CIRCULATION 5,400
OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER
OF THE CITY OF
COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS
DIAL 4-5444
STUDENT TRI WEEKLY
NEWSPAPER OF
TEXAS A. & M. COLLEGE
YOL. 39 PHONE 4-5444
COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS, THURSDAY MORNING, FEB. 8, 1940
Z725 NO. 50
Ex-Aggies Now at Randolph
Five former A. & M. students are now Flying Cadets at Randolph
Field, the “West Point of the Air”, and are scheduled to be trans
ferred to Kelly Field, the Advanced Flying School, before receiving
their wings and commissioned second lieutenants! in the Air Corps
Reserve.
The ex-Aggie aviators shown above are: (Top row, left to right)
Henry (Pelly) Dittman, Alvino Reyes, and Thomas F. Collins; (below)
R. C. Mcllheran Jr., and Clinton W. Uhr.
250 College Students Report
To Randolph Every Six Weeks
New Class at Randolph Includes Five A. & M.
Graduates, All Members of Classes of 1938-39
An Air Corps more than double
in size by June, 1941, was author
ized by Congress before it adjourn
ed last summer. A total of 5,500
airplanes and pilots to man them
was goal set. Aircraft factories
are turning out pursuit planes, top
speed nearing 400 miles an hour,
giant four-engined bombers capa
ble of thousands of miles non
stop flight.
Pilot training activity also has
been stepped up. Classes of 250
young college men are reporting
to Randolph Field, Texas, the
“West Point of the Air,” every six
weeks for basic flight training. Pre
viously they have piled up 65
hours at one of the Air Corps’
elementary flying schools.
Five Texas A. & M. men are
now Flying Cadets in Class 40-B,
scheduled to be transferred from
Randolph to Kelly Field, the Ad
vanced Flying School, for a final
three months of flight instruction
before receiving their wings and
being commissioned as Second
Lieutenants in the Air Corps Re
serve.
The former Texas A. & M. men
who are now student pilots at Ran
dolph Field are Robert C. Mcllheran
Jr., Wichita Falls, Texas, class of
39; Thomas F. Collins, Garden City,
Texas, class of ’39, first president
of home town club; Alvino V.
Reyes, Beeville, Texas, class of
’39; Henry (Pelly) Dittman, Goose
Creek, Texas, class of ’39; Clinton
W. Uhr, San Antonio, Texas, class
of ’38.
They started their aviation career
last August when they reported
for primary flying instruction.
Sixty-five hours in the air in rug
ged primary training planes was
-fentered in their log books during
the first three months of the nine
months course.
Then they were transferred to
Randolph Field, the Air Corps’
model airdrome, where the mys
teries of a 400 horsepower low-
wing monoplane had to be mas
tered. These basic training planes
are small counterparts of a modern
day tactical airplane. Their
equipment includes complete blind
flying instruments, landing flaps,
wing tip lights for night landings,
a controllable pitch propeller, and
radio transmitter and receiver.
Aerial acrobatics, such as snap
rolls, slow rolls, must be mastered
before the course is completed, not
for the theatrical effect on specta
tors, but to teach them the use
of the controls in these unusual
positions of their craft.
Several hours night flying and
instrument flying are included in
the 75 hours flying each cadet re
ceives at the “West Point of the
Air.”
Transfer to the Advanced Flying
School is the last step in their
aerial career before being gradu
ated as full fledged military air
plane pilots and commissioned
Second Lieutenants in the Air
Corps Reserve. Ahead of them lies
an opportunity to compete with
their classmates for a permanent
commission in the Air Corps, or
if they so elect, as much as seven
years of active pilot duty with
either a pursuit, bombardment, or
observation squadron. In either
case, three years after gradua
tion, these flying cadets will be
promoted to First Lieutenants with
a corresponding increase in pay.
Examinations End, Then It
Starts Over Again Friday
By George Fuermann
What’s the use?
