Tom Bolles Named Athletic Director, May End Crew Coach Career, 'Humble' About New Job

Thomas D. Bolles, head coach of crew, will be the new Director of Athletics President Conant announced yesterday.

It is not yet certain whether Bolles will quit as crew coach when he takes over the post William J. Bingham '16 will vacate July 1. At a press conference last night, Bolles indicated that he probably would not continue his duties at Newell Boathouse.

"It takes time to build a crew," Bolles told the assembled members of the local press when they asked if he intended to handle both jobs: "It takes a lot of time. The story goes back months and months and months. We work from 1:30 until supper time eight months out of the year."

No Policy Statements

The appointed carefully dodged any commitments about what policies he would pursue in his new post. "As far as I'm concerned, I'm the rowing coach until July 1. I won't claim I won't be thinking about the new post in the meantime." He made it very clear that he had "a lot of boning up to do" on the problems facing the athletic director at Harvard.

Asked if he thought football or H.A.A. deficits were the greater problem, Bolles drawled in reply, "I understand there's some sort of relationship between them." He said he was approaching his now job hopefully and with humility.

So far as his background with other sports is concerned, Bolles said, "I played a little football in high school where I was a very poor second string guard." Pressed about the extent to which he was familiar with other departments for which he would be responsible, he answered, "I'm a pretty competent horseshoe player."

Learned Yesterday

Throughout the press conference, Bolles expertly parried difficult questions. At the conclusion of the session all the sportswriters filed by, shook hands with him and wished him luck.

Bolles said he first had news of his appointment yesterday in New Jersey, where he had gone to visit a friend after his crew retained the Adams Cup in a regatta on the Schuylkill.

He had been asked some weeks ago if he'd take the job if it were offered, he