Collections : [University of Michigan Bentley Historical Library]

The Football Manager and Graduate Director of Athletics subseries covers Baird's years as undergraduate manager of the varsity football team, 1893-1895, and his tenure as director of athletics. Topics covered n the correspondence include arranging of football and other sports schedules; hiring of coaches; athletic relations with other universities and colleges; efforts to organize athletic conferences; intramural and inter-class athletics; the operation of the undergraduate Athletic Association; inter-scholastic (high school) athletics and the championship games sponsored by the Athletic Association; and the development athletic facilities. There is also correspondence with former players commenting on the current state of athletics at the university, recalling events from the player's own career or reporting on their post-Michigan careers. A number of these correspondents had taken jobs coaching at other colleges. One notable letter is from James L.D. Morrison, a member of the 1893 U-M team and the first coach at Notre Dame, describing his efforts to teach the Notre Dame students the basics of football.

For the years 1901-1909 there is extensive correspondence with football coach Fielding Yost. During this period Yost was on campus only during the Fall football season--residing the rest of the year in Nashville, Tennessee where he had extensive business interests. Baird regularly reported on the football and general athletic situation on campus.