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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 15, 1940)
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 1940 THE BATTALION Aggies Begin Thirty-Day Spring Training Period Prospects Still Look Bright For 1940, Norton Says When they dealt hands in the Southwest 1 Conference 1940 foot ball pot this week, Coach Homer Norton of the national champions, the Texas Aggies, looked at his cards, stayed for opening and saw all raises, but he didn’t like the ante. When final grades forced a dis card, the A. & M. College director of athletics made a decision: “I’ll play these,” Norton told the dealer, and he began hasty preparations for one of the busiest 30 days of spring football ever seen around Aggieland. Lost by graduation was his All- American tackle, Joe Boyd; his All- Conference end, Herbie Smith; and his highly capable passing and point-after-touchdown kicking quarterback, Walemon Price. A half-dozen more senior squadmen will graduate in June, but an ex ceptionally fine group of new ma terial is coming up from Coach Hub McQuillan’s freshman squad as replacements. Cullen Rogers was the only squadman to be laid low by scho lastic difficulties. He will return to school next fall and make a fresh start in the hopes of being eligible for two years of varsity competition. Ellis “Boots” Simmons, laid low by scholastic shortcomings'! last year, came through with flying colors, and will be a strong con tender for the end position left vacant by Herbie Smith. Pete Henry who returned to A. & M. last fall suffering from ma laria fever, has fully recovered, and will be out for the guard position he was counted upon to occupy during the 1939 season. Twenty-four varsity lettermen, seventeen of them seniors, will be available for the Aggies’ attempt to overthrow tradition and repeat as Southwest Conference cham pions in 1940. Led by John Kimbrough, the backfield will have such stellar performers as James Thomason, peerless blocking back; Bill Conat- ser, kicker and broken-field run ner; Derace Moser, whose kicking was flawless throughout the year, and who should be a much better all-around football player because of a year’s experience; Marion Pugh, who played fine quarterback for the Aggies in 1938 and 1939, and whose passing and ball-carry ing were much improved; Marland Jeffrey, who played every posi tion in the Aggie backfield in 1939 gaining valuable experience, and who / should prove very valuable his final year at Aggieland; Mar shall Spivey; Earl Smith, another speedster who has been carefully developed. A guard and a tackle again will be depended upon by Coach Nor ton to stand out as linemen of national prominence. As juniors during the 1939 campaign, Mar shall Foch Robnett at guard, and Ernest Pannell at tackle, played brilliantly and consistently enough to be almost unanimous choices for the All-Conference teams. In 1940 these boys should widen the scope of recognition for their prowess. Two years of experience has done them no harm, and an other year should see both of these young Texans gaining popularity at their respective posts. Charles Henke, a tackle in 1938 and a guard in 1939, will play his final year of eligibility at guard where he played very satisfactori ly during the Aggies’ victory march in 1939. Leon Rahn, a re serve who say lots of action at guard last year, will be playing his final year; and if he develops as rapidly in spring training and next fall as he did last year, some of the other guards will be kept on the bench. Roy Bucek will be better for the additional experi ence, Norton believes. Ed Robnett will be jousting for starting berth to make the Aggie starting lineup at guard a brother act. “Bubba” Reeves also lettered at guard last year and will be back for more. The battle for tackle berths on the team will wax hot and furious. Pannell will start, but behind him come Chip Routt, Euel Wesson and Martin Ruby. Leonard Joeris bare ly missed lettering in 1939 and will be hard to keep out of the lineup this year. He has taken on plenty of weight on his 6 foot 5-inch frame and is exceptionally fast for a 240-pounder. Senior lettermen ends back this year will include Bill Buchanan, sensational junior college transfer from Weatherford; Jack Kim brough, brother of All-American fullback John Kimbrough, and William Dawson, the Aggies’ six- foot five-inch kickoff specialist. Jim Sterling, who as a sophomore only 17 years of age made the great Aggie team of 1939 at end, will be back for his second letter heavier than his 185 pounds and taller than his 6-foot 1-inch of last year. John Abbott, blocking back, kept from lettering last year because of Thomason’s “iron man” play, has a good chance of making the grade this year. Henry Force, an other good back who failed to let ter, is counted upon this year. Carl Geer, Joe Rothe, Finis White, and George Williams are squadmen backs who will be back. Ends held out of competition this year included Bill Henderson and Willard Clark. Harold Cowley just failed to make his letter last year and he will give a good account of himself this year. Howard Shelton got in time at center, but not enough to letter, and will be back again this year. Lester Richardson, a guard, will be eligible this year as will James Williams, an end. Up from Coach McQuillan’s freshman squad will come Willie Zapalac of Bellville. Zapabac no doubt will be fitted into the Aggie backfield where he can back up the line, punt, pass and carry the mail. Also promising for a berth on the squad will be Tom Pickett. Other promising freshman backs include Woodrow Bando, Jackson Webster, James McAshan, Jerry Templeton and Leonard Beard. Freshman centers include An drew McBride, William Sibley, and Sam Rankin. Guards: Edward Og- dee, Jack Kraras, Freeman Thomp