Committee to Consider New Letter System

A recommendation to give a major award to all athletes who have received four minor letters in two or more sports was approved with slight modifications by the Undergraduate Athletic Council last night. The proposal will be submitted to the faculty tonight for almost certain ratification.

The Council also approved recommendations to give a major award to any manager who receives three or more minor letters, and to allow the swimming team to count the Brown meet towards a letter.

"We have tried to make a distinction between the man with four varsity letters in minor sports and the man with four jayvee letters," said Frank H. White '55, president of the Athletic Council, in explaining the slight modifications. "The recommendation as submitted to us would have allowed a man with nothing but jayvee letters to earn a varsity H, since jayvee letters are counted as minor letters. We feel that only a man who makes a varsity team should be awarded a major H."

The plan, as it stands now, would award a major H in minor colors to any athlete who earns four minor varsity letters, two of which must be in the same sport. Another plan is being considered for the four-year jayvee man, whereby he will be awarded a major sport sweater with a minor insignia.

Managers Work Hard

Referring to the recommendation concerning managers, White said, "We agreed wholeheartedly that a manager who has earned letters in three minor sports should be awarded a major H. A manager works hard, often serving as an apprentice for a year before he gets a chance to earn his letter. The manager who earns three minor sport letters works just as hard, if not harder, than the manager in a major sport, and we feel that he should get equal recognition."

The Council also approved a recommendation to allow the swimming team to count the Brown meet toward a letter. "We approved this," White said, "because it will enable the swimming coach to give more of his varsity men letters." The previous rule had only counted points scored in meets with the Eastern Inter Collegiate Swimming League toward a letter. Brown is not a member of the league.

These recommendations had been made by the Undergraduate Manager Council, which has been conducting a careful study of the University's letter system.

Charles W. Bingham '55, who headed the Council, is "very optimistic" about the faculty's coming vote.