Ralph W. Aigler
Encyclopedia
Ralph W. Aigler was an American law professor at the University of Michigan
from 1910–1954, the University's faculty representative to the Big Ten Conference
from 1917–1955, and chairman of Michigan's Faculty Board in Control of Athletics from 1917–1942. Aigler was a renowned expert on real property
law and one of the advisors to the American Law Institute
in the drafting of the Restatement of the Law of Property
. He is best known, however, for his contributions to the athletics programs at the University of Michigan. Aigler's contributions included leading Michigan back into the Big Ten Conference, leading the effort to construct Michigan Stadium
, Yost Fieldhouse
and other facilities, negotiating the Big Ten's exclusive contract with the Rose Bowl starting in 1946, hiring Fritz Crisler
as football coach and athletic director, and acting as a spokesman for the University and Big Ten for many years on NCAA rules and eligibility issues. He was inducted into the University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor
in 1982.
. He joined the faculty three years later and served as professor of law for nearly half a century from 1910–1954. He was a renowned expert in the area of property
law and was one of the advisors to the American Law Institute
in the preparation of the first Restatement of the Law on Property in 1936. Aigler published at least 123 articles on legal topics including real property, negotiable instrument
s, trusts
, banks and banking, and Constitutional law
. He also served as the President of the Association of American Law Schools
.
from 1917–1955, and chairman of Michigan's Faculty Board in Control of Athletics from 1917–1942. Michigan had left the Big Ten Conference in 1907, and Aigler led the school back into Conference membership. In June 1917, The New York Times
reported that the Conference's faculty representatives had voted unanimously to invite Michigan to resume athletic relations with the "Big Nine." The article noted that "Professor R.W. Aigler, Chairman of Michigan's Athletic Board of Control", attended the meeting as Michigan's representative.
. In July 1926, Aigler was appointed to the Stadium Building Committee, which was empowered "to appoint the General Engineer for the building of the stadium and to let contracts for the excavation, placing of abutments, drainage, etc., so that work may proceed immediately." The stadium was built on time and within its budget, and Aigler presented a detailed report on construction costs to the Board in Control of Athletics; the total cost was $1,131,733.36.
He was also the chairman of the Board in Control of Athletics during the construction of Yost Fieldhouse
and the Intramural Building.
In 1929 and 1930, with the expulsion of the University of Iowa
from the Big Ten for rules violations, Aigler was the spokesman of the Conference. He was also chairman of the Big Ten when Iowa sought reinstatement in 1933.
When Howard J. Savage of the Carnegie Foundation
issued "Bulletin 33" in January 1930 criticizing recruitment and subsidization of athletes, Aigler challenged the fairness of the report. Aigler charged that Savage had "no intention of being fair and accurate" and accused Savage of questionable tactics in sending Michigan's president a report of conditions different from the report in the bulletin. Aigler also accused Savage of removing letters from the files of the athletic department to which he was allowed full access. He also argued that the report reflected eastern bias: "In a number of places in the Bulletin the so-called Western Conference (now the Big Nine) is referred to and, curiously, almost always with a sort of half veiled sneer. The truth apparently is that the Bulletin was written from the point of view of the Eastern athletic man who has it pretty firmly fixed in mind that, athletically, things are pretty raw in the territory generally West of the Alleghenies
." Aigler later issued a 31-page report on athletic conditions at Michigan, charging the Carnegie Foundation with "muck-raking."
When the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
sought to usurp rule-making powers with regard to athletics, Aigler defended the authority and jurisdiction of the Big Ten. He said: "By agreement of the universities constituting the Big Ten for many years the making of rules and administration of athletic affairs, except that of purely local concern, have been delegated to the conference. This conference was a pioneer in athletic reform movements. Its organization has been the model for many years all over the country and its legislation generally has been widely copied. The aim of the conference not only has been to provide uniform eligibility rules, but also to *** and keep athletic activities in a proper relationship to the main business of the universities. Recently there has been developed in the North Central association a movement to take hold of matters heretofore handled by the conference."
