American Taste
The author of this letter to the editor disapproves of American Olympic officials James E. Sullivan, Gustavus T. Kirby, and Joseph B. McCabe, and the effect they have had on the culture of the United States. The author includes a clipping from a Boston newspaper which they say displays an event of “tasteless vulgarity” organized by Harvard University and Yale University, in which the King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra of Great Britain were shown “the grossest disrespect.” The accompanying clipping which is quoted seems to describe an initiation ceremony to a Harvard club that pokes fun at the conclusion of the 1908 Olympic Marathon, with students dressed as Dorando Pietri, Johnny Hayes, and members of the royal family.
Collection
Library of Congress Manuscript Division
Creation Date
1908-12-18