Bright Calls for Donations To Finance Closed Ice Rink

A large group of graduates and undergraduates Initiated this spring a fund drive to pay for the construction of an enclosed artificial ice rink for Harvard. The drive was started in response to a longfelt need, and as a direct result of the closing of the Boston Arena's ice surface to college hockey. Alexander H. Bright '19 spokesman for the group and former graduate president of the Varsity Club, yesterday stated that the drive is now in its most crucial phase, and that many donations would be greatly appreciated at this time.

The need for a hockey rink at Harvard has been a long standing one. The first Harvard-Yale game was played at St. Nicholas in New York (Yale 6, Harvard 4) on artificial ice when name was available at either school. At present, Harvard remains the only Pentagonal college without its own rink, or an arrangement which amounts to the same thing.

First Equipment Imported

Frederick Goodrich '98 had initiated hockey is Cambridge by importing a puck and equipment from Canada in 1897, and in '98 the first Crimson team took the ice. From the very beginning, many observers noted the desirability of having a college artificial ice surface. In 1922, Alfred Winsor spoke of the disadvantage of Harvard hockey in the face of its two principal rivals, Yale and Princeton, who virtually had rinks of their own. The Area was opened in 1910, but it has always meant an awkward trip and a very crowded schedule. Now oven prop schools like Andover, Taft, and 8t. Doms have rinks, with 8t. George's and Choate hoping to open their soon.

Walter Brown's action in closing the Arena to college hockey has brought the whole question to the fore, and Bright, with Edward L. Bigelow '21, George P. Gardner '10, Frederick C. Church '21, John P. Chase '28, and F. Austin Harding '39 formed a self-appointed group who are interested in getting together men who will help give or collect funds. Under-graduate petitions have been circulated by William L. Bliss '52, George W. Chase '53, Gerald P. Murphy '52, and Dustin M. Burke '52.

"Achilles Heel" of Athletics

Athletic Director Thomas D. Bolles has called the lack of a rink the "Achilles heel" of Harvard athletics, and the college administration, after a plea by the graduate and undergraduate groups, has issued studies determining the amount needed for the rink.

Six hundred thousand dollars is the figure net by the College for an enclosed rink, $500,000 for construction and the rest for a modest endowment. The rink will be within Soldiers Field. Bright feels that the figures are proper for the situation. The ides of an outdoor rink like that of Andover has been rejected because of the lack of good ice weather (only 60 days last winter at Andover), injuries on bad ice, and the extra cost of maintenance of an outdoor rink.

In a recent editorial, however, the CRIMSON pointed out that an outdoor type rink with a Quonset covering might lower proposed coats considerably, with-out sacrificing good ice.

The College supports the idea of a rink, but will not initiate the fund-raising drive. Bright has counted up 227 hockey lettermen since 1900, but to expect the entire amount from this source puts an impossible burden on the hockey graduated; so Bright has asked anybody interested in Harvard hockey or Harvard athletics in general to contributes.

A good-sized donation would be very important at the moment, Bright said to keep alive over the summer the impetus started by undergraduates this year. "If we received a substantial gift now, we might be able to name the rink after the donor or a man of his choice," Bright stated