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
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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
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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
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Shirts
Arrow shirts in the subtle new spring
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Bathrobes
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Shorts
Arrow shorts in white and fancy pat
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Arrow or Grayco ties in attractive
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Interwoven or Phoenix socks in colors
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THE EXCHANGE STORE
OFFICIAL COLLEGE STORE