NEW HAVEN, Conn., Dec. 9--Yale today picked 35-year-old DeLaney Kiphuth, son of its great swimming coach, as Athletic Director to succeed Acting Director Clarence W. Mendel on July 1.

Kiphuth's appointment, greeted with satisfaction throughout the city here, means that the high-pressure, big time athletic policies of former Director Bob Hall have been discarded.

Kiphuth will continue the de-emphasis policy set by Mendel who succeeded Hall last summer.

Resigns Hotchkiss Posts

Kiphuth, a 1941 graduate of Yale, will resign his duties as athletic director, history teacher, football and swimming coach at the Hotchkiss School at the end of the current school year.

While at Hotchkiss he turned out undefeated football and swimming teams, losing only one dual swimming meet to Williston Academy last year. At the prep school he emphasized calisthenics as taught him by his father and introduced a special body-building course for students.

His father, Robert J. H. Kiphuth, was athletic director at Yale until ill health forced him to resign the extra job and devote full time to his swimming duties.

In announcing today's appointment, Yale President A. Whitney Griswold issued the following statement:

"I have known DeLaney Kiphuth intimately and followed his career closely for 15 years. I can think of no one so well-qualified by experience as well as by character and ability for the post of Athletic Director. I consider Yale fortunate in having secured his services."

An Ideal Combination

Mendel said, "I think it's an ideal combination to have a teacher so experienced and so keen on athletics in a position where both qualities are needed. I don't see how we could get a better man."

Both the Yale and other Ivy League administrations had been disturbed by Hall's policies. According to a reporter here Hall was "definitely trying to build the place up with big time athletics." He was succeeded by Mendel for one year and today's appointment marks a continuation of the new de-emphasis policy.