Aigler came under fire in 1936 for his public statement about moves at the University of Wisconsin to shift oversight of athletics away from the faculty. Aigler issued a statement on behalf of the Big Ten criticizing Wisconsin for establishing a non-faculty governing body. Aigler said, "The evidence before the Conference indicated strongly that the Wisconsin regents for several years have shown a disposition to subordinate faculty desires to the wishes of such outsiders." In response to Aigler's charge, one Wisconsin newspaper asked: "Was he Ignorant, or Did he Want Some Publicity?"
As the long-time chairman of the Board in Control of Athletics, Aigler issued annual reports to the University Senate on the state of the athletics programs. In 1921, Aigler's report stated that football
was the only sport that paid for itself. In that fiscal year, football generated $73,766.76 "while its expenses were $41,176.10, leaving a profit of $32,590.66." Baseball exceeded its revenues by $5,000, and track cost $8,203 above receipts. According to Aigler's reports total athletic receipts were $148,000 against disbursements of $155,000. In 1937, Aigler reported football receipts of $153,836.34, exceeding disbursements by $102,683.42. Football was again the only sport to pay for itself, and the profit from football was enough to create an overall profit of $50,000 from the athletic programs. Aigler referred to the football's team's three-year losing streak as a "lesson in humility."
Fielding H. Yost became the football coach and then athletic director
at the University of Michigan since 1901. Aigler was also one of the first persons within the University to challenge Yost's authority. In 1937, Aigler's hiring of former Notre Dame
head coach Hunk Anderson as assistant football coach was seen as a sign that "the iron hand of Fielding Yost carries less power than it did." At the time, it was reported: "Prof. Ralph Aigler is said to be rapidly becoming the dominant figure in Michigan's athletics."
Charges surfaced in November 1937 that Michigan's freshman athletes had been subsidized with employment through an Ann Arbor
manufacturing concern at a higher rate than other employees, and with funds controlled by alumni. When Aigler was reported to have said that "all freshman athletes at Michigan would be presumed to have been subsidized", it was perceived to be part of political infighting among those in control of Michigan's athletic programs.
Harry Kipke was fired as Michigan's head coach in December 1937, and Yost and Aigler were authorized to begin interviewing candidates for Kipke's job. On February 10, 1938, Aigler made a public announcement that Fritz Crisler
had been hired as Michigan's new head football coach. Aigler was reported to have hired Crisler without Yost's knowledge. In fact, the report of Crisler's hiring was combined with indications that "the impending retirement of Fielding H. Yost as Michigan's athletic director will be hastened to put Crisler in complete control." At that point, "it became clear that Yost no longer ran the athletic department. Uncharacteristically, Yost did not raise a ruckus; instead, he stepped aside graciously."
The U-M Regents reorganized athletic oversight in 1942 and replaced the Faculty Board of Athletic Control with a new intercollegiate athletics board, and Crisler succeeded Aigler as chairman of the body with ultimate authority to hire and fire coaches. Aigler remained the faculty representative to the Big Ten until 1955.
, Redskins
, Bears
, etc., instead of with those teams made up of bona fide college students to whom athletic participation must be secondary." On another occasion, he urged schools granting athletic scholarships, though "ostensibly amateur", to "turn square and associate themselves with the Washington Redskins and Green Bay Packers
."
Aigler even proposed that under the monitorship of the NCAA, the non-scholarship colleges and universities should sever athletic relations with institutions refusing to meet the standard. In 1948, Aigler was one of the drafters and advocates of the NCAA's "purity" code prohibiting any form of subsidization of student athletes. Aigler later served as the Secretary-Treasurer of the NCAA from 1955–1956. In that role, Aigler eventually relented and worked on the rule changes permitting universities to grant full-ride scholarships to student athletes.
Aigler also played an important role in securing the Big Ten's long-term contract with the Rose Bowl. Prior to the 1947 season, the visiting spot in the Rose Bowl was open to all conferences, and the Big Ten champion only appeared in the Rose Bowl on rare occasions. In November 1946, Aigler was appointed to a five-person steering committee assigned to negotiate an exclusive contract with the Rose Bowl. The Big Ten approved the exclusive arrangement by a vote of 7 to 2, with Illinois and Minnesota
the only opponents. The relationship was negotiated at meetings between Aigler and the Big Ten steering committee and the Pacific Coast Conference
held in Berkeley, California
in November 1946. Aigler traveled to California again in May 1947 with William Reed to negotiate administrative details of the Rose Bowl arrangement with Pacific Coast Conference representative William C. Ackerman. The University of Michigan was the first Big Ten participant in the new Rose Bowl arrangement, defeating the USC Trojans 49–0 in the game held on January 1, 1948.
