Lewrense, Kansas
October 17, 1942

I eam sorry that I haven't had a chance to chew the fat with
you for quite some time, but I am dropping you a line confidentially
to let you know of the activities of our mutual and good friend, Dr.
- John Outland. It my be improper for me to blame the good doctor
for this activity, but the trail is very obviously his, as I see it.

Ted O'Leary saw me in the stadium at the Marquette game and
he told me confidentially that George “Speed” Atkeson, the old foot-
ball player here and now president of the K. U. Alumni Club in Kansas
City, had a set-up that would do the job athletically. He proposed
to T that Ted be the basketball coach at the University of Kensas
and "Speed" be the athletic director, that Dr. Glenn Cunningham be
head of the Department of Physical Education, and that perhaps Mike

Of course, it is a laugh because with the outlook for foot-
ball in the colleges most precarious and with the diminishing financial
returns from the game, no school can afford to hire an athletic dir-

- the coaches, and rightfully, perhaps, the

,
3

I said to Ted, “Ted, this is not "Speed's" idea. The whole
thing is Dr. Johnny "Meddlesome Mattie" Outland'’s thinking." As soon
as he mentioned Glenn Cunningham, and by the way, Glemn is a fine —
friend of mine, he showed the machinations of the good doctor's brain.
Dr. Johnny apparently is very fond of me. I think perhaps he is
figuring on asking the legislature to put me on a handsome pension
for life. I know he wouldn't forget me. But I did want you to mow
that Speed, who happens to be Don Ricksecker's son-in-law, and who
incidentally is out of a job at the present time, needs one. Can't
you do something to help the poor fellow? All he did was to flunk
out here at the University and finally reinstated when a lawyer
threatened to sue the Board of

get
when he had flunked out. He