Sunday Advertiser Sports Writer Hits at Harvard 'Low Pressure" Athletic Program

Former Crimson basketball player, David, F. Egan '23, sports writer for a Boston newspaper, yesterday reasserted charges that "Harvard thinks like a fossil where athletics are concerned."

He criticized the University for not giving special scholarship consideration to athletes. His attack followed Dick Clasby's Saturday Evening Post article, which praised "low pressure football." Clasby said he gave up his scholarship in order to continue playing football, so came out of the College owing it money.

"Clasby Drew $1,000,000"

"Clasby helped draw more than a million dollars," Egan stated. "Everybody else connected with the game is paid, and so is John Monro, who loaned Clasby the money so he could stay in school. I can't understand why they expect a boy like that to keep his marks up to regular scholarship standards."

Egan, a long-time critic of Harvard athletic policy, known as the "Colonel" in the sporting world, said he thought it was "all wrong to professionalize" but that Harvard should at least give its athletes room, board and tuition.

"An athlete makes a greater contribution to undergraduate life than all the Einsteins and Conants that ever lived," he said, "The son of a poor family should have a chance to compete and still go to college.

"They tell me there are more good players in the stands every Saturday than there are on the field, just because they cannot keep their scholarship otherwise." He continued, "A football player shouldn't be expected to make the dean's list. He's out there knocking himself out all day. Why should he keep up with other students who do nothing else all day?"

No Jobs

The Sunday Advertiser columnist cited All-American quarterback Barry wood '30 and center Esky Clark '23 as the only Crimson football players he know of who had no trouble making the dean's list during the football season.

"When I was in College they at least helped athletes by giving them special jobs. I worked in the Varsity Club as a waiter for food and $5 cash a week. Nowadays they won't even give an athlete a job."