1930–31 Volume 55 No 1–5 - Phi Delta Theta Scroll Archive

Phi Receives Knute Rockne's MantkBy RUSSELL H. FITZGIBBONHanover, '24WHEN Rockne the Great met his The five Harper-coached Irishtragic death at the end of March it teams played thirty-nine footballwas universally conceded that probablyhis niche could never be entirelyfilled. And yet Notre Dame athleticsmust carry on, and it became the dutyof the authorities of the Fightin' Irishgames. They won thirty-three of these,lost five, and tied one. It is a recordthat formed a fitting introduction indeedto the dozen years of Rocke ascendency.to attempt to find the best possible Aside from his sterling part in thematerial for the athletic work at the development of the tricky backfieldIndiana school.shift. Brother Harper also helped introduceRockne's work was divided. His successoras head football coach is to beHeartley Anderson, famous Irish warriorof a few years ago and protegeof Rockne. As director of athletics atthe South Bend institution, Jesse C.the forward pass. The "Doraisto Rockne" combination in the Armygame of 1913 resulted in the bewildermentof the Cadets to the tune of 35-13, and marked Harper as one of theoutstanding geniuses of the footballHarper, Chicago, '07, himself a famousworld.gridiron star, a noted coach anddirector, and an erstwhile ranchman,was chosen.Brother Harper is going back toCoach Harper started the intersectionalcareer of Notre Dame and underhis tutelage, as under that of hisbrilliant pupil, the Irish were matchedfamiliar territory. Graduating from against the strongest contenders in theChicago in 1907, he coached at AlmaCollege and at Wabash College forland.But this busy man coached otherthree' years before going to Notre sports as well. Seventeen times fromDame in 1913 as director of athleticsand coach for the football, basketball,track, and baseball teams. Track workhe turned over to Rockne, then his assistant,1913 to 1917 inclusive his basketballteams tasted defeat, but to avengethose losses they won fifty-seven victories.In three of the five seasons hisin 1914, but handled the other teams won fourteen out of sixteenthree sports himself until 1918 whenRockne succeeded him as director ofathletics and football coach. He resumedgames. His baseball record was asgood. Notre Dame nines won sixtyeightgames, lost twenty-four, and tiedhis position at Notre Dame one. The 1916 baseball club won tenMay 1 following completion of arrangementsstraight games, one of the longest winningwith the president of theuniversity.Brother Harper is thought of now,streaks in college baseball at thattime.Brother Harper left Notre Dame toperhaps, chiefly as the mentor of take over ranching interests at Sitka,Rockne himself, who learned the famousStagg shift from the tuition ofCoach Harper. Brother Harper was,Kansas. Here his cattle ranching wasconducted on a truly magnificent scale.Each fall in a period of about twothough, as the recorders of sports months the ranch bought and soldtestify, no mean athletic coach himself.from nine to ten thousand head ofcattle. Some two thousand acres of[493]