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e. Department of
University Utilities
Walter W. Kraft
Superintendent THE UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA

Norman Oklahoma

April 6, 1942

Dr. W. We Davis, Faculty
Representative, M.V.I.AsA.
University of Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas

Dear Dr. Davis:

After the meeting of the Big Six Conference held in Kansas City on
-the 27th day of February, you handed me some correspondence which contained
some charges of athletic irregularities affecting*the University of Oklahoma
Athletic Department. The letters referred to were one, dated February 8th,
from an attorney in Wichita, Kansas, and another, dated January 26th, from an
_attorney in Wichita. These letters were addressed to Mr. Allen, copies of’ which
were given to me. The correspondence also included two letters from F. ©. Allen,
one dated February 9th and the other February 10th. You requested that I investi-
gate the charges made in this correspondence and advise youe

Upon returning to Norman I immediately had a conference with Mr. Haskell,
our director of athletics. I requested Mr. Haskell to furnish me a written
statement covering these charges. I also called upon Mr. Cross, the business
manager of athletics, for a statement as to whether or not any funds of the
athletic department had been expended in paying the expenses. of high school boys
from Wichita, Kansas. I also talked to Mr. Lester Layton, a student at the
University of Oklahoma.

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Several days later Mr. Haskell furnished me with a complete statement
in which he flatly denied any irregularities, and in which he requested further
that I insist that Mr. Allen furnish specific proof rather than rumors and hearsay.
It was quite evident to me that it would be necessary that I personally go to
Wichita to interview the persons mentioned in the correspondence, or that I send
someone there for the purpose of getting first-hand information from those
supposedly involved. I preferred, of course, to investigate this myself.

Due to the press of business it was impossible for me to leave. I was
hoping week after week that I could make the trip. However, finding that I could
not go, I enlisted the services of a man in whom I have the utmost confidence,
for the purpose of securing for me first-hand information from those mentioned
in the correspondence. After several conferences with this man I furnished him
the full correspondence and instructed him to interview each person involved and
report back the situation as he found ite I have before me the report of this man, >
which I will be glad to show you at our next meeting.

The following is an excerpt froma letter addtessed "Dear Phog", and
dated January 26, 1942: ;

 

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