Examinations end—and then it
starts all over again Friday!
Bleary-eyed, unshaven, dishevel
ed, and anxious, Aggieland’s six
thousand trod wearily from build
ing to building, expectantly watch
ing the bulletin boards in antici
pation of posted grades. An occa
sional roar—mindful of the shout
of a blood-thirsty pirate—indicates
that some fortunate credit hit the
jack-pot. More frequently a long-
drawn moan is heard—the kind a
man makes when he hears his own
death sentence passed—from some
poor soul who spent the past eigh
teen weeks doing his studying on a
“manana” basis.
But at last, thank God, that
heathen institution—final exams—
is laid to rest . . . for four and
a half months, at least.
A cross-sectional poll of Aggie
opinion would prove that it’s a
choice of two evils—finals on the
>one hand and registration on the
other.
And in respect to registration,
there are two or three theories
held by as many schools of
thought. One group maintains
that registration is necessitated be
cause school officials are bribed by
the local shoe-repairing establish
ments into proclaiming the semi-an
nual line-waiting ordeal. Still an
other group holds that the signing-
up function is a sort of non-credit
course in Patience and Persever
ance—the theory being that any
student who can complete regis
tration without giving over to un
intelligible gibberish or wild rav
ing has passed the acid test.
But it’s all part of that thing
known as “college life,” and in the
not too-distant future—when pres
ent-day Aggies become former stu
dents—the two semi-annual skirm
ishes will be remembered with a
smile—and maybe a wish to do
them over again.
Over 4,000
To Register
Here Friday
All New Students
Register for 2nd
Semester Monday
Over 4,000 freshmen, sopho
mores, juniors, and seniors are ex
pected to register Friday for the
second semester of the 1939-40
school term, Registrar E. J. Howell
said today.
All old undergraduate students
who were not on the deficient list
December 1, will be registered at
this time. New students, graduate
students, and students on the de
ficient list December 1 are sched
uled to register Monday.
Over 250 new students are ex
pected to register for the second
semester, bringing the total regis
tration for the year to 6,300, a
steady gain in registration for the
college and the largest group of
students ever to have attended A.
& M.
Registrar Howell said that no
student would be able to secure
his assignment card Friday except
by reporting promptly during the
hours assigned. Students should
report to the Assembly Hall for
assignment cards, if fees have been
paid, by the following schedule:
7:00 to 8:00—Students whose
surnames begin with J, K, L.
8:00 to 9:00—Students whose
surnames begin with T, U, V.
W, X, Y, Z.
9:00 to 10:00—All students
whose surnames begin with A,
B.
10:00 to 11:00—All students
whose surnames begin with R,
S.
11:00 to 12:00—All students
whose surnames begin with C,
D, E, F.
1:00 to 2:00—All students
whose surnames begin with M,
N, O, P, Q.
2:00 to 3:00—All students
whose surnames begin with G,
H, I.
Any student scheduled to regis
ter Friday and who does not do
so at the appropriate time, may
register from 3:00 to 5:00' Friday
or may register Monday after all
students scheduled for that day
have registered.
Any student who has not regis
tered by 5:00 p. m. Monday will
pay an additional matriculation fee
of $2.00 for late registration. Mon
day, February 26, is the last day a
student may add or drop a course
and receive proper credit for these
at the Registrar’s Office.
Classes for the second term will
begin at 8:00 a. m. Tuesday.
Waterworks Short
Course To Be Held
Here Feb. 19-23
Approximately 300 municipal
engineers are expected to attend
the twenty-second annual Texas
Waterworks Short Course, to be
held here on February 19-23, ac
cording to Professor E. W. Steel,
head of the college Department of
Municipal and Sanitary Engineer
ing, who will be in charge of the
course.
This meeting will be the first
of a number of short courses to
be held on the campus this spring.
