November 20, 1940 lire Je Be McKay, Attorney at Lew Eldorado, Kansas Dear Mac: I was told by Arnold Long that Covert was attend- ing Kansas State, not that I cared particulerly where Mre Covert went, but I recall that you stopped me in Wichite and told me what a wonderful boy Covert was. We discussed him about one-half hour in the Allie Hotel. fhen, when I went down to see you, I was told that Covert sould not attend any school but would go to jun- for college. I assure you that I would never have pothered with checking him up but I felt that you were perticularly interested in him and I wanted to please our own alumni. | ; I heve never made it a business to solicit ath- letes and I will not start now, but I was doing it be- cause I thought you were tremendously interested in him. Perhaps you do not kmow why he went to Kansas State but it certainly must have teken some money to get him there, and I was told they were without funds. Can you tell me how thet edds up? With 11 good wishes I am, Sincerely yours, Director of Physical Fducetion and Recreation Varsity Basketball Coach Nevember 27, 1940 Mre Je Be McKay Attorney at Law Masonic Building ElDerado, Kansas Dear Mac: This will aclmowledge receipt of your letter of the 22nd, giving an explanation of why the older brother came home so the younger one could go away. You will under- stand that I didn*t lose much sleep over the incident. : I am glad that we lost Tucker to Oklahoma because — I do not want a case of smallepox at Lawrences | With all good wishes, I am, Cordially, Director of Physical Educetion end Recrestion Varsity Basketball Coach FGA: Ig:min oe : IB. MeRarv ATTORNEY AT LAW MASONIC BUILDING £1 Doradyu, Kansas November 22, 1940. Dr. Forrest CC. Aiien, Director of Physical Education and Recreation, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansase Dear Dr. Allen: I have your letter of November 20th. I investigated the Covert incident rather closely, and do not believe there was anything "sinister" about his having enrolled in Kansas State. His mother, who is a widow, is in ill health, and can not be left alone. When you and Vic Hurt were here I thought he would have to attend the local junior college so that he could be with his mother. Later,arrangements were made for an elder brother to be at home this winter, and Covert enrolled at Manhattan rather than at Lawrence primarily because it is closer, although you realize that Kansas State has quite an edge on us because of the fact that the highschool coach, Emmet Breen,is from Kansas State. Anyway, we didn't lose Tucker to Oklahoma} Yours very truly, ee, Decenber To 1940 “ _ I em still miles and hours behind schedules I was supposed to be in Kansas City at 2200 to attend a meeting of the conferences of the Missouri Valley and the BigeSix, but I am sitting here Saturday afternoon at 1244,after having finished basketball] practice this morning, determined that I should dictate this letter and get it into the mail over the weekends. I will not sign your letter but will ask my secretary to do so and mil it, because I will not be back until late tomorrow afternoons I am so s that I have failed to get this information to you earlier, but I have never been busier in my life. I have been even busier than when you were on the campus aud you used to think then that I was mane Lots of good luck to you and your good husband and your sote I Sincerely yours, Director of Physical Education and Recreation Varsity Basketball Coach ' FOAsig | PeSe We are enclosing the material you asked to be returned to yous November 4, 1940 Dear Mrse MacCurdys 7 This is to acknowledge receipt of your letter of October 22, and the enclosed forms. - Dre Allen is out of tow at the present time speaking at the State Hich Seheol Teachers Associations mestings, athletic sections, in Toledo and Milwaukee. It was Dre Allen's desire to answer your letter before he left tom, but finding it impossible to do BO, he has asked me totell you that you may count on his taking up the matter as soon as he returnse | | Sincerely yours, Secretary to Dre Forrest C. Allen December 12, 1940 Miss Elizabeth D. MacCurdy: 244 Bronxville Road Apartment 4PF Bronxville, New York Dear Elizabeth: I imagine that our letters crossed in the mil, I owe you my abject apology in not doing this sooner, but it seems as if it was physically impossible for me to get the job done. If this is not what you want please let me mow and I will do anything in my power to help youe Of course, the Registrar could only certify as to grades and the other statement could only be a stateuent, but I em hoping that the letter that I wrote will be of some benefit. Yes, I toc was disappointed in Catherine. I will not write longer regarding her, but will tell you when I heve a chance to see you in New Yorks Mrt, Allen, Jane and Zleanor are taliing about making the trip with the teame Tho game is with Fordham on December 28 but we expect to arrive in New York ou the 26th and sce an earlier game there to see how they do ite We will stay at the Piccadilly Hotele I will let you Imow a little later just when we plan to leave Lawrence and when we will arrive in New Yorks