[NU Sports] Duke

[Beamsley, Jeff]

I got to know him because of the 70's student strike and his support of
Amazingrace.  What I recall is that he really did love hanging out,
drinking, and talking.  He always struck me as the prototypical rumpled
academic.  I've also felt that he carried more of the burden for NU's
athletic demise than perhaps was fair.  There just wasn't a whole lot of
cultural support in the early 70's for militaristic sports like
football.  Toward the end of his tenure, the requirements for running an
institution like NU really changed.  Presidents had to understand how to
successfully market their institutions to the wealthy and their children
(athletics and facilities) as well as build quality academic programs.

Jeff


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From: nwu-sports-bounces at tssi.com [mailto:nwu-sports-bounces at tssi.com]
On Behalf Of cherron604 at aol.com
Sent: Thursday, September 04, 2008 10:59 AM
To: cherron604 at aol.com; nwu-sports at tssi.com
Subject: Re: [NU Sports] Duke

Another intriguing fact - when I read that Duke President Douglas Knight
tried to take Duke in the Ivy League direction, I wondered whether he
had something in common with our local 'football de-emphasizers', Bob
Strotz and Robert Maynard Hutchins.? I googled Knight and found?about 8
biographical sketches, fairly interesting reading.? He was a Yale
man,?1946 PhD, President at Lawrence College in Wisconsin at age 38, but
only served as Duke president for 6 years (63-69).? Campus protests,
including a sit-in at the President's residence, seemed to sour him, and
he resigned.? He then became fairly prominent in the telescope industry
(surprising for an English PhD and poet), and eventually he reconciled
with Duke.

Hutchins had at least 20 sketches out there, as one would expect.

Googling Bob Strotz turns up only 2 sketches, his New York Times
obituary and an excerpt from the NU 150th anniversary book by Jay
Pridmore.? Strotz was president for 15 years (1970-85, not quite as
tumultuous as Knight's?60's tenure), but there never appears to be much
written about the man, good or bad (and I know there's a good deal of
both).

In 100 years, somebody will see Bob Strotz' name somewhere, wonder who
he was, and probably not find too much information (except at the NU
archives).? As a guy who researches a lot of history, I find that lack
of information kind of sad.

Chuck Herron?? Tech '85


-----Original Message-----
From: cherron604 at aol.com
To: nwu-sports at tssi.com
Sent: Thu, 4 Sep 2008 8:07 am
Subject: [NU Sports] Duke



Nothing yet on the Duke website about any changes for Saturday's game -
but a 'youth day' event with church youth groups and a Christian rock
group was postponed until the Virginia game, due to the expected
inclement weather.

Duke drew a very large crowd to their win over James Madison, and new
coach David Cutcliffe wants more on Saturday.? 

I liked Duke as an opponent a lot better when they didn't care about
football...

An interesting article about Duke's decline, from the best team in the
ACC in the mid-60's to one of the worst in the country.? It mentions
that two of the Blue Devil's opponents - Navy and NU - offer proof that
recovery is possible.? 
Also interesting fact that both Bud Wilkinson and a young Bobby Bowden
let it be known that they were interested in the Duke job, but the
administration wanted to de-emphasize the sport - in 69 the Trustees
voted down an administration proposal to drop scholarships and leave the
ACC.? Interesting stuff, but I'm not sure I like too many programs
reviving...

http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=94352&SPID=1841&DB_OEM_ID=4
200&ATCLID=1570321

Hope we have a nice contingent down there - not sure yet whether
Charlotte offers less risk as an airport destination, or whether things
will be ok at RDU...how are other people leaning on travel plans ?

Chuck Herron?? Tech '85
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