Article October 10, 1925 Issue

Signs of the Times

with contributions from Edgar William Garbisch, David James Burrell, T. Rhondda Williams

[Edgar William Garbisch, as quoted in the Literary Digest, New York, New York]

Religion has always been to me a tremendous subject. Years back it worried me, because I felt that it was something away from my life in general. It seemed a growth on the outside. I could not become interested, and I could not believe in it as a vital portion of life. And then I began to wonder and study, and read about the power of prayer. ... Presently, through prayer, religion became a real thing for me. It became a part of my actual life, which is the only way I can see that it is of real use. I have been very happy about it. Of course, during my early days on the West Point football team, I believed in prayer, and I never went into a game without praying myself. But it was not until this year that I felt that I had any right to sound out the rest of the team on the subject. As captain, I felt that I had a right to put some of my theories into practice.

Early in the year I went to the coaches and asked for their cooperation. I asked them not to curse and use foul language while around with the team. I asked them not to pitch into the team when it lost or played poorly. And they agreed and worked with me. ... It was not, however, until the Yale game that we prayed together. Then, just before the game, I asked the coaches to leave us alone for a moment or so in the dressing room. I do not just know what it was that I did say. We were all ready there to go out on the field. Our headguards were on and the time was about at hand. I told them of what I had been doing and of the intense belief I had in the power of prayer. It was a mighty sight to see those boys. They all of them tore off their headguards—Protestants, Catholics, and others. We joined together in a little circle. I do not know exactly what I prayed, but it was not for victory. It was simply that we asked God to permit us to go into action with a clean heart, acquit ourselves like men, give our best all the time, and maintain a Christian, sportsmanlike attitude throughout the game. Well, we prayed before every game after that. And you could not beat that bunch. We had a spirit after that that was unbeatable. ... Nor did I at any time during the season hear cursing or obscene language used by any member of the team.

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