Aigler was again part of a five-person committee in 1953 that negotiated the extension of the Big Ten contract with the Rose Bowl. The renewal passed by a vote of 6–4, with Wisconsin, Purdue
, and Illinois voting against the deal.
, where he taught a course in bills and notes at the University of Arizona
Law School. Aigler died in 1964 in Tucson. He was posthumously inducted into the University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor
in 1982, as part of the fifth induction class.
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
from 1910–1954, the University's faculty representative to the Big Ten Conference
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
from 1917–1955, and chairman of Michigan's Faculty Board in Control of Athletics from 1917–1942. Aigler was a renowned expert on real property
Real property
In English Common Law, real property, real estate, realty, or immovable property is any subset of land that has been legally defined and the improvements to it made by human efforts: any buildings, machinery, wells, dams, ponds, mines, canals, roads, various property rights, and so forth...
law and one of the advisors to the American Law Institute
American Law Institute
The American Law Institute was established in 1923 to promote the clarification and simplification of American common law and its adaptation to changing social needs. The ALI drafts, approves, and publishes Restatements of the Law, Principles of the Law, model codes, and other proposals for law...
in the drafting of the Restatement of the Law of Property
Property
Property is any physical or intangible entity that is owned by a person or jointly by a group of people or a legal entity like a corporation...
. He is best known, however, for his contributions to the athletics programs at the University of Michigan. Aigler's contributions included leading Michigan back into the Big Ten Conference, leading the effort to construct Michigan Stadium
Michigan Stadium
Michigan Stadium, nicknamed "The Big House," is the football stadium for the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Michigan Stadium was built in 1927 at a cost of $950,000 and had an original capacity of 72,000. Before playing football at the stadium, the Wolverines played on Ferry Field...
, Yost Fieldhouse
Yost Ice Arena
Yost Ice Arena is an indoor ice hockey arena located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It is the home of the University of Michigan varsity ice hockey team which plays in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association...
and other facilities, negotiating the Big Ten's exclusive contract with the Rose Bowl starting in 1946, hiring Fritz Crisler
Fritz Crisler
Herbert Orin "Fritz" Crisler was an American football coach who is best known as "the father of two-platoon football," an innovation in which separate units of players were used for offense and defense. Crisler developed two-platoon football while serving as head coach at the University of...
as football coach and athletic director, and acting as a spokesman for the University and Big Ten for many years on NCAA rules and eligibility issues. He was inducted into the University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor
University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor
The University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor, founded in 1978, recognizes University of Michigan athletes, coaches, and administrators who have made significant contributions to the university's athletic programs...
in 1982.
Law professor
Aigler was a 1907 graduate of the University of Michigan Law SchoolUniversity of Michigan Law School
The University of Michigan Law School is the law school of the University of Michigan, in Ann Arbor. Founded in 1859, the school has an enrollment of about 1,200 students, most of whom are seeking Juris Doctor or Master of Laws degrees, although the school also offers a Doctor of Juridical...
. He joined the faculty three years later and served as professor of law for nearly half a century from 1910–1954. He was a renowned expert in the area of property
Property
Property is any physical or intangible entity that is owned by a person or jointly by a group of people or a legal entity like a corporation...
law and was one of the advisors to the American Law Institute
American Law Institute
The American Law Institute was established in 1923 to promote the clarification and simplification of American common law and its adaptation to changing social needs. The ALI drafts, approves, and publishes Restatements of the Law, Principles of the Law, model codes, and other proposals for law...
in the preparation of the first Restatement of the Law on Property in 1936. Aigler published at least 123 articles on legal topics including real property, negotiable instrument
Negotiable instrument
A negotiable instrument is a document guaranteeing the payment of a specific amount of money, either on demand, or at a set time. According to the Section 13 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 in India, a negotiable instrument means a promissory note, bill of exchange or cheque payable either...
s, trusts
Trust law
In common law legal systems, a trust is a relationship whereby property is held by one party for the benefit of another...