An interesting program is plan
ned for the five-day meet. Some
of the most prominent sanitary en
gineers in the state will be here,
many of whom are graduates of
A. & M.
Although similar schools are
now held in other states, the one
held annually in Texas is the old
est in the country. The first such
course was held here in 1919, but
after that year the meeting place
was moved about from year to
year. In 1936 the meeting was
brought back to A. & M. and a
vote at that time made the college
the permanent location.
Council O.K.’s Purchase Of
Oakwood Addition Utilities
Regional Director
G. C. Street Jr., ex-Aggie of ’05,
is now regional director of the
Wage and Hour Division of the
U. S. Department of Labor in the
Southwest.
•
Gus Street Named
Regional Director
Of Wages And Hours
Gustavus C. (Gus) Street Jr.,
ex-Aggie of 1905, has been appoint
ed and confirmed regional director
of the Wage and Hour Division of
the U. S. Department of Labor, in
the region embracing Texas, Okla
homa, Arkansas, and New Mexico.
His headquarters are in the Wilson
Building, Dallas.
For the past six years, Mr.
Street has been with the Public
Works Administration in Texas
in an administrative capacity, his
last post being assistant regional
director at Fort Worth. He is a
civil engineer by profession and
made his home in Houston for
many years, where he was presi
dent of the Pyramid Steam Com
pany and active in the construc
tion industry.
As a student at A. & M., Street
was a senior captain, a letterman
in football, and active in other stu
dent affairs.
From his office in the Wilson
Building at Dallas, Mr. Street is
now directing the activities of the
Wage and Hour inspectors in the
Southwestern region. He is known
as an expert in labor relations.
Courses in Bible
Offered 2nd Term
A number of courses in Bible
study are being offered this next
semester, Rev. Norman Anderson,
in charge of the Department of Re
ligious Education, with office in
room 215, Academic Building, has
announced.
Two three-hour courses with
three hours of credit, and two one-
hour courses with one hour of
credit, are offered. They are list
ed on page 23 of the official sched
ule of classes, under the Depart
ment of Religious Education.
“These courses offer opportunity
for systematic study of the Bible
and for religious orientation,” Rev.
Anderson stated. “They are of
fered without denominational
emphasis.”
Seymore Stone To
Paint Life-Sized
Portrait of Walton
Campaign To Raise Funds
For Portrait Started
By Friends and Admirers
A life-sized portrait of President
T. O. Walton, painted by an inter
nationally famed artist, will be
presented to the A. & M. College
at commencement, according to
plans of a committee of A. & M.
men and other Texas citizens.
A campaign to raise funds for
the portrait is being waged with
voluntary subscriptions sought
from Dr. Walton’s friends and ad
mirers. Donations are being re
ceived from A. & M. ex-students,
other Texas citizens, and from
members of the faculty and staff
of the college.
The Portrait Fund will be used
to commission Seymore M. Stone,
of New York, internationally fam
ous portrait painter, to do a life-
sized portrait of Dr. Walton. When
completed the portrait will be pre
sented to the college with fitting
ceremonies.
Mr. Stone studied and worked
with Anders Zorn and other
masters in Norway, Sweden and
other European countries. His
first commission after returning to
America was a portrait of Theo
dore Roosevelt, then president. He
has since done portraits of such
outstanding figures as Chauncey
Depew, Calvin Coolidge, Mr.
Faunce, late president of Brown
University, Admiral Byrd, for the
National Geographic Society, Gen
eral John J. Pershing, for the
Army and Navy Club, and many
other notables in the United States
and abroad. His most recent com
mission was Vice-President John
N. Garner.
In selecting Mr. Stone, it was
the thought of the committee that
the portrait would not only be a
great tribute to Dr. Walton but
a gift of great value to the Col
lege.
