Lahar, Harold Hal 1997-08-08

Former Southwest Conference employee Harold Lahar talks about his involvement with college football and the Southwest Conference. He also talks about the reasons and his feelings on the Southwest Conference breakup.

General Interview Information

Interviewee Name: Harold Hal Lahar

Additional Parties Recorded: None

Date: August 08, 1997

Location: Richardson, Texas

Interviewer: Abel Ramirez

Length: 01:26:35 (1 hour, 26 minutes)

Abstract

Tape 1, Side 1: Harold (Hal) Lahar, Born: 1919 in Durant, Oklahoma, Father, Horse and mule business, Moved to Oklahoma City (1932), Education, Football, University of Oklahoma (1938-1941), Football, Big 6 Conference, Business degree, Football, Drafted into professional football, Chicago Bears, Contract (1941), Description, Salary: $140 per game, Quarterback: Highest paid ($5,000/year), Won World Championship, Pearl Harbor bombing (December 1941), World War II, Worked for Douglas Aircraft (1944), Met wife, After service, played with the Buffalo Bills (3 years), Worked as a student assistant at University of Arkansas, Became line coach at University of West Virginia, Colgate University, Head football coach (1952), University of Houston, Head football coach (1957-1962), Colgate University (again), Head football coach and assistant athletic director, (1962-1968), Became athletic director (1968), Ab Curtis, Cliff Spiegel, Southwest Conference supervisor of football and basketball, Became commissioner after Howard Grubs died, Harold Lahar (again), Southwest Conference (1973), Jobs, Primary sports, Basketball Tournament, Became chief administrator for tournament, Southwest Conference (again), Radio network, University of Texas, Problems, Television broadcasting, NCAA, Growth, Howard Grubs, Cotton Bowl Athletic Association, Executive Director of Southwest Conference.

Tape 1, Side 2: Southwest Conference, Howard Grubs (continued), Cotton Bowl, Cotton Bowl Athletic Association (again), University of Texas, Fred Jacoby, Cotton Bowl (again), Opinions, Harold Lahar (again), Retired (1984), Accounting consulting job at University of Tampa (1985), Worked for National Football League (1986), Chairman of the rules committee, Southwest Officials Association, Growth, Break off from the Southwest Conference, Southwest Conference (again), Title Nine (1971), Opinions, Cotton Bowl (again), Friction between private and public schools, Recruiting, Demise, Opinions, Reasons, University of Texas, Media, Greed.

Tape 2, Side 1: College Athletics, Endorsements, NIKE and the University of Colorado, Paying players, Opinions, Education, Opportunities, Southwest Conference (again), Articles about the breakup, Politician involvement, Opinions, Big 12 Conference, Opinions, Baylor University, Realignment, Possibility of a national conference, [This side ends after 20 minutes].

Tape 2, Side 2: Blank

Range Dates: 1919-1997

Bulk Dates: 1973-1997

Access Information

Original Recording Format: audio cassette

Recording Format Notes: digitized October 2017, available in Reading Room on Audio CD

Transcript: no

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