, banks and banking, and Constitutional law
Constitutional law
Constitutional law is the body of law which defines the relationship of different entities within a state, namely, the executive, the legislature and the judiciary....
. He also served as the President of the Association of American Law Schools
Association of American Law Schools
The Association of American Law Schools is a non-profit organization of 170 law schools in the United States. Another 25 schools are "non-member fee paid" schools, which are not members but choose to pay AALS dues. Its purpose is to improve the legal profession through the improvement of legal...
.
Return to the Big Ten Conference
In addition to his work as a law professor, Aigler also served as the University's faculty representative to the Big Ten ConferenceBig Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
from 1917–1955, and chairman of Michigan's Faculty Board in Control of Athletics from 1917–1942. Michigan had left the Big Ten Conference in 1907, and Aigler led the school back into Conference membership. In June 1917, The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
reported that the Conference's faculty representatives had voted unanimously to invite Michigan to resume athletic relations with the "Big Nine." The article noted that "Professor R.W. Aigler, Chairman of Michigan's Athletic Board of Control", attended the meeting as Michigan's representative.
Construction of Michigan Stadium and other facilities
Aigler was also a leader in the construction of Michigan StadiumMichigan Stadium
Michigan Stadium, nicknamed "The Big House," is the football stadium for the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Michigan Stadium was built in 1927 at a cost of $950,000 and had an original capacity of 72,000. Before playing football at the stadium, the Wolverines played on Ferry Field...
. In July 1926, Aigler was appointed to the Stadium Building Committee, which was empowered "to appoint the General Engineer for the building of the stadium and to let contracts for the excavation, placing of abutments, drainage, etc., so that work may proceed immediately." The stadium was built on time and within its budget, and Aigler presented a detailed report on construction costs to the Board in Control of Athletics; the total cost was $1,131,733.36.
He was also the chairman of the Board in Control of Athletics during the construction of Yost Fieldhouse
Yost Ice Arena
Yost Ice Arena is an indoor ice hockey arena located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It is the home of the University of Michigan varsity ice hockey team which plays in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association...
and the Intramural Building.
Spokesman for Michigan and Big Ten athletics
Aigler also became the voice of the University, and at times of the Big Ten, on athletics eligibility and rules issues. In 1925, Aigler defended intercollegiate athletics against charges that they had a negative effect on institutions of higher learning. Aigler said that the harm done by athletics was almost nothing when compared to the evils caused by "common loafing." "The greatest vice in American college life today is loafing", said Aigler. "There is no doubt that this far overshadows the harm created by intercollegiate athletics. No one would be more pleased than I to see a Phi Beta Kappa (honorary scholarship society) man receive as much recognition by the public as do our leading athletes. But such a condition would be contrary to human nature. Intellectual attainments do not make such an appeal, and that is why athletics are so prominent in colleges and universities today."In 1929 and 1930, with the expulsion of the University of Iowa
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...
from the Big Ten for rules violations, Aigler was the spokesman of the Conference. He was also chairman of the Big Ten when Iowa sought reinstatement in 1933.
When Howard J. Savage of the Carnegie Foundation
Carnegie Corporation of New York
Carnegie Corporation of New York, which was established by Andrew Carnegie in 1911 "to promote the advancement and diffusion of knowledge and understanding," is one of the oldest, largest and most influential of American foundations...
issued "Bulletin 33" in January 1930 criticizing recruitment and subsidization of athletes, Aigler challenged the fairness of the report. Aigler charged that Savage had "no intention of being fair and accurate" and accused Savage of questionable tactics in sending Michigan's president a report of conditions different from the report in the bulletin. Aigler also accused Savage of removing letters from the files of the athletic department to which he was allowed full access. He also argued that the report reflected eastern bias: "In a number of places in the Bulletin the so-called Western Conference (now the Big Nine) is referred to and, curiously, almost always with a sort of half veiled sneer. The truth apparently is that the Bulletin was written from the point of view of the Eastern athletic man who has it pretty firmly fixed in mind that, athletically, things are pretty raw in the territory generally West of the Alleghenies
Allegheny Mountains
The Allegheny Mountain Range , also spelled Alleghany, Allegany and, informally, the Alleghenies, is part of the vast Appalachian Mountain Range of the eastern United States and Canada...
