While Spalding’s Athletic Library cannot claim that the rapid growth of athletics in this country is due to it solely, the fact cannot be denied that the books have had a great deal to do with its encouragement, by printing the official rules and instructions for playing the various games at a nominal price, within the reach of everyone, with the sole object that its series might be complete and the one place where a person could look with absolute certainty for the particular book in which he might be interested.
In selecting the editors and writers for the various books, the leading authority in his particular line has been obtained, with the result that no collection of books on athletic subjects can compare with Spalding’s Athletic Library for the prominence of the various authors and their ability to present their subjects in a thorough and practical manner.
A short sketch of a few of those who have edited some of the leading numbers of Spalding’s Athletic Library is given herewith:
JAMES E. SULLIVAN
President American Sports Publishing Company; entered the publishing house of Frank Leslie in 1878, and has been connected continuously with the publishing business since then and also as athletic editor of various New York papers; was a competing athlete; one of the organizers of the Amateur Athletic Union of the United States; has been actively on its board of governors since its organization until the present time, and President for two successive terms; has attended every championship meeting in America since 1879 and has officiated in some capacity in connection with American amateur championship track and field games for nearly twenty-five years; assistant American director Olympic Games, Paris, 1900; director Pan-American Exposition athletic department, 1901; chief department physical culture Louisiana Purchase Exposition, St. Louis, 1904; secretary American Committee Olympic Games, at Athens, 1906; honorary director of Athletics at Jamestown Exposition, 1907; secretary American Committee Olympic Games, at London, 1908; member of the Pastime A. C., New York; honorary member Missouri A. C., St. Louis; honorary member Olympic A. C., San Francisco; ex-president Pastime A. C., New Jersey A. C., Knickerbocker A. C.; president Metropolitan Association of the A. A. U. for fifteen years; president Outdoor Recreation League; with Dr. Luther H. Gulick organized the Public Schools Athletic League of New York, and is now chairman of its games committee and member executive committee; was a pioneer in playground work and one of the organizers of the Outdoor Recreation League of New York; appointed by President Roosevelt as special commissioner to the Olympic Games at Athens, 1906, and decorated by King George I. of the Hellenes (Greece) for his services in connection with the Olympic Games; appointed special commissioner by President Roosevelt to the Olympic Games at London, 1908; appointed by Mayor McClellan, 1908, as member of the Board of Education of Greater New York.
WALTER CAMP
For quarter of a century Mr. Walter Camp of Yale has occupied a leading position in college athletics. It is immaterial what organization is suggested for college athletics, or for the betterment of conditions, insofar as college athletics is concerned, Mr. Camp has always played an important part in its conferences, and the great interest in and high plane of college sport to-day, are undoubtedly due more to Mr. Camp than to any other individual. Mr. Camp has probably written more on college athletics than any other writer and the leading papers and magazines of America are always anxious to secure his expert opinion on foot ball, track and field athletics, base ball and rowing. Mr. Camp has grown up with Yale athletics and is a part of Yale’s remarkable athletic system. While he has been designated as the “Father of Foot Ball,” it is a well-known fact that during his college career Mr. Camp was regarded as one of the best players that ever represented Yale on the base ball field, so when we hear of Walter Camp as a foot ball expert we must also remember his remarkable knowledge of the game of base ball, of which he is a great admirer. Mr. Camp has edited Spalding’s Official Foot Ball Guide since it was first published, and also the Spalding Athletic Library book on How to Play Foot Ball. There is certainly no man in American college life better qualified to write for Spalding’s Athletic Library than Mr. Camp.
