Seventy Years Of The Worcester Polytechnic Institute: Page 285

One of the first new moves in the athletic program was the revival of basketball as an intercollegiate sport. Mr. Swasey, an expert coach, found a wealth of player material, and the game was a successful innovation from the start. Tech won eight of its thirteen games in the 1918-19 season and laid the groundwork for building a championship team. The track team was not immediately reorganized, but in the spring of 1919, Tech joined with other small colleges to form the Eastern Intercollegiate Athletic Association.

The effect of the war period on Institute finances was a matter of major concern to the Trustees. Under the terms of the Government contracts the Institute was to receive an allotment equivalent to the regular tuition of each S. A. T. C. member plus allowances for subsistence and quarters. Since the anticipated duration of training was at least a full year, there was some difficulty in securing an equitable adjustment to cover the Institute's loss of revenue due to termination of the course at the end of two months. Dr. Hollis announced that the War Department had made full recompense but that the Navy Department was not inclined to meet any obligation for anything but a per them payment covering the actual duration of the course. The total S. A . T. C. income was about $56,000, of which about $19,000 was paid for tuitions; the total expense of the experiment was about $35,000. The surplus income only partially compensated for tuition that might have been received if the college had been operating on a normal basis.

The resources of the Institute were expanded somewhat during the war period, and its floating debt was entirely liquidated, surplus maintenance income in 1917 and 1918 having been used to repay bank loans of $40,000. In addition to acquisitions of the Knowles, Sewall, and Class of 1893 funds, there were various smaller increments added to other existing funds. The business of the Washburn Shops had been materially expanded during the war, and profits on this business amounting to $50,000 were turned over to the

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Last Modified: Fri Jul 30 11:15:25 EDT 1999