University of Kansas - Jayhawker Yearbook (Lawrence, KS)

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By J. HUBERT ANDERSON Dr. Naismith, and because the smaller players from the Asiatic and southern European countries were so overshadowed, there will in all probability be a division of classes in the next international basketball competition, in which the teams with tall players and the teams with short players will compete in separate tournaments. Dr. Naismith indicated that he was in favor of such a classification. However, even though there were inequalities of height among the players at the 1936 Games, the brand of basketball played was consistently fast and well-contested, he stated. The officiating, too, was done very nicely, said Dr. Naismith. There were four referees a Chinese, a Czechoslovakian, an American, and a Canadian. And even though minor differences occurred in the interpretation of rules, there was no crabbing among the players. ' Despite the fact that he remembered many of these details about the games and their players. Dr. Naismith could n ot recall the name of the international basket- ball association which elected him its honorary presi- dent. He finally concluded that it was some such name as the International Union of Basketball Federations. And this is a sample of his sincere interest in what other people are doing, not in the honor which comes to him as the inventor of basketball. Asked if he had any pictures of his presentation to the assembled players of the competing nations at the opening of the Olympic basketball tournament. Dr. Naismith said, VelI, now, there were a lot of pic- tures taken of me there, but I II be blessed if I know where I can lay my hands on one. Too, he treated as a matter of course the fact that he was not presented to Adolph Hitler. He was per- fectly pleased to have seen Der Feuhrer through field glasses when the German leader was kissed by an unidentified woman. Hitler first looked startled, said Dr. Naismith. Then his expression changed, and he appeared as one who might be going to take the incident good- naturedly. But he quickly regained his stern com- posure, and his guards removed the intruder. Hitler is viewed by Dr. Naismith as being a leader who assembled the proud nation of German people after they had been humiliated by the effects of the treaties made at the termination of the Vorld Var. In discussing this new German nation Dr. Naismith preferred to dwell upon the admirable characteristics of Hitler as a leader rather than upon his questionable tactics. Fairness in criticism, not diplomacy, seemed to be his reason for speaking as he did. This entire Nazi movement is a psychological reaction to a situation in which the German people found themselves, stated Dr. Naismith. Before we criticize too severely the Nazi movement we must con- sider the events which produced it. Dr. Naismith likewise spoke with fairness about the widely publicized Eleanor Holm Jarrett case. He upheld the American officials who dropped the A normal crowd at the Olympics woman swimmer from good standing, saying that the cause of clean athletics necessarily had to be foremost in a consideration of the case. Thus it was that Dr. Naismith spoke freely of other people. He spoke of their accomplishments and of their defeats all in the same tone of sincere understanding. Just so did the inauguration of basketball in Olympic sport circles represent to him progress in athletics, not fulfillment of any personal ambition.

