Gym Talk: The Athletic Council
EDITOR'S NOTE: This is the first in a seriesof articles dealing with features and personalities in that behive of activity: TheAlumni Gymnasium.
THE COMMOTION inevitably stirred up by the selection of a new football coach has brought into the limelight a controlling body about which the alumni of the College have often heard but about which they may know very little-the Dartmouth College Athletic Council. The fact that the Council has had final say in the naming of Jack Cannell's successor has prompted many an alumnus to wonder what the Council is and how it works. Numerous letters reaching Hanover with suggestions about the new coach and the athletic situation in general have admitted bewilderment about the make-up of the Council, and numerous letters not admitting it outright have nevertheless disclosed the same confusion.
The Athletic Council is made up of nine members: three alumni members nominated by the Alumni Council and elected at the annual June meeting of the Alumni Association, three faculty members appointed by the faculty and approved by the alumni at their annual meeting, and three undergraduate members elected by the outgoing Council from the list of varsity and freshman managers succeeding to office the following year. The supervisor of athletics, who is an officer of the College through appointment by the Trustees, is the executive officer of the Athletic Council but has no vote. The graduate treasurer of athletics, also an officer of the College, is an assistant of the supervisor and likewise acts in an advisory capacity. Alumni and faculty members are elected for a term of three years, one new member in each group being elected annually. Precedent has limited the number of three-year terms to two.
Members of the Athletic Council at present are Clarence G. McDavitt 'oo of Boston, president; Paul W. Loudon 'l4 of Minneapolis, and Edwin B. Dooley '26 of New York, alumni members; Professors Leslie F. Murch, Charles A. Proctor 'OO, and Bancroft H. Brown, faculty members; aUd David H. Callaway Jr. '34, Thomas H. Hicks '34, and John M. Hinsman '34, undergraduate members. Harry R. Heneage 'O7 is well known as supervisor of athletics, and Max A. Norton 'l9 fills the office of graduate treasurer of athletics.
The Athletic Council has full jurisdiction over, and financial responsibility for, all the athletic departments of the College except the winter sports team, which is maintained by the Dartmouth Outing Club. The Council has the authority to hire coaches for the various athletic teams, and in connection with the development of recreational and intramural athletics, has in recent years adopted the policy of having most of its coaches connected with the College as members of the faculty in the department of Physical Education. The football coaches are usually the only exceptions to this policy.
The Council controls the finances of the various athletic departments and manages, as it deems expedient, a general surplus fund. The president of the Council appoints each year a finance committee, consisting of one alumnus, one faculty member, and one undergraduate, which confers with the supervisor of athletics prior to the preparation of a budget of authorized expenditures and anticipated receipts for the various sports and for all other purposes for one year. The budget is presented to the full Council at the annual December meeting and is voted upon.
The Athletic Council has full control over any sport in which intercollegiate relations are maintained, and formulates the rules under which it is conducted. In this connection, the Council approves all schedules, draws up rules of eligibility, prescribes the conditions under which insignia shall be awarded, conducts the competitions for managerships, approves the list of men nominated for team captaincies, and passes upon all Dartmouth athletic records.
The Athletic Council hais as busy a time as any controlling body connected with the College. The fortunate thing about the work is the fact that the task of picking a new coach doesn't turn up every vear.
Head of Athletic Council Clarence G. McDavitt 'oo of Boston, joint holder of College record for 100 yard dash, now vice-president of the N. E. T. & T. Co., is president of the Athletic Council.
