CONANT PROPOSES ENDOWMENT FUND FOR ALL HARVARD TEAMS

Athletics will be placed on a partial endowment basis, the H.A.A. budget will be reduced during the next three years, and six minor sports will be dropped from the official program of the association, according to a program announced by President Conant in a speech before the Student Council last night. The aim of the plan is to remove the dependence of athletics on football gate receipts.

The Corporation has voted to establish an endowment fund which will eventually support both the intercollegiate and intramural program and will set aside a small contribution to the fund each year. Since the War, football receipts have made up more than 80 percent of the athletic budget, but havoc has been caused by the 60 percent decrease in receipts from $706,000 in 1929 to $292,000 last fall.

Sports Cut Out

The sports which will be eliminated are golf, fencing, soccer, lacrosse, boxing, wrestling, and cross country, but only golf will be left out this year while the others may be dropped any time in the three years beginning in the fall of 1936. About $20,000 will be saved by this step and only about 200 participants will be affected.

During the same period a $20,000 reduction will be made in the athletic budget each year. The present deficit will be wiped out on the University books, and the compulsory Freshman program will be transferred to the Faculty of Arts and Sciences budget. This latter move will save an additional $25,000 for the H.A.A.

The four minor sports remaining: swimming, tennis, squash, and basketball, cost about one-seventh as much per participant as the average of those slated for elimination.

For the future, it is believed that the dropped sports will be added to the intramural program. It is also intended to allow the sports the use of the grounds and gymnasiums and will provide the elementary equipment such as goal posts and medical assistance during games. The players, however, will have to provide their own equipment and travelling expenses.

Approximate figures of participants in the minor Varsity sports affected are golf 20, fencing 36, soccer 50, lacrosse 50, boxing 32, wrestling 32.