The portrait plan originated over
a year ago in a conversation be
tween Melvin J. Miller, ’ll, Fort
Worth insurance leader, and John
C. Burns, ’04, former head of the
(Continued on page 4)
Frances Perkins And
Walter Pitkin Head
Teachers’ Program
WACO, Feb. 8.—Frances Per
kins, U. S. Secretary of Labor,
and Dr. Walter B. Pitkin, noted
journalist and author of “Life Be
gins at 40,” will headline a pro
gram slated for the Central Texas
division of the State Teachers Asso
ciation on the Baylor University
campus Friday and Saturday (Feb.
9 and 10), Dr. Lorena B. Stretch,
chairman of the Baylor School of
Education, announced.
Heads Dallas Club
James W. “Skinny” Williams,
president of the Dallas A. & M.
Club, is Safety Director for the
Austin Bridge Company and its
subsidiaries. These include the Ser-
vis Equipment Company, the Aus
tin Road Company, and the Austin
Construction Company. Williams
has been with the Austin Bridge
Company for 19 years. He and Mrs.
Williams have two daughters, one
a senior in high school, and live at
610 Newell, Dallas, Texas.
As a student at A. & M.
with the class of ’18, Williams
served as editor-in-chief of The
Battalion, was a member of the
Ross Volunteers, and active in oth
er student affairs. He received his
degree in civil engineering. He
has been an active member of the
Dallas A. & M ; . Club for many
years.
Parks Next Speaker
On Plant Science
Seminar Program
H. B. Parks of San Antonio,
chief of the Texas Agricultural
Experiment Station’s Division of
Agriculture, will talk to the Plant
Science Seminar on Thursday night,
February 8, discussing “Back
tracking on Botanical Exploration
in Texas With Special Reference to
Certain Interesting and Little
Known Plans,” Walter S. Story,
horticulturist for the Agricultural
Experiment Station, has announced.
The Seminar will meet in the Ex
periment Station conference room,
at 7:30 p. m.
Mr. Parks has been intensively
studying the native flora of Texas
for 22 years. During that time he
has explored every corner of the
state, and has visited some of the
most interesting botanical local
ities many times and in every sea
son. He not only has a knowledge
of Texas plants possessed by few
other men, but is able to impart
this to others in interesting fash
ion.
Buying Of College
Hills Lines Also
Is Being Planned
Bus Company Is Warned
It Must Obey City Laws
The College Station City Council
at a meeting Wednesday night
passed an ordinance authorizing
Mayor J. H. Binney to complete
the sale of utilities of the Oakwood
Addition from the Oakwood Realty
Company to the City of College
Station, for the sum of $8,500.
This is to be amortized over a
period of ten years and bear inter
est at the rate of 4 per cent.
The utilities to be transferred
include lights, water, sewage lines
and a sewage disposal plant. The
completion of the transfer is con
tingent only upon the clearing of
a few minor details. Mayor Binney
stated.
N. E. Boughton, developer of
College Hills Estates, conferred
with the City Council on the con
templated transfer of utilities of
that addition to the city. Because
of the fact that Mr. Boughton’s
partners, B. S. Tysinger and J.
C. Culpepper, owners of the Estates,
were out of town, no definite steps
could be taken at the meeting.
Mr. Boughton stated, “I believe
I can speak for my partners in
declaring that we are entirely in
favor of the move, and I believe a
plan can easily be worked out for
the transfer of College Hills Es
tates’ water and sewer lines to
College Station. In my opinion the
consolidation of all the utilities of
this city under the city’s owner
ship and a single management con
stitutes the greatest forward step
the city could take.”
Mr. Boughton, Mr. Tysinger, and
Mr. Culpepper are to meet with
the City Council at its next regu
lar meeting, February 15, and at
that time are to present a plan
(Continued on page 4)
Matinees To Be Shown
At Assembly Hall
Starting Second Term
Ever striving to please the stu
dents, M. L. Cushion and J. Gordon
Gay of the Y. M. C. A., have an
nounced that beginning Tuesday
the Assembly Hall shall play mati
nees on Monday, Tuesday, and
Wednesday afternoons beginning at
3:30 each afternoon. Also shows
will be shown on Monday nights.