Doubtless we will not be able to rim out to see you but we will be very happy have you and Leigh as our guests at the game, and of course, we _ want you to eat with us after the gamee I en wondering where Howard is, If he is at home he ie also invited. I will arrange with Ned Irish so we will have the tickets ready for yous : . rae Referring back te Catherine, doubtless she told you that she left December le I told her that it would be much easier te replace her December 1 than it would in the middle of the year, and she is not with us any longers Jerry Ulm is substituting and doing a good job, but Ruth is definitely lining up else for the second semester. She is working with Oberlin College, Smith and Columbia and thinks she has some very good leadse low regarding Ruth Pylee I called her and told her to tuke a trip and to make some decision when she returnoede I was really worried about ? Dre Don Carles Peete to speak to her physician about ite stated to Dr. Peete that her heart is not the result of anything here at the University but it was something that came on her as a child ° = f fete i 1 BS also told Dr. Peete that he had advised her to take | good for her, But Ruth wrote me saying that she turned thought it best for her not to accept it. So we have ia iu i 1s from our mind and glad she made the decision because if anything would have always felt guilty. I will also tell you about that when I see youo 2 ly Mrse MacCurdy Page Two Dees 12, 1940 Now back to Fordhame I feel that we may have & pretty good chance to play them a good game. We are much easier than we were last year but the boys will put up & good serape : . a appreciate your sincere loyalty to the basketball team and when I say to you that I definitely feel that you are expressing your inner convictions, then I am expressing mine, I am sure that the departmental situation will work out okay and I am quite an optimist in this, I em sures With ell good wishes to you and Leigh, I am, 3 Sincerely yours, Director of Physical wiucation and Recreation ‘Varsity Basketball Coach FCAz1g December 13, 1940 Mire CeEo MeBride Sports Editor Kansas City Star Kansas City, Missouri Dear Macs ae __ I noticed your comment regarding the Big-Ten not playing in the Gardens Could you give me the information as to when they passed that ruling? + 2 i | _ Tllinois is playing in the Garden on December 26 and iimesota is playing the same night we play, December 28, Minnesota plays NeYelUs We knew very definitely that the BigeTen frowed on these games and did not want then to play, but Doug Mills of Illinois and fan Melillan of Minnesota scheduled these contests. I would be glad to have a short note from you regarding the information that you have on the BigeTen barring the teams from playing there. You know the Big-Six would not let us play there mtil Oklahom and Missouri tied. Then they gave them the "go" sigml. If there was any debar us from playing, I am quite sure we would not have & chance to go, but Oklahoma is also playing there and it would be pretty diffieult for them to reverse the ruling so quicklye Frankly, I would wuch rather stay at home and practice fundae ‘ g q F g Lots of luck to you, Mace Sincerely yours, Director of Physical Bducation and Recreation Varsity Basketball Coach Mrse Elizabeth De MmeCurdy 244 Bronxville Road Apartment 4F Bronxville, New York Dear Elizabeths . Thies will acknowledge receipt of your fayor of the 18th instant and we wili cowmt on the three MacCurdy's as our guestse We will also have tickets for you so it will be necessary that I get in touch with you before the game. ee en ee Rey late December 26, I am sending you an itinerary that I gave the boys so you can tell how we are traveling and what fun we are havinge If I should not get through on the phone to you you be sure and call us because we are anxious to see you all, and we certainly will be gled to talk your right arm off. Lots of goesip in Lawrence that you would like to hear§ Sincerely yours, Director of Physical Eaueation and Recreation Varsity Basketball Coach Mee Bocen Ra, fi se. og | Mure. (¢ IV¥O SE i wo Berg S639 je be reel In ct. 9) thnk December 235, 1940 Mr. Andrew J» lcDonald ‘Basketball Coach ~— . q Southwest Missouri State Teachers College s Springfield, Missouri Dear Andy: : I received your request in your special delivery letter as of Sunday morning December 22e I notice thet your letter is postemarked December 20 at 8:00, and arrived in Lawrence, Kansas December 22 at 83:00 Aelle I do not know vhat is wrong with Uncle Sam, but had I gotten it Saturday I could have had it in your hands Monday mornings I hope this arrives in timee : Texas plays three men ine They play double post with one man out near the side-line end just about in line with the freeethrow circle. The other men are along the straight line, about four te six feet out from the line and just about where the freesthrow circle meets the straight line. They both play outside of the free-throw arete The ball is generally passed to the man out in front and along . the sideeline. Then the man along the free-throw circle may swing toward the man on the side=line end receive a pass and he may