Some Views About Dartmouth Athletics From the Man Who Directs the Program

Each Saturday morning of a home football game during the fall of 1953, Seaver Peters '54 would come trudging into Alumni Gymnasium to begin unwrapping and distributing the Dartmouth football game programs. Nearly a dozen members of the Big Green hockey team, which Pete captained that year, were program salesmen. On the inside pages of the 1953 programs were photos of Dartmouth's athletic director, William H. McCarter 'l9, and Dartmouth's football coach, DeOrmond "Tuss" McLaughry.

Little did Peters dream that 14 short years later his photograph would be appearing in those programs as "Director of Athletics, Dartmouth College." Robert A. "Red" Rolfe '31 was named athletic director before Pete's senior year ended and a year after that Bob Blackman was appointed head football coach. Blackman was still head coach when Peters succeeded Rolfe in 1967.

Following graduation, Peters went to work in his family business, but five years later was lured back to Dartmouth by Red Rolfe as Associate Director of Athletics.

Now starting his fourth year as Director of Athletics, Peters should be on top of the world. He has successfully rebuilt the Big Green coaching staff, which during these early years of his administration has turned completely over due to retirements and moves to other positions. The Dartmouth football team has received national acclaim and attention, while Pete has been named to a large number of positions in regional and national athletic conferences.

But despite all these positive aspects, a careful bserver can detect signs of serious concern beneath Peters' ready smile and: still buoyant optimism. In a mid-October interview he told us about now he views the athletic situation at Dartmouth and around the nation.

Dartmouth's youthful athletic director is, of course, a member of most national and regional athletic associations in the Ivy League, Eastern College Athletic Conference, and the prestigious National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). "I prize membership in such associations," he says, "since it provides numerous opportunities to know your counterparts at many other colleges and to keep abreast of problems and developments in the collegiate sports world." Currently Seaver is serving on two major NCAA committees, the TV Committee and the Financial Aid Committee. As we talked in October, the NCAA TV Committee was just offering its 1972-73 package to the "three major networks and anyone else who is interested."

Pete gets up a little tight when discussing the recent sweeping proposals of the NCAA Financial Aid Committee. "These proposals could have a very serious effect on Ivy institutions," he explained. "Briefly, it's a three-pronged proposal—first, that all financial aid nationally be awarded strictly on the basis of financial need, that there be no athletic scholarships. As you can appreciate, we applaud a national move to abolish athletic grants-in-aid and award financial aid at all colleges solely on the basis of need."

But Dartmouth and presumably the other Ivy institutions are strongly opposed to the other two points in the NCAA plan, according to Peters. The second point limits the number of athletes on financial aid who can be on any squad. "We cannot buy this," Pete says firmly. "We are not about to say to a young man who comes to Dartmouth, 'Gee, you can't go out for football since you'll put us over the allowable number."

He recognizes that this proposal is aimed mostly at the major athletic universities who openly recruit and provide direct subsidies to top secondary-school athletes. "We cannot influence decisions at Dartmouth," says Pete, "and our students receive financial aid only if they really need it. Thus, we do not feel this ruling should be applied in the Ivy League. Also, the philosophy of Dartmouth and the Ivy League will not permit any athletic association to dictate our academic policy."

A second controversial part of this proposal is the NCAA's "Declaration of Intent" under which a student-athlete must indicate his final choice of institution by a formal signed note, no later than March 15. Violation of this calls for a full year's loss of athletic eligibility.

"We cannot tolerate this," Pete responds, "since the NCAA would be telling our Admissions Office to send out decisions at least a month or more before they do now (around mid- April). Again, we feel we cannot have a national athletic organization dictating when we must reach admissions and financial aid decisions and send these out."

Could disagreements on such proposals ultimately cause the Ivy colleges to withdraw from the NCAA?

"We want to remain a part of the NCAA; we think there are many valuable aspects of the organization and its programs," was Pete's answer. "However, the Ivy group basically operates almost independently. What those people in the NCAA don't seem to understand is simply that we do not have a professional sports type program. We don't buy our players. We don't have any say about admissions or financial aid."

Peters believes that the present dispute will be compromised as have some other controversial proposals, but he goes on to caution that "membership in the NCAA is important both to us and to the NCAA. However, if it ever gets down to where they are trying to dictate our admission, financial aid or eligibility policies, then I think we would have to reassess our position and possibly it could come to withdrawal."

Dartmouth was heading into the Harvard game with a 4-0 record in football when we talked with pete and asked him to comment on the Big Green's new football mentor, Jake Crouthamel '60.

