Letters The following letter was written to Bob Wallace a few months before his death. Dear Bob: While talking to President Hansen last week, I was telling him how all the football world is indebted to Georgia Tech for the scholarship program that is now in effect nationally. You are not old enough to recall that the idea of football scholarships originated with Heisman and his Georgia Tech associates, particularly Dr. Armstrong, back around 1910. The same contract that was given, for instance to George Griffin when he entered Georgia Tech, is in effect now throughout the country. George can tell you something about this in more detail. The system was under attack by many schools in its early days, but beginning about 1920 other Southern schools, notably the University of Alabama, came to Tech, got information about the system, and began to make progress in football. The old Southern Conference adopted the idea when it was organized in the late 20's; then, of course, the Southeastern Conference adopted the scholarship idea when it was formed. In the early 40's this system came under attack from the National Athletic Association, now the NCAA, and there was a concerted effort made to eliminate Southern schools using this system from NCAA. This attack was blunted and stopped by Wm. A. Alexander, according to information given me by Bernie Moore. Moore said that while all the Southern coaches talked to their counterparts in other sections of the country, Bill Alexander's blunt statement that "if you throw us out of the National Conference you will live to regret it, because our program is a straightforward, honest program that is known to the public in our area and respected. On the other hand, , every one of your coaches know that you, in one way or another, give 28
boys scholarships for attending college, though you will not publicly admit it. If you attempt to discredit us you will discredit yourself, for the public has approved the honest, straightforward, aboveboard method such as we pursue." The result was that the National Conference ended up adopting the system which originated at Tech. Walter F. Coxe Birmingham, Alabama Mr. George offers his "reminiscences of 50 years ago." He challenges the editor's claim of being one of the only two English majors to graduate from Tech; it seems he paid his way through Tech writing for newspapers in Atlanta. And he says "add Oscar Davis' name to English majors"—he wrote for Atlanta papers also. Tech's tremendous game at Notre Dame on November 14 brought back memories of another glorious day just 50 years and three weeks before, also a day in defeat. That was Coach Alex's first year at the helm and he fielded one of Tech's great teams of all time. It had an 8-1 record. The only loss came on October 23, 1920 at the hand of Pittsburg, coached by Pop Warner, in a hectic 10-3 battle. The old-style Tech jump shift was penalized 165 yards that day, if my memory serves me right. For Tech it was truly a victory in defeat. After the game, Pop Warner called Red Barron the greatest halfback to perform on Forbes Field; Grantland Rice described Buck Flowers as one of the most brilliant broken field runners in the country; and Florient Gibson, of the Pittsburgh POST, named Tech as the best team in the U.S. and Judy Harlan, the greatest fullback in the college world. Bob Wallace, in DRESS HER IN WHITE AND GOLD, noted that "the Pittsburgh loss was so inconclusive that at the end of the
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season, the Pitt players and coaches led the clamor to elect Tech the national champion of the year." That was a team long to be remembered: Buck Flowers and Red Barron at halfbacks, Frank Ferst at quarter, and Judy Harlan at full. From end to end, the line read: John Staton, Bill Fincher, Dummy LeBey, Dad Amis at center, Oscar Davis, Al Staton, and George Ratterman. If there was a 12th man it had to be Jack McDonough. All-America honors galore came to Fincher, Flowers, Barron, Harlan, LeBey, Al Staton, et al. A review of 27 All-South selections showed every man on the team, save one, being picked at least once, and Bill Fincher was named on all 27! Bill also was the first Tech star to make Walter Camp's first team. Other glamor names should go with the teams roster. Joe Guyon helped as backfield coach; F. F. Wood of Notre Dame handled the line; Kid Clay, the reserves; George Griffin, the freshmen; Frank Asbury, leading baseball hurler, was manager; Jimmy Johnston, 1921 class president, and Soc Ingram, top hitter on the ball team, were cheer leaders; and Wop Roman, composer of RAMBLING WRECK, was band director. Many of these men listed are alive today and can recall that Pittsburgh battle of 1920 far better than we who heard it in Atlanta by an early crystal radio set over in the YMCA building. They might tell you that that Tech team annihilated Center College, led by Bo McMillan, 24 to 0, and racked up 312 points in nine games to 16 for their opponents. In fact, if one wants to brag about Tech's Golden Tornado era, he can mention 43 wins and two ties out of 50 games. This was in the six years from 1915 to 1920. Tech's total scores for those 50 games ran 2105 against 142 for the opposition, for a point average of 42 to 3 per game. Let the modern giants of the football world tie that record! Wally E. George Largo, Florida The Georgia Tech Alumnus