SMU Trustees Oust Governors

The Southern Methodist University Board of Trustees today voted to abolish the Board of Governors and replace it with an interim executive committee, saying the public has lost confidence in the board.

Gov. Bill Clements, who resigned as chairman of the Board of Governors before taking office in January, revealed March 3 that he and several other board members learned of payments to SMU football players in 1984 and decided to continue them. On Feb. 25, the National Collegiate Athletic Assn. abolished football at SMU in 1987 because of a booster slush fund that paid $61,000 to 13 players after the school was placed on its sixth probation in 1985.