." Aigler later issued a 31-page report on athletic conditions at Michigan, charging the Carnegie Foundation with "muck-raking."
When the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
The North Central Association of Colleges and Schools , also known as the North Central Association, is a membership organization, consisting of colleges, universities, and schools in 19 U.S. states, that is engaged in educational accreditation...
sought to usurp rule-making powers with regard to athletics, Aigler defended the authority and jurisdiction of the Big Ten. He said: "By agreement of the universities constituting the Big Ten for many years the making of rules and administration of athletic affairs, except that of purely local concern, have been delegated to the conference. This conference was a pioneer in athletic reform movements. Its organization has been the model for many years all over the country and its legislation generally has been widely copied. The aim of the conference not only has been to provide uniform eligibility rules, but also to *** and keep athletic activities in a proper relationship to the main business of the universities. Recently there has been developed in the North Central association a movement to take hold of matters heretofore handled by the conference."
Aigler came under fire in 1936 for his public statement about moves at the University of Wisconsin to shift oversight of athletics away from the faculty. Aigler issued a statement on behalf of the Big Ten criticizing Wisconsin for establishing a non-faculty governing body. Aigler said, "The evidence before the Conference indicated strongly that the Wisconsin regents for several years have shown a disposition to subordinate faculty desires to the wishes of such outsiders." In response to Aigler's charge, one Wisconsin newspaper asked: "Was he Ignorant, or Did he Want Some Publicity?"
As the long-time chairman of the Board in Control of Athletics, Aigler issued annual reports to the University Senate on the state of the athletics programs. In 1921, Aigler's report stated that football
Michigan Wolverines football
The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history...
was the only sport that paid for itself. In that fiscal year, football generated $73,766.76 "while its expenses were $41,176.10, leaving a profit of $32,590.66." Baseball exceeded its revenues by $5,000, and track cost $8,203 above receipts. According to Aigler's reports total athletic receipts were $148,000 against disbursements of $155,000. In 1937, Aigler reported football receipts of $153,836.34, exceeding disbursements by $102,683.42. Football was again the only sport to pay for itself, and the profit from football was enough to create an overall profit of $50,000 from the athletic programs. Aigler referred to the football's team's three-year losing streak as a "lesson in humility."
Hiring of Crisler and retirement of Yost
Athletic director
An athletic director is an administrator at many American colleges and universities, as well as in larger high schools and middle schools, who oversees the work of coaches and related staff involved in intercollegiate or interscholastic athletic programs...
at the University of Michigan since 1901. Aigler was also one of the first persons within the University to challenge Yost's authority. In 1937, Aigler's hiring of former Notre Dame
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team is the football team of the University of Notre Dame. The team is currently coached by Brian Kelly.Notre Dame competes as an Independent at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level, and is a founding member of the Bowl Championship Series coalition. It is an...
head coach Hunk Anderson as assistant football coach was seen as a sign that "the iron hand of Fielding Yost carries less power than it did." At the time, it was reported: "Prof. Ralph Aigler is said to be rapidly becoming the dominant figure in Michigan's athletics."
Charges surfaced in November 1937 that Michigan's freshman athletes had been subsidized with employment through an Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County. The 2010 census places the population at 113,934, making it the sixth largest city in Michigan. The Ann Arbor Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 344,791 as of 2010...
manufacturing concern at a higher rate than other employees, and with funds controlled by alumni. When Aigler was reported to have said that "all freshman athletes at Michigan would be presumed to have been subsidized", it was perceived to be part of political infighting among those in control of Michigan's athletic programs.
