Crimson Holds Edge In 57 Game Series

Of the 57 previous meetings between Harvard and Brown, the Crimson has won 42, the Bruins 13, and two have ended in ties. The varsity, however, has not been able to top today's visitors since 1953.

Should Brown win this afternoon, it will mark the first time that it has taken four in a row from the varsity, as a dramatic tie in 1954 preceded the current Brown streak. The only other time in the past that the men from Providence managed to put three victories together was in 1922-24.

Since Alva Kelley came to coach at Brown in 1951, his teams have won four, lost two, and tied one; this represents the best series record on the Bruins' current schedule. The Crimson lost 14 to 6 in 1955, 21 to 12 in 1956; and last year Brown rolled up its highest total of the entire series, soundly thrashing the varsity, 33 to 6. The Crimson, on the other hand, registered its largest score of the series in the very first encounter. It came in 1893, when Brown went down to a sorrowful 58-0 defeat.

Crimson Takes 20 Straight

Brown didn't recover from that initial setback until 1914, when, after losing 20 times in 21 years (there was no game in 1904), it managed to hold the Crimson to a scoreless tie. It wasn't until 1916 that the Bruins finally achieved a victory, winning by the convincing margin of 21 to 0.

The series see-sawed back and forth from that time until 1935, when Dick Harlow arrived as the varsity coach. With the exception of 1938, when Brown pulled a 20-13 upset, Harlow's teams won each meeting with the Bruins. The varsity was especially devastating between 1935 and 1937, as it won by the consecutive scores of 33 to 0,28 to 0, and 34 to 7.

Harlow was succeeded in 1948 by Art Valpey, whose squads split their two meetings with Brown. In 1950, Lloyd Jordan came to the helm, and he proved to be the least successful of any of his predecessors.

In his first season, the varsity came from behind to win 14 to 13, on a pass from Carroll Lowenstein to Gil O'Neil. Dike Hyde then booted the extra point that gave the Crimson its first and only win of that year.

Brown Efforts Improve

The next year, Harvard won again; this time by a 34-21 count. The teams swapped victories in the following two seasons, both of the games being tense, and eventually decided by one touchdown. Then, in 1954, came the thrilling 21-21 tie that represents the best Crimson effort against Brown in four years.

The varsity, a two touchdown underdog, lost guard Bill Meigs and fullback Tony Gianelly on injuries early in the game. Nevertheless, sparked by tailback Matt Botsford, the Crimson took a 14-7, halftime lead.

Bruins Tie the Score

Then, at 6:37 of the third quarter, the varsity went ahead, to 21-7, on Botsford's second touchdown. But Brown retaliated four minutes later to close the gap, and, with less than two minutes to play, the Bruins tied it up. It was a great day for Botsford, who gained about 80 yards rushing and completed seven of eleven passes.

Today's game should also be a close one, with the Crimson trying to snap the three year jinx, and the Bruins attempting to make it four straight over Harvard.