Repository: UIHistories Project: Book - 30 Year Master Plan (Tilton & O'Donnell) [PAGE 210]

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Appendix B

ccivc the most, while those of our students, the weak, frail, anemic ones, who are most in need of invigorating outdoor exercise, receive none. The latter are the ones that we desire to reach and interest, and we are doing so with our class games in football; class, fraterni ty,elu !>, and departmental baseball games; tennis courts, and golf links. In addition to our present facilities we should have at the present time outdoor hand ball courts, and an artificial ice rink for skating. Instead.of looking-into the future with the confident hope that the University authorities recognize the benefit and usefulness of this work and are ready to provide the means of carrying it on, we are confronted with the fact that we cannot retain the ground that we now have; that instead of progressing we must go backward. President James, you probably recognize some of your own arguments in the above, because they are your ideas expressed to me many times. In my first interview with you when you first took up your work here you made known to me your very decided views upon the desirability of interesting all of our students in some form of athletics, and you have continued to maintain this attitude ever since. Previous to your coming here I had been principally interested in developing strong intercollegiate teams, but I at once recognized the soundness of your views and have constantly since done everything possible to stimulate and encourage athletics according to these ideas. We have made very substantial progress, and at the present time there is a larger percent of our students doing athletic work than ever before. The percent of students who take exercise is lamentably small, but, as I said before, we are making progress and if we have the facilities we will continue to interest, more and more of our boys. I am speaking only of the male students, but incidentally I wish to go on record as saying that about the same problem exists for the women. At the present time we are using approximately seventy-three (73) acres for athletic purposes, divided as follows: Illinois Field (used for Varsity teams only) 10. acres Tennis courts, in various places 4 acres South campus, between Wright St. and Mathews Avenue 7 acres South campus, east of Mathews Ave., about 10 acres Golf course 40 acres 73 acres v From the above table it will be seen that at the present time we are using for general university playgrounds (this excludes Illinois Field and the Golf course) about twenty-one (ai) acres; but we should have at the