The series of Harvard-Yale football games, though perhaps not the most thrilling participated in by Harvard teams of the last 50 years, is of continued interest because of the sustained and uninterrupted enthusiasm it has engendered and preserved in the vast undergraduate and graduate Harvard body. For 46 years the Crimson and the Blue have met on the gridiron; for 46 years have both teams been supported by thousands of Harvard and Yale adherents.

The history of the Harvard-Yale football series is one of the rise and fall of two great waves of victory, interrupted with only an occasional break. For 32 years, from 1876 to 1908, Yale rode the triumphant crest, driving all, Harvard teams before her at will. Only three victories were snatched by Crimson elevens during these years, one in 1890, one in 1898, and one in 1901.

Haughton Becomes Coach

In 1908 P.D. Haughton '99, a former Harvard captain, took charge of Harvard football destinies as coach, and it was this year that ushered in a new football era. A defeat came the next year., and two scoreless ties followed before the great Haughton system got fairly started on its conquering march that lasted with one halt to 1923.

The first Harvard-Yale tilt was played on November 13, 1875, 58 years after "The Battle of the Delta", the first instance of football or anything skin to it ever played by undergraduates in the University. This first meeting of the two universities, which were to form an alliance of friendly rivalry for so many years, was held at New Haven. The game was played under Rugby rules with a Rugby ball. Owing to the comparative newness of the Elis, the Crimson players completely out-passed their opponents, winning by our field goals and four touchdowns to nothing. In these days before the adoption of numerical scoring, four touchdowns counted as one goal, which accounts for the Yale victory in 1876. The Yale men wore dark trousers, blue shirts, and wellow caps. Harvard the usual Crimson shirts and stockings with knee breeches. W.A. Whiting '77, captain of the Harvard fifteen--there were fifteen on each side--unable to play because of an injury, acted as umpire for Harvard.

History Before First Yale Game

Previous to this first Yale encounter football at Harvard had already experienced one rise and fall. The Freshman-Sophomore struggles, developing from the first "Battle of the Delta", continued through the 1804's and the next decade of the '50's, growing tougher as the years progressed, until the first Monday of the fall term became literally a "Bloody Monday," although the day may not have been so named until much later. And so, on July 2, 1860, the sport was quietly and peacefully slain by the Faculty of the College.

When College took up again that year the Sophomores were not satisfied until appropriate funeral services had been made for the deceased game. So in obedient resignation to the decree of the Faculty but in defiance of the enemies of Harvard's institutions the Sophomores appropriately garbed, held an imposing funeral procession and services. A coffin was provided, a foot-fall placed within it, and a grave was dug, while all had an opportunity to look for the last time on the face of their "dear departed friend" and hero of many battle. Then "Football Fight, um," symbolizing the game, was buried in the Delta amid the wails and lamentation of the mourners. When the grave was filled gravestones of black board were placed at the head and foot with the following epitaph:

(Headstone)

Hick Jacet

FOOTBALL FIGHTUM

AET. LX YRS.

Obit, July 2, 1860

RESURGAT.

(Footstone)