Samborski ran the intramural program until 1961, when he became athletic director with Wilson stepping in as director of intramurals. With the merger of Radcliffe and Harvard during the early '70s five more Houses joined the intramural program.
Wilson added five women's sports to his schedule, but many women said they wanted to be able to compete in every House sport. This created few problems in sports like track and swimming, but some members of the Harvard community weren't ready to accept women's boxing. "It was finally decided that they could take part in the boxing." Wilson recalls. "When the bell sounded, the woman would lie down on the floor. It was a protest against the all-male sport." Wilson says. Eventually Wilson removed boxing from Straus Cup competition, citing concern for the health of the often poorly conditioned pugilists.
Now there are no sports women aren't allowed to compete in. "It a House has two teams in a certain sport, woman may choose to play on either the women's team or the regular House team," says a recent pamphlet on intramural athletics.
Harvard's merger with Radcliffe added another dimension to Straus Cup competition three Houses located apart from the rest of the undergraduate residences. For the Quad Houses, intramural competition afforded the opportunity to establish themselves.
"It's a was of proving the Quad isn't that bad of a place." Currier Athletic Secretary Bob Montelone '83 says. Last year Currier became the first of the Quad Houses to capture the Straus Cup, and though Monteleone says "it's not as exciting a cup as we thought it was," the senior organizer adds. "We intend to hold onto it as long as we can" Only two of the river Houses have never won a Cup Quincy and Adams. Kirkland's 17 Straus Cup victories is more than double those of runners-up Eliot and Winthrop.
While Currier worked on the Quad's image, Dunster and Mather were busy working on theirs. "May be now we'll get a little respect," fullback Mark Rosen said after his Mather-Dunster team clipped Quincy, 7-0, in the final of last year's tackle competition.
But perhaps more important than the football finale in the Stadium was Dunster's upset of Eliot in the A boat crew. The yearly crew competition is the biggest of all House sports, drawing over 50 boats and 500 participants. Eliot nipped Dunster by an inch in 1980, but Dunster had an crgometer--a rowing training machine--and the crew "worked on it all year." Athletic Secretary Steve O'Brien says.
Thus the banner draped over a bridge at last year's crew competition proclaimed. "You keep the Preppies; We'll take the Cup," as Currier raced toward the Quad's first-ever Straus Cup and Dunster outrowed Eliot in the men's A race.
Like anything else of its size, the University's intramural sports program has a sizable administrative infrastructure. Last year Wilson had 39 athletic secretaries coordinating the teams of the 13 Houses. The athletic secretaries act as Wilson's tentacles, reaching into each House gathering players and communicating schedules.
Wilson makes the schedule himself, pairing all participating teams in each of the '20 sports. He also must schedule the eight special events held annually.
Wilson estimates that the intramural program costs the athletic department' roughly a quarter of a million dollars a year. This year, Harvard earned quite a return on its investment, capturing 23 of 30 contests against Yale's College teams.
"If I were a coach. I'd be very happy with that as a season record." Wilson says. As one of two directors of intramural athletics, one of the University's most successful programs. Wilson can be pleased with his record too.