1900

Members of the class may be interested to know that Clarence McDavitt's research in the matter of priority of selection and publication of the early (1889-1896) All-American football teams has been supported by a committee of the National Collegiate Athletic Association. The following condensed report of that Committee appeared in the official Football Guide of the association for 1955:

THE ORIGIN OF ALL-AMERICA FOOTBALL TEAMS By JOHN F. X. CONDON

The general opinion that the selection of All-America football teams was originated by Walter Camp, a Yale athletic immortal, must now be abandoned, according to the findings of Clarence G. McDavitt, a prominent Dartmouth alumnus. Rightful credit for the idea must go, instead, to Caspar Whitney, a St. Matthews College graduate, a leading sports authority and part owner of "Week's Sport," which was current in New York City in the early '9os.

As a result of Mr. McDavitt's reported findings a special committee was formed in late 1954 by the National Collegiate Athletic Association to further his research. The committee solicited the aid of many of the country's football authorities, and of coaches and athletic directors of leading colleges and universities. The results of this solicitation showed that Mr. McDavitt's research was sound. Not a single one of the many replies attempted to disprove his claims. It is, therefore, safe to state that McDavitt's investigative thoroughness, coupled with the NCAA committee's plea for additional information',, established Caspar Whitney as the father of All-America teams.

Probably the chief reason why Camp has been credited with the idea is that he and Whitney were the closest of friends and both worked at promoting All-America teams after Whitney originated the idea.

McDavitt's research embraced the testimony of a number of old time stars, exhaustive delvings at the Library of Congress, the Yale University Library, and historical societies; the examination of the files of such magazines as Harper's and Collier's, the checking of a large number of books on the history of football, and lengthy correspondence with authorities all over the the country. There were few avenues of investigation that Mr. McDavitt did not pursue. The more he sought, the more concrete became his findings that Whitney was the originator.

Such former Ail-Americans as Heffelfinger of Yale, a member of the teams of 1889-1890-1891; Stagg, Yale, of the 1889 team; and Dean Harvard, and Homans, Princeton, of the 1890 team credit Whitney with the idea. It was the opinion of these four immortals that the first All-America team appeared in "Week's Sport" for the first time in 1889 in an article written by Whitney. Aside from the testimony of Heffelfinger, Dean, Homans, and Stagg, who said the articles were "signed by Whitney," Mr. McDavitt could not extend his investigation in "Week's Sport" because the articles carried no by-lines.

The records which would have proved Whitney's right to the origin of All-America teams were, unfortunately, destroyed by an irate servant. When Mr. Whitney was quizzed about it shortly before his death, he proved himself a modest man by saying "... if you're going to write something about it, why not give the credit to Walter. I don't want it. As I recall, we collaborated on the first one or two teams, and had a lot of fun doing it. It never occurred to either of us that, later on, this All-America business would become so important."

In the January 28, 1899, issue of Collier's, Mr. Camp added this footnote to his selection of an All-America team for that year: "In giving the list of All-America teams for a number of years in a recent issue, it was my intention to state that the selections were those of Mr. Caspar Whitney in Harper's Weekly," even though he had listed all of the All-America teams under the Camp name from 1889 to 1897. It is also interesting to note that the Official Football Guide, beginning with the 1894 issue and edited by Walter Camp, listed All-America teams from 1889 through 1896, giving sole credit to Whitney and Harper's Weekly.

Similar published support has been given by the Encyclopedia of Sports (1955); and by John Lardner in Newsweek (March 28, 1955). Complimentary reference has been published by several sports writers and approval given by many individuals, including the late Executive Secretary of the National Football Hall of Fame. Favorable reference also appears in The Saga of American Football by Col. A. M. Weyand (1955).

Secretary, Chatsworth Gardens Larchmont, N. Y.

Treasurer, 212 Mill St., Newtonville 60, Mass.

Bequest Chairman,