VOL. 2, NO. 6 MARCH 1956 The President's Report The Ivy League: Origin Summarized and Development For the benefit of Almanac readers, the President's Re- The sociology and anthropology of the Ivy League- port for 1955, published a few days ago, is summarized complete with charcoal slacks, button-down collars, riots, in this issue. Written around the theme that the Univer- jolly-ups, wonkies, fertility rites, and unzippered superior- sity is in a stage of transition (expressed in the title ity-recently received dazzling documentation in the pages Tradition and Transition), the Report consists of four of Holiday magazine. the evolution of the main sections devoted to University, But what about the facts as distinct from the fantasies the progress of the Educational Survey, the year's principal and of the flannel-suited financial and a look at the future. sophistications laureates of the developments, Chosen Pupil? In Part I, "Heritage," Dr. Harnwell reminds us that Dr. William The Ivy League (more properly Ivy Group) was offi- Benjamin Franklin and our first Provost, born in November, 1945, date of the first Smith, "initiated in the Colonies the first cially "Ivy Group comprehensive Agreement." This agreement affirmed the observance at college curriculum to include modern languages, physics, the institutions in it mathematics, and economics, in addition to the classics... eight participating (Brown, Columbia, Thus were established at an date what have since Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Princeton, Pennsylvania, early and Yale) of certain common practices in regard to aca- been guide-posts in the evolution of the University's edu- as well as to meet the demic standards, eligibility requirements, and the adminis- cational policy-to anticipate tration of financial aid. It to football, limit- educational needs of the and to achieve a balance applied only country, ing the total number of games but making no stipulations between education designed to serve cultural ends and the selection of for needs." respecting opponents. Its administration education intended vocational was placed in the hands of Deans and Athletic Directors. President In Part II, "The Educational Survey," the In 1952, the was revised. Presidential examines certain of our tradition in the of May, agreement aspects light control of athletic policy was emphasized, spring practice the thorough study of its institutional development now was banned, and in All-Star and conducted under the direction of Dr. participation Bowl games being joint Joseph was prohibited. Ivy Group schools were required to play H. Willits, former Director of Social Sciences of the other team in the at least once five Rockefeller Foundation and former Dean of the Wharton every "league" every School, and Dr. Malcolm G. Preston, Professor of Psy- years. chology. The re-assessment of that tradition is being The agreement now in force was defined in February, made "in a spirit of critical objectivity" in an effort to 1954. Its major addition was the round-robin schedule in clarify our educational aims, to distinguish between mat- football which will begin with the 1956 season, seven spots ters central and peripheral, essential and specialized, and on each Ivy schedule being assigned to Ivy opponents. The appropriate and novel, to the end that the funds of the agreement was also extended to these eight other sports: University shall be spent wisely for the development of basketball, fencing, golf, lacrosse, soccer, squash, tennis, the student, the maintenance of a Faculty of the highest and wrestling. calibre, and the good of the public. The Ivy Agreement formally authorizes three commit- In Part III, "Financial Highlights of the Year," Dr. tees: The Presidents' Policy Committee, The Committee Harnwell notes that the University ended the academic on Eligibility, and The Committee on Administration. year, June 30, 1955, with a budget that was within $14,000 Chairmanships rotate on an annual basis. (Continued on page six) (Continued on page two) THE ALMANAC 2 Ivy League (Continued from page one) existed, in fact, before the League was officially born," Robert Pitt, Dean of Admissions, "but the athletic of the of says The Policy Committee, consisting presidents overtones which are in the admissions the institutions, meets once a in obviously present eight Ivy year, usually and fields have served to further December, in New York The are well at- scholarship promote City. meetings common interests and mutual trust. now we are tended, and are not since each mem- Right deputies permitted in the that are inherent in the ber is to for his institution. engaged studying problems expected speak authoritatively number of who want and will The Committee receives and acts and recom- increasing young people upon reports want to come to our several institutions. We believe that mendations from the other committees of the Ivy Group. all of us will benefit our combined and that It also considers matters of which to be of by thinking policy appear the extension of the to this