Lehigh University - Epitome Yearbook (Bethlehem, PA)

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LehigK. the first intercollegiate game being played in 1885. Total scores [or the first years of LehigK football stacked up something like this: 1884, Lehigh 16— Opponents 181: 1885, Lehigh 28— Opponents 1-44: 1886. Lehigh 90— Opponents 42. The early days of football as described by Richard Harding Davis (again) are er dif- ferent from the smoothly run and scientifically played games of today. He writes in the April 1891 issue of the Quarterly: Jake Robeson Ithe inventor of the flying wedge], (who) is the father of football at Le- high induced the Sophomores of the Lni- versitii ' of Pennsylvania to send their eleven up .... on Dec. 8, 1883 .... Though it was rain- ing at the time and the grounds were covered with eight inches of mud. over three hundred spectators came out .... (to see) a victory for the visitors by a score of 16-10. There was no grass on the athletic field then, nothing but rocks, tin cans and a soft quicksand of mud. . . . . in ' 87. ' 88. ' 89 football became the game of all others at Lehigh and her eleven ranked with the first four teams in the country .... She has now accomplished the unprece- dented record of winning four games in four days. Despite the fabulous Lehigh elevens of the past, it took the 1950 version of a Lehigh team to turn in the first undefeated and untied record in 67 years of Brown and White football. And wrestling .... perhaps THE big sport at Lehigh, if such a label can be attached to one of our intercollegiate sports. Begun in 1910 and under the direction of Billy Sheridan for almost fifty years, wrestling has grown and grown until now Lehigh is known as the eastern capi- tal of the sport and until Billy Sheridan is often called the Knute Rockne of wrestling . Although the Lehigh Athletic Association, composed entirely of students, was formed in 1874 to further athletics, it was approximately ten years later that sports really began to spring up at Lehigh. In addition to baseball, lacrosse. football and wrestling, such intercollegiate and intramural athletics as rugby, tug-of-war, track, bicycling and even walking were in evidence. In 1885 the students, realizing the ineffectiveness of their Athletic Association, elected four men among the faculty and alumni to aid them in de- veloping sports in general. A financial crisis re- sulted in 1894 and the AA was faced with ex- tinction. Through the cooperation of everyone concerned enough money was raised to keep Lehigh s athletic head above water. This inci- dent, however, showed the need for a better or- ganization of the L niversitN ' s athletic program and the Board of Trustees look the matter in hand. An Athletic Committee was established consisting of alumni, undergraduates and faculty to oversee the administration and finances of in- tercollegiate athletics in particular. ECKLEY B. COXE MiM C LABORATORY 13

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WILLIAMS HALL toward establishing such campus organizations as Mustard Cheese and Arcadia. The former resulted irom a group or students who met in a local beer parlor, Rennig s, to hear men and women oi theatrical fame who were travelling in the vicinity and to consume a delicious (so they wrote) meal of oysters, bread, mustard, and cheese. The organization selected the title of Mustard Cheese when, as was quite natural, their interests turned to amateur theatrics. Thus, on April 10, 1885, the group, following the sug- gestion of their leader, Charles Belmont Davis who was aided and abetted by his brother, Richard, presented its first real production. Sir Dagohert and the Dragon, in the old Sun Inn. According to somewhat hazy records, an original play, Mary, the Child of Misfortune, by Richard Harding Davis, was presented a year earlier by a few members of the group. Richard Davis was also one of the most out- spoken opponents of the secret fraternities and societies which had become prevalent on campus by the middle of the 1880 ' s. To show his oppo- sition to such organizations, Davis got together a congenial group of students which met in local taverns for pipes, beer, and gingeralia. Also included among the activities of this group, the Arcadia, were philosophical discussions and box- ing. In 1894, when dissension arose over the question of cheating in University exercises -one student often added the words Co. to his work — this group came forward with the sugges- tion of an honor system for the student body and thus Arcadia began its functioning as a liason between the students and the faculty. A constitu- tion was drawn up to administer the system and, with various campus leaders as members, Arcadia stepped out in the role it has had ever since -student governing body. Many reorganiza- tions took place during the next half century un- til a group of energetic World War II veterans drew up and secured the adoption of the present constitution providing for a democratic campus- wide election of members. Athletics also had their beginnings at Lehigh about the time of Richard Harding Davis. Al- though many intramural and intraclass skirm- ishes had taken place from the very beginnings of the University, baseball was the first intercol- legiate sport to firmly establish itself and the an- nual game with Lafayette dates back as far as 1883. Lehigh, too, was one of the pioneers in the IC -lA s, an intercollegiate athletic group, join- ing the newly formed organization in 1876. La- crosse, which was introduced in 1884, rapidly advanced due to Arnold K. Reese, 89, who cap- tained and trained the team throughout his col- lege career. Lehigh won the Lacrosse Champion- ship of the United States in ' 90, ' 93. ' 95 and ' 96 all of which speaks very highly of Mr. Reese s coaching ability. Football was also among the original sports at 12

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A remarkable parallel to present day criticism of college professionalism arose shortly after 1910 wnen coacnes and alumni aliKe were aware of the downward trend of college athletics, lead- ing away from the wholesome amateur type. In IQ12 one Lehigh football coach made the fol- lowing comments which might well have been uttered in 1Q52: I favor keeping our teams clean .... We have a handicap which we can never overcome and don t want to overcome -and that is the fact that our standards of scholarship are high. We are proud of that fact .... But that we can have the best teams composed of high grade (schol- astically) men is proven by the past. Closely associated with the athletic problems of Lehigh were the difficulties that arose in iron- ing out her own physical education problems. Until 1883 the students were without a gym- nasium and did not hesitate to bemoan the fact in the editorials of Lehigh magazines during the time. One student, obviously an engineer, wrote in 1874: Our heads are lull, our brains fatigued With cycloid and trapezium - So now, to get our muscle up. Pray give us a gymnasium. In 1882 a fine, well-appointed building was begun and in March 1885 the Gymnasium, later renamed Coppee Hall, was finished at a cost of approximately $40,000. An indication of the rising status of physical education at Lehigh may be gained by looking at the titles assigned to the head of the programs-Gymnasium Director, Director of Physical Culture, and finally Pro- fessor of Physical Education. Charles 1 aylor donated funds to his alma mater to build a gym- nasium and field house. Just recently Taylor Gym has been greatly expanded by the addition of a fine swimming pool and general gymnasium facilities have been increased to the point where all physically capable students can be accom- modated for an average of over two scheduled periods per week. In addition an excellent intra- mural program has been established enabling living groups to compete for prizes awarded in each sport. EVGENE GIFFORD GRACE HALL