son, Felix Bucek, and Ray Mul- hollan. TJackles: Robert Tulis, James Brewer, James Montfort, and Wayne Irwin. Ends: Cecil Voss, Jamie Wilson, Jimmie Knight, Jim Duncan, and Marvin Mitchell. Scholastic eligibility require ments laid low the following: George Smith, Paul Wofford, Jack Swank, Rex Sharp, Charles Miller, H. B. Boyd, Lloyd Ferrel, Homer Hall, A. F. Johnson, and Tommy Hagelstein. Harvard University has an 85- ton cyclotron capable of produc ing atomic projectiles of 11,000,000 volts energy. A. & M. Grad Heads Students’ Judging Contests At Annual Fat Stock Show The boyhood ambition of Rufus R. Peeples was to attend Texas A. & M. and then go back to his farm in Limestone County and make it a first class livestock farm. He realized both ambitions. Now at the age of 34, Peeples finds himself a busy young man in managing the 2,000 acre Bluff Valley farm owned by his mother, Mrs. Joe Peeples, near Tehuacana. He takes time out from his farm business each year to serve as superintendent of the students’ livestock judging contests at the Southwestern Exposition and Fat Stock Show. Peeples was born in the old ranch house on the Bluff Valley Farm in 1906. His father was foreman of the ranch and later purchased a part of the property, including the headquarters. After the death of her husband in 1914, Mrs. Peeples held the farm to gether while Rufus pursued his education in the public schools and Westminster College at Tehuacana and A. & M. He received his B. S. degree in 1928. Peeples learned about student judging contests at A. & M. and was a member of the junior and senior teams in the Spring and Fall of 1927, judging that year at the Fort Worth stock show, at Wichita, Kan., Kansas City, Mo., and Chicago, 111. Interest in student judging con tests continued to grow on Peeples after he left college. He happen ed to be on hand at the Fort Worth stock show in 1929 when A. L. Ward, then superintendent of the contests, needed a section lead er. Peeples got the job and in 1935, Ward turned the superin tendency over to Peeples. During the past ten years, live stock judging contests have grown steadily. The general contest for senior agricultural college students in Fort Worth each March is sec ond only to the contest at the International Livestock Exposition in Chicago, and attracts teams from points as distant as North Dakota. Peeples also supervises the southwestern dairy student judg ing contest, the junior A. & M. and teachers’ college contest, Meats Judging contest, Dairy products judging contest, and the 4-H Club dairy judging contest. SEE US FOR THAT “NEAT” APPEARANCE AGGIELAND BARBER SHOP North Gate Opposite the Post Office ARROW’S SEMESTER SHIRT BEDFORD STRIPES (Featured in the March Esquire) ERE’s a shirt so far ahead in smart style . that even a semester’s wear won’t date it. Thin, well-spaced corded stripes on soft-hued color grounds in blue, tan, and green distinguish Bedford Stripes as the find for 1940. As with all Ar rows, they’re Sanfor- ized-Shrunk (fabric shrinkage less than 17c). Break out some fold ing money and buy an assortment of these fine shirts to day before they’re all gone. $2.25 each. Arrow Bedford ties to match $1. ARROIV SHIRTS STUDENTS' SPONSOR Rufus R. Peeples of Tehuacana, manager of a 2,000-acre farm, who takes time out every Spring to serve as superintendent of the student livestock judging contest which will attract 15 college teams from 12 states to Southwestern Exposition and Fat Stock Show, March 8-17. Prizes Offered For Winners of Magazine Short Story Contest As an incentive to .greater stu dent interest in story writing, The Battalion Magazine is conducting a short-story contest. Acceptable stories will be pub lished in the magazine, and cash prizes of $5, $3, and $2 for the three best stories. The contest closes March 1, but it is desirable that entries be sub mitted as early as possible. Stories should be not more than six pages in length, typewritten and double-spaced. They should be brought to The Battalion Office, 122 Administration Building. Subjects may be any which the writer chooses, but those dealing with campus life are preferred. The competition is open to any undergraduate student of the col lege who is not already a member of The Battalion staff. Welcome Aggies Let Us Help You Keep In Trim This Next Semester. JONES BARBER SHOP Bryan, Texas Student enrollment at Wake Fo rest College has increased 75 per cent during the last decade. Colgate University’s budget has been balanced for 17 consecutiv'e years. PAGE 3 Radiowriter Arch Oboler was the judge of a recent Wayne Univer sity student script writing con test. The Ohio State University has 60 fraternities and 20 sororities. Bamboo Brown Vangough Yellow Fawn Tobacco Tan ‘A Parade, Officer?” “Well practically. Since Martin Griffin’s new fab rics have arrived, every body is going to Martin Griffin’s to see his greatest parade in the newest men’s fashions in Hollywood styl es, in shades of Aqua Green Catalina Blue Cognac Red Moonhaze Grey NO PRICE INCREASE Suits Only $21.00 MARTIN X. GRIFFIN North Gate Be Wise!! Bug Wise!! Economize! There is no substitute for good merchandise The brands of merchandise we carry are recognized as leaders in their field Shirts Arrow shirts in the subtle new spring colors—monotone or pleasingly striped. All regular sizes $2.00 Bathrobes Glover bathrobes in all the popular styles and colors, in material that will give you real wear. $1.50 to $8.50 lit Shorts Arrow shorts in white and fancy pat terns, all sanforized. Gripper snaps instead of buttons 65£ Ties Arrow or Grayco ties in attractive patterns in harmony with the new Shirting. A choice of foulard or crepe. $1.00 Socks Interwoven or Phoenix socks in colors and patterns to make your wardrobe complete. 35^ to 50^ THE EXCHANGE STORE OFFICIAL COLLEGE STORE