Mre John Bumn
Dean of Men
Mniversity
Stanford University, California

Dear Johns

I did not mke any statement to the official bulletin or
anyone else regarding Floyd Rowe's findings.

: _ While in New York at a besketball luncheon Ned Irish gave to
the basketball coaches and officials at the Piceadilly Hotel, I made the |
statement that I had heard Floyd Rose, who is now chairman of the Rules
Comittee, and who was then a member of the Committee, make a statement
_ thet some of his schools in Cleveland had struck out competitive basketball
for junior high school boys in the Clevelend system. Some of his principals
had studied the problem and had arrived at certain findings that it eut the
stature of the boys, due to upsetting their emotional equilibrium. The
strain and tension of interscholastie competition interferred with the normal

processes of growth.

I was under the impression that Floyd made this in & conversational
way while we were all seated at the Rules Committee table, and I was
under the impression that it was the time when you were & member of the
Rules Committee, Johne ,

| Persomally, I share very definitely the opinion of a great many
physicians; thet the game is entirely too strenuous, even upon high school
boys, but ao intramurel games should be played by junior high
school youth

I am told that the system of physical education in the Japanese
schools has increased the stature of the Japanese youth about an inch or
two over &® period of ten to twenty-five yearss I am not certain of that,
howevere / a .

: _ I quite agree with you that changes in anthropometric measurements
would not shor in a short while, but I aie alse guite sure that such enotional
strain &s many of our junior high school youth are subjected to would definitely
affect their growth.

I quite agree with you on another point: that most of our statements
are but opinions or wishful thinking, and so few of them are based on sound
factse I remember pretty distinctly that the sponsors of the elizination of the
center jump stated that if we eliminated the center jump we would eliminate the
tall player in basketball. It has done nothing of the kinds in fact, players
are increasing in stature at all times and it did not do the thing that the