President Graham and his Academic Plan

Dr. Frank Graham, 1935

Frank Porter Graham served as the President of the University of North Carolina from 1930 to 1949.  At this time, NC State, then referred to as State College, was an entity of the University of North Carolina.  Graham was well known in North Carolina for his liberal principles like his support of unionization. Nonetheless, Graham’s decision to advocate for reform in college football almost resulted in the loss of his job.

His reform ideas became known as the Graham Plan.  This plan was implemented into Southern Conference rules in 1936, but only lasted for four months. The largest and most controversial facet of this plan concentrated on athletic scholarships.  Graham disliked the idea of giving special treatment to athletes.  He wanted to allow individuals without athletic skills the same opportunity to receive monetary aid. 

Graham’s plan opened the door for significant questions about the meaning of college athletics overall.  Many of these questions focused on the fear of college football’s growing commercialization. Issues about amateurism versus professionalization, recruiting, sponsorship, and money from outside sources dominated local newspapers and the testimony from the hearings over Coach Hunk Anderson and Athletic Director Ray Sermon from November of 1936 to the beginning of 1937.