For the past three weeks a number of prominent graduates, including wellknown men from New York and New England have been earnestly engaged in an undertaking which bids fair to result in one of the most important steps in advance for Harvard athletics which has been made in years. It is proposed to form a strongly organized Graduate Athletic Association. The object of the association will be to gather into an authoritative, active body, the full strength of graduate experience and energy, to give assistance and advice to the undergraduates. Its function, however, will be purely that of an advisory body to act in unison with the coaches and captains.

The chief features of the plan of organization are as follows: The general membership will be made as large as possible, and it is hoped to include a large majority of graduates from every part of the country. The practical work will be done by an executive committee which will be representative of all sections, this committee will be elected at an annual meeting, and members of the association who live in distant localities may vote by postal ballot.

Circulars are now being sent to all living Bachelors of Arts outlining the purposes of the plan and calling a meeting for organization which will be held in Sanders Theatre, Jan. 26.

At that meeting a constitution will be proposed, and it is hoped that the association can be put on a practical working basis at once. Copies of this constitution, which has already been drafted, will soon be forwarded to the secretaries of all Harvard clubs, and they can also be obtained upon application to any member of the committee which is sending out the circular letter.

The names which appear below are sufficient evidence of the strong backing which the project has received and it may be said in addition that two well attended meetings held in New York have endorsed it heartily.

Suggestions of any kind will be gladly received by the committee who have the matter in charge, and they will be especially pleased to have names sent to them of men who are well fitted to serve on the executive committee.

The circular letter follows:

BOSTON, MASS., January 4th, 1898.

On Saturday, December 11, 1897, some sixty representative Harvard graduates from New York, Boston and vicinity met to consider how the past members of the University could best serve its athletic interests. In the course of a very frank discussion of the subject, a letter signed by James J. Storrow '85, Charles F. Adams, 2nd, '88, Thomas N. Perkins '91, Louis A. Frothingham '93, and Bertram G. Waters '94, was read, in which an association of all Harvard graduates interested in athletics was proposed. We quote from this letter:

"We think that such an association would have a strong influence in crystallizing the opinions of the graduates on matters of athletic interest;

"That the executive committee of the association would be a well-informed body, to whom all graduates could apply for information, and that in this way, ill-considered criticism, with its discouraging effect on teams and coaches, would be much lessened;

"That such an association would be an efficient body for the raising of money for such matters as improvements on Soldiers Field;

"And that such an association, by influencing the undergraduates, and in turn being influenced by the undergraduates, would tend to create a unity of opinion and action which at present is lacking."

The suggestion met with unanimous approval, and the undersigned were appointed a committee upon organization. We have considered the project with care, and are satisfied that the association is needed and can be made effective We are assured of the hearty sympathy of all graduates whom we have been able to consult. We ask for your cooperation.

A meeting for organization will be held at Sanders Theatre, Cambridge, on Wednesday, the 26th day of January, at 8 o'clock p. m. All persons who have been connected as students with any department of the University are invited. We hope that you will be able to testify by your presence to your interest in Harvard athletics. As it will be impossible for us to notify every one, we ask you to extend this invitation to others.