"There's no doubt in my mind," said Peters, "that we have an outstanding young man as head football coach for Dartmouth, and to his credit he has assembled a very capable and knowledgeable staff. No matter what the record is this first year, I have a very good feeling about the way Crouthamel and his staff are running the program'

Pete recalled the press conference in Boston last January when Crouthamel was introduced as Dartmouth's new head coach and one of the Boston writers asked him to comment on the spring practice ban in the Ivy League and the limited nine-game schedule. "I've never forgotten Jake's answer,' Pete told us. "He replied that if you don't believe in the Ivy philosophy and the Ivy regulations as they relate to intercollegiate athletics, you've got no business coaching in the Ivy League. That's a perfect answer, I believe."

Commenting on the turnover of varsity coaches at Dartmouth in recent years, Peters observed, "We always hate to lose good people. One of the most important things I do on this job is to hire people, which I've had to do a lot of since coming on this job, but at present I believe we have a first-rate staff—a staff dedicated not only to athletics, but to the welfare of the young men at Dartmouth College. We hate to lose quality people like Bob Blackman, Dave Gavitt, and Karl Michael, but it's our job to find dedicated replacements, coaches who fully believe in the Ivy philosophy of athletics."

Seaver Peters and all DCAC coaches talk frequently about the "Ivy League philosophy." This philosophy is based on acceptance of the fact that undergraduates are students first and athletes second. It recognizes spirited competition, but places a premium on "gentlemanly conduct" both on and off the playing fields. Victory is important, but there is still room for fun. Somehow it all works, and over the years each of the Ivy institutions has developed its own particular sports emphasis, with many of the teams gaining nation-recognition. Brown for soccer; Columbia for fencing and tennis; Cornell for hockey and lacrosse; Harvard for tractsoccer and other teams; Penn for crew and track (and coming strong in all sports Princeton for basketball, and Yale for its nationally ranked swimming teams.

"We're very fortunate at Dartmouth." Pete told us' "in having a Board'of Trustees and a President who believe that intercollegiate athletics are an integral part of higher education."

But he faces realistically the hard fact that intercollegiate athletics are coming under sharp scrutiny by budgetminded trustees and presidents looking for some spots where costs can be cut or eliminated. In the past year a number of colleges and universities have virtually eliminated freshman sports by permitting freshmen to compete on the varsity teams. The Ivy League seriously considered such a plan, voting finally to permit freshmen to compete at the varsity level only in individual sports, not team sports.

"I did support a year ago," Peters told us, "the change which permitted freshmen in the Ivies to compete on varsity levels in individual sports such as cross-country, golf, tennis, and skiing. In retrospect I think I made a mistake," he candidly admitted. "I now believe freshmen should compete only on freshman teams." This is particularly relevant today, Peters realizes, with a debate going on primarily among the 17 Division One teams in the East because freshmen are now eligible, according to ECAC and NCAA rules, to participate, for example, in hockey. "I now resist very strongly the eligibility of freshmen for varsity hockey. I think we should review this decision on all sports."

Peters strongly believes freshmen must have time to adjust to the demands of a combined academic and athletic schedule, and insists that the lengthy varsity hockey season places too many demands and too much pressure on college lads in their first year. He recalls his own days at Dartmouth. "If I hadn't had the opportunity to play freshman hockey at Dartmouth," says Peters, "I firmly believe I would not have played varsity hockey. I think American boys need a freshman year for adjustment and growth at their own levels before moving into sharper competition." Peters conceded that Dartmouth was now debating whether the College should play against teams which permit fresh-men to compete. [In late November, as this article went to press, Seaver Peters announced that the DCAC had decided to cancel hockey games with Colgate, New Hampshire, and Army because these teams were playing freshmen. [For more details see the Green Teams section of this issue.]

Finances continue to dominate at DCAC discussions and Pete is frank to share his concern with anyone who will listen. He is not unacquainted with the overall problem of financing the College; he served for three years (1959-1962) as Assistant Comptroller, working closely with Vice President and Treasurer John F. Meek '33 and his assistant, Paul Young '43, now the Treasurer of the College, before assuming the job of Associate Director of Athletics for physical education and intramurals.

"This was an invaluable experience," Pete told us. "It really gave me a close view of the financial side of the College and I learned a great deal about budgets and on how close a margin we operate each year."

