Abstract

The author gives a brief history of the origins of the attitudes which underlay the strong reaction against intercollegiate sports which existed in Kansas and North Carolina in the late 1800's. He explains the conflict that existed in intercollegiate sport after the Civil War, in other words pietism in conflict with the national sporting ideology. He explains the association that the Methodist held with college athletics (alcohol and gambling) and illustrates the climat of the time by describing the circumstances of Baker University in Kansas. The president of Baker, William Alfred Quayle, carried out a poll to assess the views held on intercollegiate sport. The author assesses in detail each of the differing responses from the presidents of other universities. These responses ranged from pro-athletics to anti-athletics. The author explains how the Education Committee report on physical dangers and the Popular Amusements Committee report on moral dangers of football finished football at Baker until 1909. He describes the influence of the Methodist press and explains some of the attitudes held. He ends the article by giving a brief summary of Quayle's association with the game until 1894 and describes the changing face of football in America until the formation of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in 1906. Eaton