area has been concern and refers these to the committee Ivy Group spirit joint appropriate a success." for recommendations. "Since the characters of the several great institutions, their traditions, and their special interests vary Medical Schools Group: Dr. Norman H. Topping, Vice- considerably," says Dr. Harnwell, "the organization does President in Charge of Medical Affairs, reminds us that not attempt to bring about uniformity, but simply provides only five of the members of the Ivy Group have schools of an appropriate mechanism for common action in those medicine-Harvard, Yale, Columbia, and Cornell, in ad- areas where such a course appears to be advantageous. dition to Pennsylvania. These five, with Johns Hopkins, The meetings also provide an opportunity for informal Rochester, and Western Reserve, have formed what is discussion of matters of concern to only one or two institu- called the Council of Teaching Hospitals, its membership tions as well as of problems common to all." consisting of the hospital administrators and the deans of the schools of medicine. Annual are The has been three two-day meetings Committee on Eligibility meeting held to discuss in times a since 1946. to B. Peters, primarily problems arising the teaching year According George and their to medical education, but Dean of Men, "it keeps all matters pertaining to eligibility hospitals relationship communication the schools is between ses- questions under constant review, and from time to time among lively sions as well. The is scheduled to meet at Penn- recommends changes to the Presidents' Policy Committee. group in 1958. It's our job, too, to devise the rules necessary for the sylvania effective administration of eligibility policy. All of us in the Group keep complete files of information about all Coaches Group Authorized candidates for freshman and teams-and these varsity Football Coaches' The football coaches files are available on to member. The infor- Group: actually request any meet authorization of the assemble mation includes admission records, course aca- by Ivy presidents. They grades, in in too) to discuss such sub- demic academic connections-if and May (sometimes January, standing, prior any, as officials, coaches, facilities, uniforms, financial aid." jects dressing rules, films, scouting, and the like, and make their recom- The Committee on Administration (composed of the mendations to the Committee on Administration (Athletic Athletic Directors of the member schools) meets four times Directors). Steve Sebo, head football coach, reminded a year in six full days of session and on as many other your reporter that the Ivy League is the only league in the occasions, says University Athletic Director Jeremiah country whose members will play every other member Ford, II, "as presidential directive, local filibuster, or annually when the program matures in the fall. demand." Mr. Ford, this committee emergency year's Directors Robert Paul, cur- chairman, likens the and athletic Sports Information Group: Ivy Group presidents rent chairman of this committee, tells The Almanac that directors to the "statesmen and ward politicians respec- it meets twice a year for exchange of opinion and infor- of the Our responsibility is to fashion the tively League. mation on two principal subjects: first, public relations formulas that make the Ivy ideal work." Among the aspects of the Ivy League athletic program; and second, problems regularly confronting the committee are: sched- such problems as the coverage of intercollegiate athletic ules for all nine Ivy sports, budgets, NCAA and ECAC events in newspapers, articles for magazines, films for tele- affiliations, trophies, length of sports seasons, facilities, vision, and the publishing of football programs. control of the activities of coaches and players, and cov- erage by radio and television. Mr. Ford adds: "And we Public Relations Group: This is an informal organiza- are not uninterested in gate receipts!" tion composed of directors of news and publicity. "Our semi-annual meetings," says Henry Herbert, "give us an Other Ivy Groups opportunity to talk about problems of mutual interest. We often add to the value of these meetings by inviting rep- other and committees also function Many Ivy groups resentatives of the host institution's faculty, adminis- on behalf of the jointly League membership. Though tration, and student body to participate in the discussions." most of them lack formal authorization, they have grown up in response to a great variety of needs; in one way or The Ivy League Alumni Secretaries: According to another all of them have won Administration sanction. Leonard Dill, "We meet informally several times a year at the District and National Sessions of the American them are the Among following: Alumni Council. Then, every year or so, we gather to- Officers of Admission and Financial Aid (sometimes re- gether somewhat more formally in a workshop session ferred to in inner circles as "The Order of The Misunder- where we get down to the nuts and bolts of our business.