started a flurry of varying comments in the Ivy League's Big Three.

Princetonian

The Daily Princetonian was the major supporter of the Torch's proposals, stating that it stood squarely behind the society's suggestions. Clinton R. (Cupie) Black, captain of the 1916 Yale football team, proved to be the most violent objector.

"As far as I'm concerned," Black said, "this is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard of. The whole thing stinks."

Art Valpey

In Cambridge, Coach Arthur Valpey refused to commit himself on the Yale announcement. He pointed out that his football team has a 12-week season (including early fall practice) and that daily practices are two hours in length. These statistics are exactly in line with the Torch's proposals.

Howie Houston, 1949 Crimson football captain, felt that the steps urged "might well be in the best interests of the universities involved," but he expressed doubt that anything would be done to change the present role of athletics in college life.

Top Society

Torch, Yale's top honor society, consists of 15 seniors who have had distinguished records in academic and extra-curricular fields. Among those who signed the group's statement were football players Vic Frank, Bob Raines, Charley Keller, John Setear, and Dale Leichty.

Bill Draper, president of the society, said yesterday afternoon that the proposals were based on three months of deliberations. At the same time Tom Guinzberg, Managing Editor of the Yale Daily News, made it clear that the Torch has no legislative powers and is only advisory.

Coach Hickman of the Blues said of the Torch statement: "I question whether or not this is the majority opinion of the football team. This is to me a question of University policy. It is none of my business. Whatever the Board of Athletic Control decides on this issue, I will abide by."

In Princeton, Coach Caldwell stated: "I feel the recommendations made by the Yale Torch Honor Society have little bearing on the present situation at Princeton. We have attained a proper balance between the physical and academic aspects of university life.

Loss Time Here

"Many of our players tell me that they spend less time on athletics here than they did in secondary schools. I sincerely belief that the Ivy League should take a firm stand against 'professionalism' in college athletics, but the question of time allotments is one to be worked out by individual institutions."

The Yale Daily News took the stand that the Torch "with a more realistic approach could have found an easier meeting ground between athletics and the academic side of Yale."