hand it back to the fellow whe cut around hime ‘The two guards bring the ball dow the floor and dribble and they very selden fst-bre _ They have three very big men, 6°43", 613", 6°2", and they never © pess out when the ball gets near the basket; they keep rebounding, batting, or trying to throw it back in the baskets When the three men get in the offensive area one of the two guards may shoot a shot designed for the basket, but if it is missed the big beys endeavor to cateh it and rebound it ine The three big boys also work the defensive basket, leaving the two smller men out in front, in a position of the forwards on defenses They play the figure-ofeeight swing, much after Dr. Carlson's rolling offenses They are pretty rugged and some of these boys are hard fighters and pretty clever for their size. ‘They are not as good ball handlers: as the boys in our area but they make up for it in fight and determinations They are in pretty good physical condition and they guarantee anybody a good BCYape ae ¢ Instead of floor bouncing when they are in the: three=man offense area they will make low one-hand underarm passes and they are pretty Zood at ite But it is the old traditional rolling offense with mean well pibkeoffe The inside mn moves out and the outside man swings ing hoping that they can work the pickeoff in the usual traditioml pickeoff playe If you do a good deal of switching or trading you will get along all right. Mare MeDonald Page Two Dede 25, 1940 It seemed to me as if they ran with the bail a lot on their starting of the dribblee It puts quite a burden on the guard and you have to switch pretty quickly to keep them from driving past you in a hard, vigorous fashione They do & lot of oneehand shooting when they swing around near the free-throw lines In fact, I thought they did too much oneehand shootinge As I have stated, the guards shot a great deal but were not too accurates Hull, who plays guard and who is captain, played a forward position last year and is a good mang in fact, I think he is the best man on the squad when it comes to the offensee He drives by and draws fouls pretty cleverly, but you can drop your forwards back and have them Kelp your cuards and center on the rebounds They will have to do this if you cope with their size and ageressivenesse If you keep your forwards out in front ready for a fhstebreak I am afraid they will beet you rebowmdinge They are double tough, big and aggressive, and you will have to pull your forwards back very an de to help out your defensive meng I think you wniderstand what I meane Of course, this means that you are going to have to fastebreak them, but I do not believe I would start fastebreaking too early because if your team is a little nervous it may throw them off in shootinge We started to fastebreak too early the first game and it took quite a while for us to settle our men dom,» f instructed our boys the second half of the first game to go out there and set up their plays and set them up carefully and methodically. It was not lorg before we were able to tie the score and then we went ahead and stayed theres Later in the gahe we fastebroke then after we got our bearings. Our first game was much easier to win then the second ones These boys thrive on hard scrimmges and they can stand a lot of it, so you had better have your boys take out time when they get awfully tired, because your men will show the wear sooner than these Texas boys who are accustomed to this ~— aggressive ‘and heavy scrimmaging that they seem to do so much ofe 3 I trust this gives you the information that you desiree Sincerely yours, — Director of Physical Education and Recreation Yarsity Basketball Codch FCAslg SOUTHWEST MISSOURI. STATE TEACHERS COLLEGE SPRINGFIELD - : ROY ELLIS, PRESIDENT DEPARTMENT OF ATHLETICS H. H. BLAIR, DIRECTOR December 20 , 1940 Dre Fe. Ce. Allen Basketball Voach University of Kansas Lawrence, Kansas Dear "Doc":. Congratulations on your fine start for this basketball seasone We drew Texas University in the first round of the Oklahoma City Tournament and I wonder if you would mind giving me some information on this groupe I have the box scores for several of their games from the Kansas City paper and remember somewhat their style of play two. year ago I certainly would appreciate any information you fell that you could give to més Best of luck for the remainder of your season end best wishes for a Very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you end your family. Sineerely, Ae de MeDonel Basketball Coach * | \ AJMe:je . as January 10, 1941 Mre Curtis We McGrew The NeGraweliill Book Company 530 Vest 42nd Street New York, New York Dear Mre MeGraws Please find enclosed a cheek in the amomt of £12924, the same to cover the cost of five only Allen Better Basketball, plus 247 carriage postages I am returning your statenent on which doubtless there is a'mistake. You billed me for 25% discount when it should have been 40% discoumt according to the contracte I am ehelosing also a previous statement #773249, which will confirm my statements. very cordially yours, Director of Physical Education and Recreation Varsity Sasketball Coach MWaAslg