Gym Plaque Honors Philosophy
In a prominent position just inside the trance to Alumni Gymnasium, a bronze aque has been installed to enshrine the philosophy of President Ernest Martin . hopkins regarding the place of intercollegiate athletics in a liberal arts college. A bas-relief depicts Mr. Hopkins with Earl Blaik, Dartmouth's head football coach from 1934 to 1940, who shared his philosophy and was his life-long friend.
The text of the plaque reads: Fundamental to President Hopkins' educa- tional philosophy was his conviction that the primary concern of the College is not with what men shall do, but with what men shall be, and that although it is the responsibility of the liberal college to elevate the mind, man is not disembodied intellect.
He believed in extracurricular activity as constituting an important element in education, and from his undergraduate years onward he maintained an especially keen interest in Dartmouth's athletic program and intercollegiate sports.
Often President Hopkins leavened his day by a visit to the football practice field. Here he is portrayed with Coach Earl H. Blaik, to whom he said on Blaik's arrival in Hanover in 1934, "Earl, always remember that football is incidental, to the purpose for which the player is in college. But," he smilingly added, "let's have a winner."
Mr. Hopkins and Blaik shared a common goal of inspiring men to strive for excellence, on the playing field and elsewhere, through dedication and, above all, through understanding.
Earl Blaik's teams won 73.4 per cent of their games before he left Dartmouth to be head coach at West Point. A remark he made while in Hanover to receive an honorary degree'in 1977 gave the initial impetus to the plaque idea. He observed to former trustee William H. Morton '32, an Ail-American in both football and hockey, that it was too bad that current and future undergraduates would be unaware of President Hopkins' views. Morton subsequently discussed this concern with President McLaughlin, and the project was launched by an anonymous gift.
