The Game Keeps Them Coming Back Every Year

Things have changed since 1923, when Harold B. Sedgwick '30 attended his first Harvard-Yale game.

Back then, Harvard was still reveling in its recent Rose Bowl victory, football players were legends and spectators rushed the field after The Game and tore the goalposts from the ground.

As a high school student at Phillips Exeter, Sedgwick saw his first Harvard-Yale game. His cousin, R.M. "Duke" Sedgwick '21, was left tackle on the team that won the Rose Bowl.

"Duke was a famous Harvard football player," Sedgwick recalls. "I was seven years younger, [and] he was my hero."

That game began a tradition for the younger Sedgwick, who will attend his 60th Harvard-Yale game tomorrow. He's been to The Game every year except for 1948-57 when he was rector of a church in Washington, D.C.

The Episcopal priest, who lives in Lexington, is 91 years old and still tailgates like an undergraduate.

Well, not exactly like an undergraduate.

Sedgwick's tailgates, which feature candlesticks and crystal glasses, have been written up inTown and Country, The Wall Street Journal and Sports Illustrated.

Tomorrow, the radio station WBUR is profiling Sedgwick on its morning show.

"I'm 91 years old...and I've always hoped I've done something to make the world a little better," says the Crimson editor and former History and Literature concentrator. "But I never achieved fame until I began waving the little sentimental Harvard flag."

Sedgwick is the seventh custodian of "the little red Harvard flag," which has been waved at every one of the 115 Harvard-Yale games.

"It's like the Olympic torch," he says. "It never drops to the ground."

Sedgwick remembers classic Harvard-Yale matches like the one in 1968. Both teams were undefeated and Yale led the game 29-13 with 46 seconds left.

Suddenly, Harvard scored two touchdowns and two point conversions to tie the game.

"The '68 Game," Sedgwick recalls fondly. "Needless to say, that's ingrained in the memory of every Harvard man."

There was also the 1928 Game, when Sedgwick was a junior and Harvard beat Yale for the first time in five years.

"I was one of those responsible for dashing on the field and ripping down the goalposts," he says. "We took them to the top of the bowl and threw them over. Why we didn't kill anybody, I'll never know."

But like everything at Harvard, the title of "flag custodian" is hotly contested.Sedgwick received a letter from Eugene R. Hurley'53, warning him that he's hot on the older man'stail.

Hurley, a retired lawyer from Long Island,attended his first Harvard-Yale game with hisfather in 1939, when he was eight years old. Hehasn't missed The Game since, except for 1942,when it was cancelled due to World War II.

"My father started me out with it, and then Iwound up going to Harvard...and after awhile itbecame one of those things where I couldn't missit," Hurley says. "I remember telling my wifeyears ago that if she was sick on that day, wellthat's too bad, I'd have to go anyway. It became areligious rite."

The Hurleys' rite began in 1910, when EugeneSr. attended his first Harvard-Yale game. Theelder Hurley went The Game every year until 1968,when doctor's orders kept him at home. But thedoctor might not be able to keep Hurley theYounger from watching The Game.

"I'II go to as many as I can possibly manage,until the doctor or the undertaker tell me I can'tdo it anymore," he says.

That's not likely to happen anytime soon, In1987, Hurley endured Arctic temperatures, riskinghypothermia and frostbite, to see The Game.

"It was 10-15 degrees with terrific wind," herecalls. "Half of the people who came to The Gamehad left it by halftime. I saw the entire game andleft like a 95-year-old cripple. I had to stick itout."

But there have also been rewards, such aspheasant--and besides, beer warms the soul if notthe body.

Indeed, tailgates have always been a large partof Hurley's game-day ritual.

"Our football teams were not very good in theyears I was at Harvard, but we had grandparties," he says.

These days, the former "girls, bridge and maybehistory" concentrator still races to the stadiumearly Saturday morning to secure a place totailgate.

While in College, Hurley and his friends founda pheasant in the Kirkland courtyard after oneHarvard-Yale game. Feeling a little peckish afterThe Game, they took the bird home to Kirkland G-32and plucked it.

We had feathers all over the suite," heremembers. "The next day we brought it down to the[kitchen] and asked them to prepare the pheasantfor us for Sunday night dinner."

Not only did the dining hall staff prepare thepheasant, but Hurley and his friends came todinner wearing tuxedos.

"They brought out the pheasant on a great trayand we had candles on the table," he says. "It wasa great accomplishment."

"You've got to have one accomplishment inlife," he says

Hurley, a retired lawyer from Long Island,attended his first Harvard-Yale game with hisfather in 1939, when he was eight years old. Hehasn't missed The Game since, except for 1942,when it was cancelled due to World War II.

"My father started me out with it, and then Iwound up going to Harvard...and after awhile itbecame one of those things where I couldn't missit," Hurley says. "I remember telling my wifeyears ago that if she was sick on that day, wellthat's too bad, I'd have to go anyway. It became areligious rite."

The Hurleys' rite began in 1910, when EugeneSr. attended his first Harvard-Yale game. Theelder Hurley went The Game every year until 1968,when doctor's orders kept him at home. But thedoctor might not be able to keep Hurley theYounger from watching The Game.

"I'II go to as many as I can possibly manage,until the doctor or the undertaker tell me I can'tdo it anymore," he says.

That's not likely to happen anytime soon, In1987, Hurley endured Arctic temperatures, riskinghypothermia and frostbite, to see The Game.

"It was 10-15 degrees with terrific wind," herecalls. "Half of the people who came to The Gamehad left it by halftime. I saw the entire game andleft like a 95-year-old cripple. I had to stick itout."

But there have also been rewards, such aspheasant--and besides, beer warms the soul if notthe body.

Indeed, tailgates have always been a large partof Hurley's game-day ritual.

"Our football teams were not very good in theyears I was at Harvard, but we had grandparties," he says.

These days, the former "girls, bridge and maybehistory" concentrator still races to the stadiumearly Saturday morning to secure a place totailgate.

While in College, Hurley and his friends founda pheasant in the Kirkland courtyard after oneHarvard-Yale game. Feeling a little peckish afterThe Game, they took the bird home to Kirkland G-32and plucked it.

We had feathers all over the suite," heremembers. "The next day we brought it down to the[kitchen] and asked them to prepare the pheasantfor us for Sunday night dinner."

Not only did the dining hall staff prepare thepheasant, but Hurley and his friends came todinner wearing tuxedos.

"They brought out the pheasant on a great trayand we had candles on the table," he says. "It wasa great accomplishment."

"You've got to have one accomplishment inlife," he says