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JAYHAWKER THE ELEVENTH OLYMPIAD ] Two Kansans are outstanding as Berlin plays host to the world ' s athletes AZl Germany was Iiost this summer to the world ' s topmost athletes in all sports when Berlin entertained the XI Olympiad. And although many miles of ocean separates Hitler ' s realm and the United States, Jay- hawker sports fans everywhere watched the activities in Ger- many of two famous Kansans, Dr. James Naismith, the inventor of basketball; and Glenn Cunningham, vet- eran mile runner. Dr. Naismith, now a professor of physical education at the University of Kansas, was given the trip to the Olympic Games as a tribute from the thousands of fans in the United States who annually witness or participate in the game of basketball, which he origi- nated years ago at Springfield, Mass. The 1936 Games marked the introduction of basketball into the official roster of sports at the modern Olympics. Besides watching as many of the basketball games as he could attend, Dr. Naismith was also a witness to the 1500-meter run. It was a thrilling race, he stated. Cunningham was well back in the group when the runners jumped to a start. About the middle of the race he took the lead, but in the last lap Jack Lovelock of New Zealand shot around the turn and into the fore by five yards. Lovelock never relinquished this lead and won the race. Glenn finished second, and another Kansan, Archie San Romani of Emporia State Teachers College finished fourth behind Luigi Beccali of Italy. Although Lovelock gets credit for breaking the world ' s record in this race, the first five runners to finish the distance were clocked under the formerly accepted mark. In speaking of Glenn ' s running in this race, as well as of his competition in other contests, Dr. Naismith predicts a well-earned future for Cunningham in the field of physical education. ' Glenn is well-equipped to undertake a responsible position. He already has earned his master ' s degree and now is doing work on his doctor ' s degree. His studies, together with his vast amount of competitive experience. will give him an invaluable background for his future profession. Too, Dr. Naismith was high in his praise of Cun- ningham s rigorous training discipline, and seemed confident that the mile-runner ' s health has been unim- paired by his strenuous activity on the cinder track. And thus Dr. Naismith revealed that he is univer- sally interested in athletics, because he showed the same careful observance of the track and field events and other contests as he did of the basketball games. These games, he said, were contested among the teams of twenty-one nations. Played on five courts, the cage eliminations began on August 7. In the first round, the United States players drew a forfeit from Spain, whose team was unable to leave their country during its civil strife. Uncle Sam ' s players continued from this first-round forfeit and emerged with a string of unbroken victories to win the first Olympic basketball championship by beating Canada in the final round. Prominent in the team s success were members of the McPherson (Kans.) Oilers basketball team, who were combined with the Hollywood Universal cagers to be the official United States team. The height of these American players gave them a tremendous advantage throughout the games, stated in his second Olympiad

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THE JAYHAWKER THE HEAD MAN ,,-,., Chancellor Lindley is nationally recognized as a scholar and educator By ELIZABETH SHEARER FOR SIXTEEN years the University of Kansas has been guided by a man who is not only a progressive administrator, but also an eminent scholar and a citizen of nationally known fame. Such a per- sonality as Chancellor E. H. Lindley is held in awe by the majority of students. We do not easily com- prehend that he is still a student like the rest of us and once was struggling through the same kind of difficulties which we are encountering today. Perhaps that is largely why Dr. Lindley has obtained such a high degree of success. His complete understanding of student life is constantly being manifested, recently in the important role which he played as a sponsor of the nation ' s plan to provide education for our under- privileged youth. To those of us attending the Univer- sity it is exceedingly interesting to trace Chancellor Lindley ' s studies and to discover how he progressed through a field of study which had a beginning very similar to the life in which we are all now participating. It was in Bloomington, Indiana, that Dr. Lindley ' s formal schooling began. There, while working day and night in his father s drug store, he completed his preparatory work at the age of 14. Circumstances were such, however, that Chancellor Lindley was unable to enter Indiana University immediately. In- stead he worked for three years in his father ' s drug store, where he made many valuable over the counter acquaintances. David Starr Jordan, then president of Indiana University, was a steady customer at the drug Chancellor E. H. Lindley store, and with him the young clerk formed a strong friendship. At first their meetings outside of the store were brought about by Chancellor Lindley ' s waiting inside the gate of his home until Jordan passed and then, seemingly by coincidence, joining Jordan and happening to be going in the same direction. Vhether or not Jordan ' s suspicions were aroused by the frequency of these coincidences, he welcomed them, for, naturalist and counselor that he was, he always was glad to talk to the youth at his side, to acquaint him with nature, and to discuss with him the many problems of a young boy ' s life. Vhen at last he was able to enroll in the U niversity of Indiana, Chancellor Lindley discovered that these three years of work had better suited him for college by furthering his general knowledge and by whetting his desire to study. Memory of the benefits of these years today causes the Chancellor to counsel students not to be discouraged if their college education has to be postponed a few years. Despite the fact that he was still working in the drug store, the Chancellor found time to enter into a variety of school activities. He was interested in politics and in student self-government, and par- ticipated in campaigns which doubtless were as feverish (Continued on Page 68) mm