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AMERICAN NATIONAL INSURANCE CO.

W.L.MOODY,IR,PRESIDENT

GALVESTON, TEXAS

W. LLOYD WILLIAMS, General Agent
1320 Old National Bank Building
SPOKANE, WASHINGTON

August 18 1939

Kansas University
Lawrence, Kansas

Dear Phog ;

Have been with insurance about a year but will get back
into the old game again this fall. This Junior College
did not pan out so well. We use to correspond at long
interims, ever since my days coaching in Nebraska, Now
here is something that might interest you,

When I was in Nebraska.1910-16, 1 had quite a run-in with

the AAU, Out of that trouble came the organization of the

Athletic Federation etc and the old A.L.N.A. revision, In
time the AAU came running for peace,

About a year ago , Joe Stearns of Atlanta Georgia asked me

to assist them with a nation wide set-up of hisAmerican
Basketball Federation, I undertook and got some of the
Western States rather well organized, sendmng a team from
Spokane Athletic Round Table back to Atlanta to Tourney.

In all about twenty states participated. Prior to the

tourney some six weeks, Ferris and Bingham tried every
possible way to kill the event, claiming attempted profess-
ionalism , infringement of their domain and what not.However
through previous experience I was able to advise Stearns how
to combat their every assertion, In the final analysis Bingham
recognized we were okay, but wanted us-to sanction the meet,
then refused sanction unless the name American was dropped,

as the AAU had their own National tourney. When threatened
with court proceedure, the AAU officials pulled in their horns,
You know their tactics and what not,

Steanns was formerly the Chicago American Sports Editor, and
has charge of the Hearst publications program of the South,
He is a "go-getter! His idea was to allocate fifty per cent
of all tourney receipts toward team expehses, pro-rated on
basis of duration of participation and travel distance, Then
fifty per cent went to the Tourney local expense. This same
scale maintained for each State and State Commissioner, It
was a wonderful idea, with full protection against actual
professionalism of any player etc, The country is fairly well
organized right now . Enclosed find a letter head outline.

Now quietly working behind us are some of the outstanding
college basketball coaches of the country . Some of them are
openly working for us, Also many of the AAU officials. The