Boxing 1948-1951

Letter from Nephi Jorgensen to Al Livesay regarding the state of boxing at East Carolina University. This and other documents may be found in the University Archives.

Citation for this article is: Jorgensen, Nephi.Letter to Al Livesay, January 2, 1951, UW0000 EPA Personnel File, Box 9, Folder 3.

---

January 2, 1951

Mr. Al Livesay, President
East Carolina Student Government Association
Campus

Dear Al:

In response to your letter of December 14, 1950, desiring more specific information relative to proposals and plans for a boxing program here at East Carolina, I am very happy to submit the following account.

In order to clarify the whole situation I am going to recapitulate the entire events and developments of boxing from its inception here two years ago.

In 1948 with the matriculation of Johnny Long (former contender for the World’s Welterweight Boxing Championship) in East Carolina a considerable amount of interest in boxing was stimulated. A number of boys expressed the desire of being organized into a team. They were informed that the college facilities and equipment would be placed at their disposal. Mr. James Johnson, Coach and Instructor in the Athletic Department, and himself a college boxer of wide reknown here in the South, was placed in charge of the team with Johnny Long, Trainer and Assistant.

We thus see that the boys themselves took up the sport spontaneously without any provisions being made for scholarships or financial help whatever.

The first season our boys fought several Y.M.C.A’S and also American University of Washington, D.C. They did splendidly against these clubs.

At the beginning of the 1949 season Johnny Long was placed in full charge of the team. There were no provisions made for scholarships as it was felt by the Athletic Coaches and College Administration that to spread our available scholarships over too many sports would prove disastrous.

Johnny, with most of the boys from the previous year back, plus one or two newcomers, notably Crowell Williamson, (who certainly has been a fine credit to the boxing game and to East Carolina), did a phenomenal job. His team fought the Virginia Athletic Club, the University of South Carolina, the Citadel and some of the boys entered the Southern Invitational Tournament held in Columbia, South Carolina.They performed expertly and did much in advertising the name of East Carolina.

During the season, however, several boys dropped from the squad, some because they felt that they had boxed long enough and did not desire to pursue the sport further; others because they required that time spent in boxing for their studies and self-help work.

Another factor which contributed to the growing feeling of uncertainty about the future of boxing at the College was the request from the State Department of Public Instruction that we refrain from sponsoring the Pitt County Amateur Boxing Tournament which we had done the last two season.We cannot brush aside the unfavorable sentiment against boxing by our State Department.

However, in spite of this uncertainty and contrary to gossip, the athletic budget for the current year 1950-51 (which was made last spring) did provide for expenditures for the boxing team, a sum of $858.80 was allocated for the purchase of boxing gloves, punching bags, meals, transportation, etc. This budget, in conformity to policy, was presented to the College Athletic Committee and approved by them.

In addition a stipulation was made whereby the boxing team would be permitted to utilize the funds derived from their own gate receipts and guarantees for self-help jobs and scholarships.

This information was universally known among the team members, although I doubt whether the student body in general was cognizant of it.

Jackie O’Niel contacted us relative to matriculating here and boxing with our team. When informed that we could not guarantee him a scholarship but offer only what was provided for in our budget, he decided to go elsewhere. I might add that it was no secret on the campus that we did desire to get Mr. O’Niel very much – no one came forth at that time with any concrete help of any kind.

Now getting down to the present season, Johnny Long and I conferred repeatedly during the Summer and Fall relative to what we deemed best for the coming season.We waited to make any final decision regarding our obligations to box South Carolina and the Citadel until after the Winter Quarter Registration, hoping that one or two boys from last years squad would re-enter and a number of last year’s squad, now on the campus, did not desire to come out again thus leaving Johnny with but two or three experienced boys from last year. Under these circumstances Coach Long and the boys themselves agreed that it was best to drop South Carolina and the Citadel. I am fully convinced that it was the only sensible thing to do.

Now it was also agreed that these boys who desired to box outside competitors (Y.M.C.A’S and Athletic Clubs) Johnny would act as their coach and that the College equipment and facilities would be placed at their disposal. These boys (probably three or four) would not represent the College as a team.

Why not compete against these clubs as a team inasmuch as we don’t have enough experienced boys to box College teams? Here is the answer – it will lower the status and dignity of our College Athletic Teams, it violates College policy, it is extremely difficult to deal with most of these clubs in a business like manner, there are no controls over the type of boxer these clubs will put into the ring, and technically the National Intercollegiate Boxing Association has a ruling which prohibits any of its members from competing against teams which do compete against these clubs.

(These reasons in no way reflect upon our boxers who desire to compete individually against this type of competition).

What would it cost to support a team which could compete on the College level?Four to five thousand dollars.(We would need at least eight scholarships and a scholarship amounts to five hundred and fifty dollars). Am I suggesting that we raise the athletic fees in order to do this? Absolutely not.The fees are already sufficiently high.

Another factor which needs to be taken into account is this – Johnny Long will probably graduate this year, or next at the latest. Who will then act as Coach? There is no one on the present staff qualified either by training or desire to coach the sport on a collegiate level.

In summary, here are the circumstances which have influenced our decision to curtail our collegiate boxing program and limit it to the intramural level:

1) The request by the State Department that we refrain from sponsoring boxing.

2) No other College in North Carolina sponsors boxing. We would be required to travel great distances to compete.

3) We have no scholarship funds available.These funds are absolutely necessary if we desire to place boxing on a permanent basis.

4) To take scholarship funds from football and basketball at this time would seriously jeopardize the entire foundation and structure of our athletic program.

5) The loss of certain boys to the armed services and failure of a number of boxers now on the campus to turn out left Coach Johnny Long with too few experienced boxers to fight the colleges with whom we were matched (these matches were canceled only after conferring with Coach Long and the boxers).

6) It is felt that the dignity and standards of the College and of our athletic teams will be lowered by competing with Y.M.C.A’S and athletic clubs.

In conclusion, Johnny Long and the boys who spontaneously came out for boxing the past two seasons are to be highly commended for the genuine sportsmanship and enviable record which they have established.

Sincerely yours,

N.M. Jorgensen
Athletic Director