Ivy Presidents Back Yale But Take No Major Action

The NCAA's decision to place Yale on athletic probation because of a questionable violation has brought a letter from the Ivy President's Committee expressing sympathy- but little more- for Yale's situation.

Last week all eight Ivy League presidents signed a letter which supported Yale's decision to keep Jack Langer on its basketball: restore in spite of continued NCAA wariness. The NCAA had declared Langer ineligible because of his participation in the Maccabiah games.

So it was expected that a similar reply would follow the NCAA's action at its convention last Thursday, when Yale was prohibited from participating in any post season tournaments of events for two years. But the letter drafted by Dale R. Corson Cernell's president and chairman of the Ivy Committee was surprisingly low-key

"The Ivy League was disappointed to learn of the action taken by the NCAA in placing Yale on probation for its decision to play Langer. As I stated in my earlier letter to Asa Bushnell. executive director of the ECAC the Ivy League Presidents are very sympathetic with Yale's decision in this case." Corson's letter said in part.

Corson's letter, however, said nothing about the possibility of stronger support- such as self-imposed probation or even withdrawal from the NCAA on the part of the other Ivies- and Yale, in a separate statement, said that it expected none.

"To do so would only place more students in the position of being pawns in another struggle not of their making." read part of the statement co-authored by Yale athletic director Delaney Kiphuth and assistant to the President Henry Chauncey. "But whatever course we follow. it will not include prohibiting Jack Langet from playing on the basketball team."