Now that one of our tax-supported state universities has resigned from the Southeastern Conference in a wrangle over the number of athletic scholarships, it is evident that the cause of education for scholar-athletes in Georgia has advanced to higher levels. Last fall when the University of Oklahoma dropped Joe Don Looney from the football squad for disciplinary reasons, it was confusing to read that the star, 224 lb. senior halfback thought he would probably remain in school at Oklahoma because he needed "about two more years of classwork to graduate." Since Mr. Looney had already used up five or six years of college time getting to be a "senior", it was apparent that our earlier concept of a four year college course had become outdated. This conclusion was substantiated not long ago by a local sports column in which a former Tech scholar-athlete explained the stiuation there. Coach Dodd, he said, had no choice and really does need those extra athletic scholarships because he is a man so honorably obligated and dedicated to the education of his playing scholars that he would keep them on a scholarship for fifteen years if necessary. The recent attempt in the Legislature to introduce a bill that would put the Tech athletic funds back under control of the state treasury department was certainly nothing more than a spiteful move on the part of disgruntled University of Georgia alumni to impede the advancement of education at the Atlanta institution. The obvious solution would be for the University of Georgia also to resign from the SEC so its scholars could have the benefit of fifteen years in college, too.
(c) The Bulletin of the Muscogee County (Georgia) Medical Society, "The Doctor's Lounge", Mar 1964, Vol. XI No.3, p.17 |