Harry Kipke was fired as Michigan's head coach in December 1937, and Yost and Aigler were authorized to begin interviewing candidates for Kipke's job. On February 10, 1938, Aigler made a public announcement that Fritz Crisler
Fritz Crisler
Herbert Orin "Fritz" Crisler was an American football coach who is best known as "the father of two-platoon football," an innovation in which separate units of players were used for offense and defense. Crisler developed two-platoon football while serving as head coach at the University of...
had been hired as Michigan's new head football coach. Aigler was reported to have hired Crisler without Yost's knowledge. In fact, the report of Crisler's hiring was combined with indications that "the impending retirement of Fielding H. Yost as Michigan's athletic director will be hastened to put Crisler in complete control." At that point, "it became clear that Yost no longer ran the athletic department. Uncharacteristically, Yost did not raise a ruckus; instead, he stepped aside graciously."
The U-M Regents reorganized athletic oversight in 1942 and replaced the Faculty Board of Athletic Control with a new intercollegiate athletics board, and Crisler succeeded Aigler as chairman of the body with ultimate authority to hire and fire coaches. Aigler remained the faculty representative to the Big Ten until 1955.
Opposition to athletic scholarships
For many years, Aigler was an outspoken opponent of athletic scholarships. In 1939, the Michigan Student Senate adopted a resolution favoring tuition scholarships for varsity athletes with at least a "B" average. The resolution was intended to rid college sports of unseemly under-the-table subsidies and to provide a "fair return for services" to the athletes who made possible the "big business" of college sports. Aigler opposed the move, saying: "You can't give athletic scholarships without aspiring to the sigma of professionalism. . . . Other schools have tried it, and if the practice enjoys widespread continuance, it will prove the doom of collegiate sport." Aigler argued that scholarships were a form of payment that undermined the concept of the unpaid student athlete. He said: "Those college teams made up of scholarship holders and the like should be grouped with the GiantsNew York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
, Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, etc., instead of with those teams made up of bona fide college students to whom athletic participation must be secondary." On another occasion, he urged schools granting athletic scholarships, though "ostensibly amateur", to "turn square and associate themselves with the Washington Redskins and Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
."
Aigler even proposed that under the monitorship of the NCAA, the non-scholarship colleges and universities should sever athletic relations with institutions refusing to meet the standard. In 1948, Aigler was one of the drafters and advocates of the NCAA's "purity" code prohibiting any form of subsidization of student athletes. Aigler later served as the Secretary-Treasurer of the NCAA from 1955–1956. In that role, Aigler eventually relented and worked on the rule changes permitting universities to grant full-ride scholarships to student athletes.
Big Ten contract with Rose Bowl
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
the only opponents. The relationship was negotiated at meetings between Aigler and the Big Ten steering committee and the Pacific Coast Conference
Pacific Coast Conference
The Pacific Coast Conference was a college athletic conference in the United States which existed from 1915 to 1959. Though the Pacific-12 Conference claims the PCC's history as part of its own, the older league had a completely different charter and was disbanded in 1959 due to a major crisis...
held in Berkeley, California
Berkeley, California
Berkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
in November 1946. Aigler traveled to California again in May 1947 with William Reed to negotiate administrative details of the Rose Bowl arrangement with Pacific Coast Conference representative William C. Ackerman. The University of Michigan was the first Big Ten participant in the new Rose Bowl arrangement, defeating the USC Trojans 49–0 in the game held on January 1, 1948.
Aigler was again part of a five-person committee in 1953 that negotiated the extension of the Big Ten contract with the Rose Bowl. The renewal passed by a vote of 6–4, with Wisconsin, Purdue
Purdue University
Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and...
, and Illinois voting against the deal.
Honors and awards
Aigler was presented with an Honorary "M" (normally reserved for varsity athletes) by the University of Michigan "M" Club for his contributions to the school's athletic programs. After retiring, Aigler moved to Tucson, ArizonaTucson, Arizona
Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200...
, where he taught a course in bills and notes at the University of Arizona
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
Law School. Aigler died in 1964 in Tucson. He was posthumously inducted into the University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor
University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor
The University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor, founded in 1978, recognizes University of Michigan athletes, coaches, and administrators who have made significant contributions to the university's athletic programs...
in 1982, as part of the fifth induction class.
Further reading
- Ralph W. Aigler, "Control of Intercollegiate Athletics at Michigan, Michigan Alumnus Quarterly Review vol. LXII no. 21 (Summer 1957), pp. 317–327.
- Papers of the "Board in Control of Athletics" at the Bentley Historical Library, Ann Arbor, Michigan.