August 26, 1943

Mrse eae G, Brannum,
1002 E, 7th Ste, |
Minties, Maneess

Dear lire. Brennums

if

' I have your all letter of the 25th instant, and am
writing te tell you that I am ratified that the mother of two fine
sons such as yourg is interested in sending her boys to your cm
state school. 1 believe if all parents would have the same desire
to keep their song in Kansas, athletics in the state would be of a
much higher standards |

| I have heard a great deal of your two sons. Doubtless
you may wonder why I have net called on them. I do not call on any
boys because I believe that young boys who are interested tremendous-
ly in athletics may get the wrong viewpoint. Coaches often picture
roseate futures to young athletes out of all proportion to their im-
portancee I beligwe thoroughly in athletics and the great value
that they may teach a boys On the other hand, I find so many coaches
that misrepresent to the boy an over-emphasis as to the value of athe
letics. Athletics are good for espedially two things. They keep the
boy training. The boy learns to say no a thousand times to temptation
before he can say yes once to victory and a championships Secondly,
they introduce a boy favorably to business and society. .

But athletics only last about three or four years in

- @ollege, and after that a boy may play independent basketball but
‘that is only for a short durétion. I tell the boys the most, import~
ant thing is learning to do sonething well that will carry him past
the fifty or sixty year period with hs earning power constantly in-

_ @reasing. Therefore, the academic training that a boy gets in college
or university is much more important than the athletic training, but
they both should complement each others They should go hand in glove.

ZI do not write any boys, nor do I make rosy promises.
Because of the fact that so many coaches do visit these boys and mis-
represent the situation, I desist from doing this because I can only tell
the boy one story and that is that life és a struggle and nothing is
easy that is worth struggling for. You know, Mrs, Brannum, life has not
been easy for you, and I can say that it has not been easy for mes Any~
one who has lived past fifty years of ace will testify that life has
been a struggle, The Good Book says “the days of our years are three
score years and.ten, and if by reason of strength they be four score
years, yet is théir strength lat or and sorrow for they are soon cut off
and we ray away."

I only mention this to letyou spidenstinds that in raising a family
mow the common problems, We have had six children = three —