University. Daily Kansan
Page 10
Friday, April 16, 1954
1954 Entry List Far Cry from 1923
By DANA LEIBENGOOD Kansan Sports Editor
Tomorrow many colleges and universities will compete in the Kansas Relays. The number of schools entered for the 29th running of the relays is a far cry from the handful of schools which were represented in the first Relays on April 21, 1923.
More than a score of colleges and universities accepted invitations, which KU had issued the year before, to attend the first event. All of the Missouri Valley schools were represented, the Big Ten and Southwest conferences sent several schools, and even the University of Pennsylvania sent a team.
The relays were the cherished dream of Dr. John Outland, a former KU football great. Dr. Outland played football at KU in 1883-94 and then went to the University of Pennsylvania, and was an all-American there for two years. It was during his years as a student at Penn that the famous Penn Relays were started. He was very impressed with this meet and believed that it would be a valuable addition to college athletics in the middle west.
After returning to Kansas some years later, he explained the idea to Dr. F. C. Allen, then director of athletics, who was just as enthusiastic about the idea as was Dr. Outland.
In the spring of 1920 plans actually started for the first KU Relays. Track coach Karl Schlademan acted as general manager of the meet, and had students from all four classes working with him. This was the beginning of the Student Relays committee.
As might be expected, the strong Kansas track team dominated the first relays, winning the 440- and 880-yard relays, the high jump, broad jump, and finished second in the mile relay and third in the two-mile.
Times and performances in the field events were generally unspectacular due to the sloppy track. Almost every event was run in steady rain, but the day was warm which made things a little more pleasant.
Drs. Allen and Outland had to meet almost every problem imaginable such as finances, dressing room and living accommodations for the athletes, and the arrangement of the program in organizing the relays.
The business men of Lawrence organized the Kansas Relays club through which they materially aided in promoting the Relays.
For his work on the first Relays Dr. Outland is appropriately called the "Father of the Kansas Relays," and Dr. Allen is considered "The Founder of the Kansas Relays."
The referee for the first Kansas Relays was Louis C. Mederea III of the University of Pennsylvania, and Dr. Outland served as referee the following year.
Three outstanding football coaches served as referees in some of the early meets. Fielding Yost, former KU football coach, was the referee of the 1926 relays, Knute Rocke served in 1925, and A. A. Stagg in 1932.
After the Relays success the first year there was little question that it would be an annual affair even though it still had problems to face.
all of the Indian's expenses for the journey from Mexico.
Prof. Davis described the men as "muscular giants, extremely husky, with a tremendous chest expansion, wearing only a scanty pair of shorts and carrying a short walking stick in their hands as they ran."
These Indians had gained vast experience in distance running from the ancient tradition of serving as human express carriers, and frequently ran for days at a time while delivering packages by the relay system.
1952 Endurance Showing Likely to Last
Although several brilliant times will probably be recorded in the Kansas Relays tomorrow, it is doubtful if the record of racing endurance set in the 1925 Relays will ever be broken.
rub themselves with grease carried in leather pouches around their waists.
In 1925 the University athletic department arranged with a representative of the Mexican government to bring three members of the Tarahumara Indian tribe and their wives to KU for a cross country race
The men started in Kansas City and the women in Topeka, and the first to reach the stadium was to be declared the winner. The men started the 45-mile run with a dramatic send-off, and stopped only to
The men entered the track just as the half-mile was starting and run out on the track and completed the 880 with the rest of the racers. The exact time it took the men to run from Kansas City was never recorded.
The KU athletic department, of which Dr. Davis was a member, paid
The women entered the stadium somewhat later and were considerably less spectacular, according to Dr. W. W. Davis, professor of history and one of the organizers of the race.
The natural colors of cotton are brown, green, cream and white.
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