The first impression that a visitor to the Trophy Room receives is a feeling of disappointment. The next is one of wonder that the Trophy Room of a College with so long and varied an athletic record, should be so bare and uninteresting and contain so few trophies, compared with the great number that its many teams must have gained. When the Gymnasium was built the room was set aside for the display of photographs of Harvard athletes and athletic teams, of baseballs and footballs won in competition, and of all flags, cups and other trophies which should come into Harvard's possession. It was felt that if these trophies were properly displayed they would be valuable not only as pleasant souvenirs of glorious victories and honorable defeats in the past but as inspirations to redoubled efforts for athletic success in the future.

Having organized this laudable custom of preserving athletic trophies and made a good beginning, Harvard allowed it to drop. The articles now on display in the Trophy Room are for the most part a very incomplete set of photographs of 'Varsity teams, a lot of baseballs marked with the date and the score of the games in which they were used, and a number of flags and pennants, many of which are torn, faded or moth-eaten. In '94 a movement was begun to complete the display. But after a short period of activity, during which were secured the photographs of all the 'Varsity nines since '74 and all baseballs won by Harvard teams in intercollegiate contests, all efforts ceased, and since then comparatively few additions to the number of trophies have been made. There are still missing the photographs of many athletic teams and a large number of balls, bats, and flags won in the past. There are no cups or vases on exhibition. As far as we can find out any silver cups Harvard may have received before '91, with the exception of the old Mott Haven cup, have either been lost or appropriated by the team captains or managers.

The trouble has been that no one has had the duty of seeing that all Harvard trophies are put in the Trophy Room and of caring for them, and that some of those who had valuable trophies in their possession feared that they might not be safe in the Gymnasium or selfishly thought they would serve well as decorations for their own rooms.

The remedy lies with the Athletic Committee. If it should require of the manager of each Harvard team that he should deliver to the Gymnasium authorities at the end of each year or of his term of office all emblems, prizes or trophies which the team has won there would be no further cause for complaint. Some such plan as this, which makes it obligatory on an official in each athletic organization to account for any and all prizes it has obtained, would be effective.

We could make a good beginning this year by putting on exhibition the cups now known to be in existence in the University. The Cumnock Cup, the West Point Cup, the Tennis Trophy and the old Mott Haven Cup are permanent trophies and should be in some place where they can be seen. Besides these there are the various trophies held for a year, such as the Shooting Cup, the Fencing Trophy and the Chess Cup, which might well be on exhibition. If these trophies are sent to the Gymnasium the Director offers gladly to take charge of them and to have a case made for them in which they may be safely kept in the Trophy Room.