Ze

Then he asked me to take him down to ono of the girls' fraternities
(sororities). He was going out on the Santa le noon train, so this boing just be-
fore noon I stopped at the Fi Phi house on the way down. We entered and went down
to the basement to the lurge lounge where a dozen girls wore passing the half hour
before lunch time. These girls will remain anonymous, but I remember each and
every one of tnem. First he asked, "What papers do you read?" And this well-read
girl said, "The New York Times and the Chicago Tribune." That opened his eyes
further. The next one he asked, "Would you marry 4 negro?" That remark was quite
satisfactory. ind so we ren the gamut of a dozen questions to the girls, and with
cech answer the intelligence of the girls rated A plus with Mr. Tunis.

Now he: wanted to see one of -the boys clubs (fraternities). You know they
do not have fraternities and sororities in the eastern.schools. Woodrow Wilson
abolished all fraternitios at Princeton when he was ‘president of Princeton Univer-
sity. The Phi Psi house was our next stop because it was conveniently close to our
route to the railway station. It was now 12 o'clock and the 18 boys assembled in
the sun room at the hi Psi house were hungry, but affable. The boys, reading Mr.
Tunis' mind, came up to the high mental standards that he found to exist among the

girls.

Never was a man so much elated, and I might add, as agreeably surprised as
was Mr. Tunis. He said, “Allen, this is one of the most wonderful places in the
world. 1 would like to come back here in a month and stay. 1 could find a story
that would be marvelous." It is not necessary for me to tell you what a bang I got
out of his coming because he quickly learned how little the easterners know of the
wonders and the advancement of our country. He said, "The students here are fresh -
fresh, I mean iritelligently affable, responsive. They've got everything." (As if
we hadn't known it before!) i ; ‘a

I have traveled from one end of the country to the other and I fine the
people in this section have the best health, the best physiques, and the best
gumption, generally speaking. In tho first World War lansas excelled the nation
so far as rejections were concerned. Kansas had the fewest of any state in the
union per capita. In the second World War only Oregon rates ahead of her. You
will pardon this burst of justifiable pride.

‘Now, back to Nr. Tunis. Mr. Tunis is a debunker of intercollegiate sport.
Several years ago he wrote for Warper's,. "The Great God Football", which was a
typically debunking story, and he has followed through consistently. Formerly he
was tennis expert for the New York Times. He is a brilliant writer and a worthy
eC I have a vory high regard for his intelligence and ability as a
writer. <4 |

I thought I might briefly review this baskotball story, "Yeat Wildcats!"
for you because fittingly Ir. Tunis has chosen as the setting for his. stery the
state of Indiana, with the climax taking place at the famous state basketball tourna-
ment in Indianapolis. Basketball.seéason is over, we do not have varsity basebali |
this year, but we do have track. But the catch is I do not have any catchy track
stories. To Mrs. allen, who is an expert on book reviows wnd other literary achieve
ments, goes the credit for this dissertation. |

: The story hinges on a characterization of Don Henderson, a basketball coach

a — town, springfield, in central Indiana. ‘He was asked in mid-season to

eo : Peo ae of the Springfield Wildcats. Out of a second-rate team he builds up a
ske baba five that becomes a strong contender in the State finals at Indianapolis.

convict Gtadtads ae aerues ie of an idealistic.coach to remain.true to his noblest
etions, regardless of all opinion to the contrary, that the purpose of the story