Oral Histories

Interview of Douglas S. Hobbs

UCLA professor of political science, president of the Pac-10 Council of Faculty Athletic Representatives, and member of multiple National Collegiate Athletic Association committees. Interviewed because of connection to J.D. Morgan, UCLA tennis coach and athletic director.
Subtitle:
Right Man at the Right Time: J. D. Morgan
Series:
Right Man at the Right Time: J.D. Morgan
Topic:
Sports
UCLA and University of California History
UCLA Intercollegiate Athletics Staff
Biographical Note:
UCLA professor of political science, president of the Pac-10 Council of Faculty Athletic Representatives, and member of multiple National Collegiate Athletic Association committees. Interviewed because of connection to J.D. Morgan, UCLA tennis coach and athletic director.
Interviewer:
Rose, David A.
Interviewee:
Hobbs, Douglas S.
Supporting Documents:
Records relating to the interview are located in the office of the UCLA Library's Center for Oral History Research.
Language:
English
Copyright:
Regents of the University of California, UCLA Library.
Series Statement:
This series documents the contribution of UCLA Athletics Coach J.D. Morgan through interviews with individuals who had worked with Morgan both inside and outside the UCLA community.
Abstract:
Douglas S. Hobbs on his memories of J. D. Morgan: First encounters; An incident that Morgan never forgot; Appointment as faculty representative; The Morgan cosmology; Morgan’s relationship with Chancellor Young and with “outsiders”: “Don’t volunteer anything”; Knowledge of Sam Gilbert’s activities; Impact of Morgan’s illness on the management of the athletic program; Role of the faculty representative; Morgan’s manner of decision making; The occasional error in judgment: Gene Bartow; Violations concerning altered transcripts; Problems of assessing student eligibility, 1977; Penalties assessed in 1980 for the violations of 1977; Morgan’s and Hobbs’s disagreement over penalties; Morgan’s dominant stature in the Pac-10 Conference; Morgan among athletic directors, Young among chancellors; Conference expansion; Morgan’ s opposition to financial aid based on need; Influence in the NCAA; Importance of UCLA’s basketball success for television popularity of the NCAA basketball tournament; Morgan’s and UCLA’s positions on women’s athletics; Implications of Title IX; Reform conventions of the NCAA; Morgan’s demeanor at NCAA conventions; Influence on NCAA basketball; Impact on NCAA Executive Committee; Super-conference proposal; Ivy Amendment; Walter Byers, an aloof administrator; Morgan’s position on the role of college athletics in higher education; Standards for recruitment; By any yardstick, a great athletic director; Morgan’s knack of intimidating officials; Relationship with John Wooden and other coaches.