Testimony of Ralph Brimmley, December 18, 1936
Title
Testimony of Ralph Brimmley, December 18, 1936
Description
Ralph Brimmley, an NC State alumnus from Winston-Salem, discusses the rumors he has heard about the NC State football team's morals, drinking, and coach.
Creator
North Carolina State Faculty Council
Source
Testimony of Ralph Brimmley, December 18, 1936, volume 2, pg. 90-118, North Carolina State University, Committees, Council on Athletics Records, UA 022.001, Special Collections Research Center, North Carolina State University Libraries, Raleigh.
Date
1936-12-18
Type
document
Identifier
f044
Text
By Ralph Brimmley:
Would you all like to know or have facts or suggestions on how you could get proof that there has been practically no sense of enforcing the Graham Plan this year? Would you all like the facts that the morals of our present State College staff isn’t of the type to build up character, that the moral conditions of our athletes are such that any self respecting institution would not desire to claim them.
By Dean Harrleson:
Let’s get back to the first one.
By Mr. Brimmley:
Of course the last one, I don’t know whether I should mention it or not; it comes under the old head of rumors. I might get the facts. With our athletic set-up painted with distrust, dishonesty and moral corruption, I am perfectly willing to start down the line.
(90)
(101)
By Dr. Metcalf:
I believe you intimated to me last spring something about the moral condition. Have you any absolute information on that score?
By Mr. Brimmley:
Dr. Metcalf, that was last year when I wrote this letter to Col. Harrelson. It was written on January 11. Of course, I mentioned a few things about outsiders dominating the athletic situation. I said that the moral condition of the athletes in Seventh Dormitory must be cleared up. The Students Council at present are afraid to act. I can explain that in detail when I see you. At that particular time I had things lined up.
(113)
By Dr. Riddick:
Mr. Brimmley, I haven’t got among the students very well; do I understand you to mean that the athletic set-up here is not what it should be, the morals?
By Mr. Brimmley:
Well gentlemen, when I say the athletic set-up is not right, you can approach that from several standpoints. I think in athletics you are supposed to do the best you can and build up the boys (114) from a character standpoint but to have beer parties, I don’t say that is an ideal set-up. If you have a set-up where there is a lot of confusion and talk and grumbling and mumbling, something is bound to be wrong because if you have smooth organization, you do not have all those things.
(116)
By Dr. Graham:
Mr. Brimmley we are interested first of all in the student body of State College and we are interested in the athletic squad at State College very much too, and we are interested in the athletic squads at Chapel Hill, and physical education at the Woman’s College at Greensboro. First I will take the athletic leadership in general here at State College because that is what is up. You know I have had my battles at Chapel Hill. No quota was asked and some times no quota was given. That isn’t what is before us now. Not Chapel Hill or any of the other institutions, but the athletic leadership at State College. I will make it general at first, condusive to building of character and higher moral tone on the campus and in the student (117) life of this institution.
Then I will ask next, what, specifically in regard to the foot-ball leadership; is it higher than the general leadership, or lower, or on a par.
By Mr. Brimmley:
May I read you a letter from a boy who is a freshman here who weighs 190 lbs.?
By Dr. Graham:
I am more concerned about that than I am about any other thing that has been up before this Council.
By Mr. Brimmley:
When you have a general distrust in the students and unrest, there is bound to be something. This letter was written by Charles Baker, I believe he will be perfectly willing to be called in and asked about that:
“Dear Coach:
I am sorry I do not have time to come to see you. I hope you are liking your work and want you to know how happy I am to think that you are not in this athletic entanglement that we have here at the present. I am sure you are familiar with the situation and I am sure you are interested in learning more, so I am sending you a clipping from two papers. Also, the students have got up a petition which has many signatures on it and was
presented this afternoon at a meeting. Coach, you know I believe in the right kind of character and moral leadership and I can’t stand (118) to see a person of his type as leader and Coach of any athletics and a great many students feel the same…â€
Would you all like to know or have facts or suggestions on how you could get proof that there has been practically no sense of enforcing the Graham Plan this year? Would you all like the facts that the morals of our present State College staff isn’t of the type to build up character, that the moral conditions of our athletes are such that any self respecting institution would not desire to claim them.
By Dean Harrleson:
Let’s get back to the first one.
By Mr. Brimmley:
Of course the last one, I don’t know whether I should mention it or not; it comes under the old head of rumors. I might get the facts. With our athletic set-up painted with distrust, dishonesty and moral corruption, I am perfectly willing to start down the line.
(90)
(101)
By Dr. Metcalf:
I believe you intimated to me last spring something about the moral condition. Have you any absolute information on that score?
By Mr. Brimmley:
Dr. Metcalf, that was last year when I wrote this letter to Col. Harrelson. It was written on January 11. Of course, I mentioned a few things about outsiders dominating the athletic situation. I said that the moral condition of the athletes in Seventh Dormitory must be cleared up. The Students Council at present are afraid to act. I can explain that in detail when I see you. At that particular time I had things lined up.
(113)
By Dr. Riddick:
Mr. Brimmley, I haven’t got among the students very well; do I understand you to mean that the athletic set-up here is not what it should be, the morals?
By Mr. Brimmley:
Well gentlemen, when I say the athletic set-up is not right, you can approach that from several standpoints. I think in athletics you are supposed to do the best you can and build up the boys (114) from a character standpoint but to have beer parties, I don’t say that is an ideal set-up. If you have a set-up where there is a lot of confusion and talk and grumbling and mumbling, something is bound to be wrong because if you have smooth organization, you do not have all those things.
(116)
By Dr. Graham:
Mr. Brimmley we are interested first of all in the student body of State College and we are interested in the athletic squad at State College very much too, and we are interested in the athletic squads at Chapel Hill, and physical education at the Woman’s College at Greensboro. First I will take the athletic leadership in general here at State College because that is what is up. You know I have had my battles at Chapel Hill. No quota was asked and some times no quota was given. That isn’t what is before us now. Not Chapel Hill or any of the other institutions, but the athletic leadership at State College. I will make it general at first, condusive to building of character and higher moral tone on the campus and in the student (117) life of this institution.
Then I will ask next, what, specifically in regard to the foot-ball leadership; is it higher than the general leadership, or lower, or on a par.
By Mr. Brimmley:
May I read you a letter from a boy who is a freshman here who weighs 190 lbs.?
By Dr. Graham:
I am more concerned about that than I am about any other thing that has been up before this Council.
By Mr. Brimmley:
When you have a general distrust in the students and unrest, there is bound to be something. This letter was written by Charles Baker, I believe he will be perfectly willing to be called in and asked about that:
“Dear Coach:
I am sorry I do not have time to come to see you. I hope you are liking your work and want you to know how happy I am to think that you are not in this athletic entanglement that we have here at the present. I am sure you are familiar with the situation and I am sure you are interested in learning more, so I am sending you a clipping from two papers. Also, the students have got up a petition which has many signatures on it and was
presented this afternoon at a meeting. Coach, you know I believe in the right kind of character and moral leadership and I can’t stand (118) to see a person of his type as leader and Coach of any athletics and a great many students feel the same…â€
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North Carolina State Faculty Council, “Testimony of Ralph Brimmley, December 18, 1936,” The State of History, accessed April 23, 2024, https://soh.omeka.chass.ncsu.edu/items/show/226.