The DCAC budget continues to grow a bit each year, largely because of inflation and the added costs of salaries, equipment, and travel. Most of the other Ivy institutions have had to cut their budgets by 10% or 15%, but Pete comes right back with the claim that most people in intercollegiate athletics are too apologetic about their programs. "I think we must be much more positive about what these programs mean to young men. Here at Dartmouth one-third of all undergraduates compete in some form of intercollegiate athletics. I cite this to indicate the importance that so many young men attach to athletics. With some 1000 participating in 21 different sports (divided almost evenly between varsity and freshman squads), it's obviously an integral part of the educational process at Dartmouth. That's why I resist this move to curtail freshman sports; it can save money but clearly it's contrary to the Ivy League philosophy, indeed to what I think athletics are all about. If the trend continues, we will wind up with almost professional teams, all the more difficult to justify because it will be costing considerably more money on a percapita basis for such select teams."

COMPOSITE IVY LEAGUE FOOTBALL STANDINGS, 1956-1970Champions Overall Since 1956W L T Pet. Alone Tied W L T Pet. Dartmouth 79 24 2 .762 4 3 101 32 2 .756 Princeton 75 30 0 .714 2 3 93 42 0 .689 Yale 64 37 4 .629 3 2 86 44 5 .656 Harvard 61 40 4 .600 0 3 80 48 5 .611 Cornell 46 57 2 .448 0 0 61 70 4 .467 Pennsylvania 37 67 1 .357 1 0 54 79 2 .407 Columbia 28 75 2 .276 0 1 39 94 2 .296 Brown 21 81 3 .215 0 0 41 89 4 .319

IVY LEAGUE STANDINGSIN ALL SPORTS 1964-65 Lgs W L T Pet. Princeton 11 57 28 1 .669 Harvard 11 49 36 1 .576 Cornell 11 41 43 2 .488 Penn 10 36 38 2 .487 Yale 11 39 45 2 .465 Dartmouth 9 34 41 0 .453 Brown 8 23 42 2 .358 Columbia 8 21 42 2 .344 1965-66 Cornell 11 48 33 2 .590 Princeton 11 49 34 2 .588 Harvard 11 43 41 2 .512 Penn 10 35 36 1 .493 Brown 8 33 34 0 .492 Yale 11 40 45 0 .421 Columbia 8 24 41 0 .361 Dartmouth 9 25 48 1 .337 1966-67 Princeton 11 60 22 2 .726 Harvard 11 50 35 0 .588 Yale 11 47 36 1 .565 Cornell 11 46 37 1 .554 Penn 10 32 41 1 .439 Dartmouth 9 27 46 1 .429 Brown 8 23 45 0 .336 Columbia 8 20 45 0 .308 1967-68 Princeton 11 52 35 1 .597 Yale 11 51 35 2 .591 Harvard 11 51 36 1 .586 Cornell 11 43 43 2 .500 Penn 11 39 47 2 .455 Dartmouth 9 30 46 1 .397 Columbia 8 24 40 1 .372 Brown 8 27 41 2 .371 1968-69 Princeton 11 56 32 0 .636 Harvard 11 50 34 3 .592 Penn 11 48 36 1 .571 Yale 11 42 43 2 .494 Cornell 11 39 46 0 .459 Dartmouth 9 26 42 1 .384 Columbia 8 23 38 1 .379 Brown 8 24 45 1 .350 1969-70 Princeton 11 59 31 2 .652 Harvard 11 51 41 0 .554 Penn 11 46 44 1 .5109 Cornell 11 46 44 2 .5108 Dartmouth 9 39 40 0 .494 Columbia 8 30 37 1 .449 Yale 11 40 46 2 .446 Brown 8 23 46 2 .338 1970-71 Harvard 11 67 26 0 .720 Penn 11 54 35 3 .604 Princeton 11 47 44 1 .517 Columbia 7 30 31 0 .492 Brown 8 32 38 3 .473 Yale 11 38 54 0 .413 Cornell 11 34 54 1 .388 Dartmouth 9 31 50 0 .383

Composite record includes football, soccer,basketball, fencing, hockey, squash, swimming,wrestling, baseball, lacrosse, tennis. Ties tabulated as half win, half loss.

In addition to intercollegiate competition, about three-fourths (2400) of all Dartmouth students participate each year in some form of intramural athletics. The DCAC sponsors 24 different activities under the intramural program, both inter-dormitory and interfraternity competition in almost all of them. Most popular are touch football, softball, hockey, soccer, and skiing.

The total preliminary DCAC budget for the current year (1971-72) amounts to $1,225,000, with income revenue from all sources estimated at $525,000 for a net difference between expenses and income of $700,000. Thus, the College is spending $700,000 this year to operate the intercollegiate, intramural, and physical education programs for its students.

"We don't look at the DCAC as a deficit operation," Pete remarks some- what testily, "any more than any academic department at the College. Realistically we can't anticipate cost cutting if we are going to maintain our programs ... and their place in the educational structure."