Enese Mrq Clarence McGuire 647 West 58th Street Terrace Kansas City, Missouri Dear Macs I was mighty happy to know that you will be down for the Iowa State game tonights : I realize that I an dictating this letter the same dey you expect to be with us, but nevertheless, I want you to know how very pleased I am when I get a letter from yous Although we do not get to see each other very often I assure you ours is 2 mutval admiration friendships ee Sane Smired you very, aaah Hee Sam are tint our friendship is reciprocals . are Thenking you for all your kind words of friend= sob ogni TOM ! stunerely Sines Director of Physical Education and Teoreation Varsity Basketball Coach ELE LIES SELLE IO ETERS OEE et, Pe NN Oe Forrest C. Allen, Dean Phys. Education Dept. University of Kansas Lawrence, Kansas Dear Doc: Kindly reserve four tickets for me for Monday Night. If you will have them at the box office, I will pick them up some time prior to the game. Coach Reed of Shawnee-Mission High School advises that he has written you tryihg to work out tickets for his boys. If he succeeds, then only reserve three for me, in as much as Reed was going with us only in the event that he did not take his boys, I will be out there rooting, Boy. With best personal regards, I am, Cordially yours, 647 WEST 581TH STREET TERRACE KANSAS CITY,MISSOURI January 14, 1941 Dr. Forest Ce. Allen University of Kansas Lawrence, Kansas Dear Docs: The Kansas City Times said that a Hustling University of Kansas basketball team defeated the Iowa State Cyclones. That is putting the matter lightly. With two good boys, Doc, you defeated a ball club that handled itself like they had been under fire together for fifteen years, To, say that the University of Kansas won that ball game be-~ cuase their coach stimulated them to heights that they didn't know they could reach would have been more accurate, Doc, I don't know whether you had a chance to see that red- headed guard of yours perform down there under the basket the last half or not. You were probably too busy watching Englemann scoop them in with one hand and Bobby @ the team when the score was tied up 32 all. tI realize that the two foregoing incidents were largely responsible for the ultimate victory but this red-headed guard, Solenburger or whatever you call him, stood right in there and took it that last half, I never saw a boy fight harder in my life. He was on top of the game all the way through -- relaxed, c@nfident, and full of what it takes. He is a little awkward, but for my dough he can be in there, Yes Sir, Doc, you really took two boys, Bobby Allen and KEnglemann and whipped the championship team, God Bless you, Boy. To see you win is a privilege, With best personal regards, I am | Be P.S. I almost forgét to tell you what I started to write about. Please reserve six tickets. for me in about the same place up a little ways from the floor sO we can see what is going on for Thursday night. I am going to bring up a bunch of real Kansas’ rooters, : Jammary 15, 1941 Mr. Curtis We MeGraw MeGraweHill Book Company, Ince New York, New York Dear Mr. MeGresw: Your letter of January 13 has been received and thank you so much for correcting the errors I should like te order another five copies of Better Basketball and will be glad to send my upon receipt of your statements Sincerely yours, Director of Physical Education and Reereation Varsity Basketball coach January 18, 1941 Ure de Ee MoeFarleand de Es McFeriend Drug Company 835 Kensas Avenue Topeke, Kanses Dear dim: Thenks for your lovely letter of the 17th instants Meese Allen and I enjoyed it so very, very muche Your Aunt Anna Church's letter wes like a picture from an old degerrotype (7). She writer most interestingly and cherminglye I love to read letters from philosophers of the old school. ‘het truthful things they say end how they plece their words in enduring phrases, and too, I know how very much you enjoyed thet letter because she brought you beck to the days of your childhood; the happiest deys of our livese Also the fact that you made e success of life causes a fellow to be happily retrospective. But gosh, isn't it a battle, Jim$ The struggle thet 2 fellew goes through for this so-called success seems to se at times almost a paradox, I believe that is the reason we pick up hobbies an? follow them through eas you heve Pobert Ee - Lee and eae lot of your old immortals. They did things for yous Their struggles and their triumphs were but symptomatic of the smaller struggles thet you endure. Their victories were yours, etce Sometime we will cet tozether and really spin a lot of yarnse I want you to know thet Bess end I very much enjoyed your and Jessie's _ wisit with us, elthough I will edmit it was far too short. “hy don't you make it for all the besketbel! games? Fe will extend the invitetion -4f you will respond. : I an sending you ea schedule and you can pick out the dates — thet sre convenient for you, end both you and the ree cen run down for an hour's excitement and some sore good visitinge vt With all good wishes, I em, Sincerely yours, FCA:1g:m1n - Director of Physical Educetion and Pecreation Endle ‘Varsity Basketball Coach