One man is usually responsible for significant historical events, and the beginnings of Dartmouth's track and field athletics are traced to E. C. Stimson of the class of '76. He was one of the most brilliant of Dartmouth's individual sportsmen and its first cup winner. In those days, as the picture hints, cups were super-cups of classic design and intricate workmanship. Both have been presented by him to the college. In one of them there is almost enough silver for a bride's first silver service. Certainly this first cup is a solid and eloquent reminder of a warm July day when E. C. Stimson of Dartmouth won a three-mile intercollegiate race in time which bettered any existing amateur record, and brought Dartmouth second to Princeton in team honors. Stimson enhanced his first achievement by returning in time to win in the one-mile race. Stimson's points were augmented by S. Young of '79, and by Hayes, in this intercollegiate meet at Saratoga which was the beginning of the historical and powerful Intercollegiate Association of Amateur Athletes of America. Hayes tied for first place in the broad jump and Young finished second to Stimson in the three-mile event.
Track and field athletics were initiated at Dartmouth as a pronounced reaction against the stressing of crew. More zest than practice was displayed in the first informal meets, when fraternities, faculty and merchants, canvassed for prizes, contributed a motley assortment of ice pitchers, umbrellas and unwanted books as rewards. Rowing had proved too expensive and limited a sport to take the role of the most popular home sport, and baseball for some unknown undergraduate reason had fallen into disfavor. It was time for track and field athletics, but they could not be taken seriously until Stimson's unexpected and spectacular starring at Saratoga. In an age which knows only its own records, it is hard to reconstruct the feats of unseen athletes. With loyalty to the present, one is tempted to question the authenticity of past records as the future will question ours. But Stimson, whose feat was witnessed by few of this generation, made a record which brought a glow of confidence to Dartmouth trackmen, and definitely planted track and field athletics at Hanover.
DARTMOUTH'S FIRST INTERCOLLEGIATE TROPHIES Solid Silver Cups won by E. C. Stimson '76 at Saratoga, N. Y., July 21, 1876. He was first in the three-mile intercollegiate run, and also in the mile.