Pete emphasizes that the DCAC budget includes sizable amounts for intramural sports and physical education in addition to the more publicized intercollegiate sports. He also points out that new sports have been added to the DCAC budget—rowing is now com- pletely financed by the College as is wrestling and, most recently, gymnastics. To which he adds that income is usually limited. "We face limited seating capacities and can charge only limited ticket prices." On a longer range basis, the youthful athletic director hopes for more effective fund-raising programs aimed at alumni who may be especially interested in DCAC programs or facilities. Last year Peters was quoted in The Dartmouth as calling for a separate fund-raiser for the DCAC, but he now is satisfied to have his case heard and represented by the College's development staff. "I see a real potential in a coordinated fund effort among those who are interested in athletics."

As he talked about finances, Peters' gaze was drawn to a rather elaborate model of the proposed new hockey arena which stands near his desk. Already the Trustees have approved the allocation of $1-million from the Third Century Fund proceeds if another $1.5-million can be raised. Bill Morton '32 heads that effort.

"The new ice arena is first priority," Peters says. "At the most recent meeting of the DCAC we went through a list of facility needs for the next decade. Dartmouth clearly must have a first-rate, top-flight ice arena and that's our number one priority. By our winter sports reputation, by tradition, by every standard, Dartmouth should have that new arena. Indeed we should have had it long ago."

After the ice arena comes some sort of synthetic surface for Leverone Field House. "Nobody has mastered a dirt surface and by adding a synthetic covering in Leverone we can vastly enhance the contribution this building can make to all our sports."

Then priority number three would be a synthetic surface on Memorial Field with a new outdoor track. "Now we use Memorial Fileld only ten or a dozen times a year," Pete laments. "With a synthetic surface we could play a varsity soccer game Saturday morning and follow almost immediately with varsity football, and so on."

Peters believes Dartmouth is falling somewhat behind competing Ivy schools in athletic facilities. New tennis courts come next on Peters' shopping list, but then he hastens to point out that if the Trustees decide this fall to embark on some form of coeducation, there will be additional facility and program needs to be met.

If the Trustees decide to admit women to Dartmouth starting in the fall of 1972, they will not find Seaver Peters or the DCAC completely unprepared. "We should be ready to offer women the opportunity to participate in intercollegiate and intramural athletics," says Peters. "We have surveyed a number of coeducational and all-women institutions and feel that physical education programs for women will also be appropriate." Peters also points out that coeds will want and should be able to participate in the recreational programs offered in skiing and other activities.

Despite this preparedness to cope with coeducation, it is obvious that Peters still views the subject with mixed emotions. "Coeducation could help our recruiting," he stated, 'since We already know that we have lost some mighty fine propsects to coed institutions." On the other hand, he realizes that despite repeated assurances that male enrollment at Dartmouth will not be reduced, there is always the possibility that this policy could change in future years. Dartmouth today, among Ivy institutions, has virtually the smallest number of male undergraduates upon which to draw for its athletic teams. Peters believes this could drastically affect the caliber of Big Green teams and even Dartmouth's ability to field teams in all sports.

As the interview ended, Peters checked over with us some of the items on his desk needing his immediate attention. These were related to his presidency of the Heptagonal Association and his duties on the ECAC administration committee, and a particular problem confronting him as president of the Eastern College Hockey Association. Then in back of him sat a radio recording set and microphone to remind him of the five-nights-a-week sports broadcast he does for local radio station WTSL along with a once-a-week sportscast over the Upper Valley's new television station.

Somehow beyond these duties Pete has found time to assume a leadership role also in community affairs. He is currently a member of the Hanover School Board, and serves on the board of directors of the Mary Hitchcock Memorial Hospital. He was a co- founder and director of the Hanover Pee Wee Hockey League and is former chairman of the Hanover Recreation Council and the Hanover " own Finance Committee and also served as treasurer of the Lebanon Regional Airport Authority from 1965 through 1969. In 1967 he was recognized at the state level, being named "Outstanding Young Man of the Year" by the New Hampshire Jaycees. He is married to the former Sally Stanford of Melrose, Mass. (his hometown) and they have two sons and two daughters.

As we left Peters' office we passed by the office of Jack DeGange, director of sports information. Jack was just put' ting the final touches on the Dartmouth-Yale football program which contained the photos of Seaver Peters and Jake Crouthamel. In about ten days these programs were to be picked up and so by Mike Turner '72, Dartmouth varsity hockey captain, and his teammates-Turner, incidentally, is from Melrose

Director of Athletics Seaver Peters '54 shown with a model of the proposed newice arena toward which the Trustees have allocated one million dollars.

Aerial view of Memorial Field taken during the Princeton game last year.