19th Hole: The Readers Take Over

I initially engaged Glenn Hummer for our swimming program at the Y in the early '30s. George Haines and others like him are what they are today because of his leadership, and now George carries on in the same tradition
W. HAROLD DENISON
The World Alliance of Y.M.C.A.s
Geneva, Switzerland

THE BLACK ATHLETE (CONT.)
Sirs:
I have been reading your articles on the Negro athlete (The Black Athlete—A Shameful Story, July 1, et seq.) and am very surprised at the way some large and small universities have treated them.

I coach at Purdue-Calumet, which is a branch of Purdue Lafayette (we call them Purdue south), and maybe I have been blessed with unusual Negro athletes, but we have a terrific relationship with our Negro players. Our program is unique and individualized and deserves some attention for the positive side of the racial ledger.

We at Purdue-Calumet are proud of our Negro athletes and we encourage them to participate in social activities and intellectual groups, as well as athletics.

Our Negro center on the basketball team, for example, is the President of our Student Congress, an A-B student, is active in numerous civic and campus organizations and is planning to attend law school upon graduation.

He was educated in all-Negro schools in Gary with little dealings with the white race before coming to Purdue-Calumet. He has come a long way and has even amazed himself. I would not be surprised if he doesn't obtain his present goal of becoming mayor of Gary and maybe go a lot further. This is only one case, we have more.

Since we do not offer athletic scholarships, our athletes play for the love of the game and not for what they receive. To my way of thinking, these are the real American athletes.

Let's tell the other side of the Negro story—it may be interesting, in fact, maybe a lot more interesting than the side that has already been told.
JOHN S. SHIELDS
Head Soccer and Basketball Coach
Hammond, Ind.

Sirs:
Thank God I'm white. I wouldn't have the guts to be black.
MARK F. FULLER
Richmond

Sirs:
Since the black athlete series started I have wanted to write to say how revealing and helpful the writing and reporting of that series has been.