In the future the first show of
the week will be, as in the past,
a free show on Sunday afternoon
at 12:45.
The first change in the schedule
will be the addition of Monday to
the week’s show schedule. A show
will run in the afternoon matinee
and also at night on Monday and
Tuesday.
Another different show is to be
presented at a matinee and night
show Wednesday.
Designed To Depict Traditions of A. & M., Aggie Dinner
Plates, By Wedgwood in England, Are Something to Cherish
By Bob Nisbet
Something to have, to keep, and
to cherish in years to come—the
Aggie dinner plates are just that!
Made of the finest Wedgwood
china, and pictured with A. & M.
tradition, nothing could surpass
these maroon and white plates in
beauty or in lasting value.
As a matter of history, the orig
inal idea of having the plates made
came from P. L. Downs Jr., of
Temple, Texas. After the idea was
approved by the Association of
Former Students, & contest was
sponsored in the Architectural De
partment for the best design de
picting the traditions of the school.
The winner, as judged by members
of an, appointed committee, was
J. F. Doyle, who was presented a
cash award.
In his winning design Doyle in
cluded traditions of the state as
well as those of the school. Ac
cording to Doyle, “When a school
has been a part of a state and has
contributed to the growth of that
state for almost sixty years, it
•seems to me that its commemora
tive plate should characterize, not
only the school itself, but also the
traditions of the state.” Thus the
design for the border of the plates
conatins the six shields of the coun
tries having held Texas under rule.
Between each shield is a design
including a “mossy-horn Texas
steer” which certainly holds a most
important place among Texas tra
ditions, also a prickly pear and a
bluebonnet.
To represent all of the various
educational phases of the school in
so small a space seemed an im
possible task, so Doyle depicted the
idea which is immediately asso
ciated with A. & M., that is, one
of the country’s outstanding mili
tary institutions; thus the border
also includes the insignia of the
various branches of R.O.T.C. found
at A. & M.
In the center of each plate of
the series of 12 is a picture of one
of the buildings of the campus.
The buildings pictured and the date
they were erected are as follows:
■Gathright Hall, 1876; Civil Engi
neering Building, 1909; Sbisa Mess
Hall, 1912; Acaaemic Building,
1912; Guion Hall, 1918; Agricultur
al Building, 1923; Kyle Field
Stadium, 1927; Cushing Memorial
Library, 1929; T. O. Walton Hall,
1931; Administration Building,
1932; Veterinary Hospital, 1932;
Chemistry Building, 1933.
Having found the design, the
drawings were sent to Josiah
Wedgwood & Sons of Etruria, Eng
land, the makers of the world’s
finest china, to be permanently
recorded in clay. Queen’s Ware
china was first perfected by Josiah
Wedgwood in the year 1761. China
of this finer type must go five
or six times into the kiln for fir
ing. Each time is an adventure or
perhaps a misadventure, since art
and science have been unable to
eliminate the dangers of the firing
process. It is according to the gods
of luck how many pieces return
whole from their trials by fire.
Certainly those that do may well
-be considered masterpieces of the
potter’s art.
A drive to sell these plates was
carried on in 1936, and plates were
sold in 17 states of the nation, as
well as orders from Corozal, Canal
Zone; Caripito, Venezuela; and
Columbia, South America.
Now the plates are again being
brought to the attention of the A.
& M. student body and to the for
mer students. The plates are be
ing sold separately for the first
time since the sales started. The
price is $2.00 apiece and the pur
chaser can buy as many as he
likes. Heretofore they were sold
only in lots of 12. Sales agents
have been selected from among the
cadet corps and the four boys
will begin taking orders Monday,
continuing their work for two
weeks only. These boys are Jack
Calhoun in dormitory 12, J. G.
Wortham in project house 12, Roy
Grobe in 26 Post Graduate Hall,
and Edgar Butschek in project
house 16.