THE
TEXAS
VOLUME IL
Published Semi- -Monthly by the Association of Former Students of the Agricultural and Mechanical College
BRYAN, TEXAS, AUGUST 15, 1922.
of Texas.
AGGIE
NUMBER 3
Texas A. & M. is Meeting
Industrial Needs of State
In Engineering School
Service in Developing Industrial Resources of Texas is Ideal Held
up by Engineering Faculty.
Industries of State Are
Cooperating With Faculty.
By F. C. BOLTON, Dean, School of Engineering,
A. and M. College of Texas.
The A. and M. College bears a three-fold relation to the industries of the
state.
men for positions of responsibility in the industries.
a college is to educate its students and to inspire them to higher ideals.
Its first, and perhaps most important relation, is that of training
The primary purpose of
In
return for the investment of the funds of the state and the time of the stu-
dents, the citizens of Texas have a right to expect that the young men will
go out from the college not only equipped to take positions of leadership in
the industries of Texas but with an inspiration for service so strong and a
vision for the future so vivid that others in the industries may become inspired
with a similar spirit to the end that Texas may develop to her rightful place
as an industrial state as well as an agricultural state.
The college is turning out young
men trained to become architects, ag-
~ ricultural engineers, chemical engi-
neers, civil engineers, electrical engi-
neers, mechanical engineers and tex-
tile engineers, and, if by virtue of
their connection with the institution
and their contact with its personnel,
they are able to develop the industries
to a higher state of usefulness, to
more effectively utilize the resources
of the state, and to make possible a
better standard of living in Texas, it
will feel that it is accomplishing the
purpose for which it was established.
Graduates Successful.
The success that has come to its
graduates is a source of congratula-
tion to the college and the number of
industries which seek A. and M. men
for their organizations is an evidence
of the success of those who have gone
out before.
It is not the purpose of the college
to turn out men thoroughly familiar
with the details of the practice in any |
particular industry nor should this
be expected. What the college does
aim to do it to give the student the
fundamental engineering principles
and to develop his mind so that he can
analyze the problems confronting him,
solve them by the applications of
principles with which he is familiar.
An engineering graduate should know
where to get the information he needs
and how to understand and apply it
when he finds it.
The engineering courses develop
the men and prepare them for the in-
dustries. The industries have a mu-
tual understanding to take these men
and give them an opportunity to fit
themselves into their organizations.
They should not expect the men to be
familiar with the details of their work
but they do have a right to expect
them to acquire such familiarity
much more quickly and more thor-
oughly than the man who has not had
the college training.
College Up-to-Date.
As a manufacturer must watch the
market for his goods, so the college
must keep informed of the needs of
the industries with which its gradu-
ates are to function. It is the duty
of those teaching the engineering
students to keep in close touch with
the industries and they are doing this
through summer work and by many
other contacts.
A second relation with the indus-
tries is typified by the engineering
experiment station which is a depart-
ment of the college organized for the
purpose of investigating engineering
and industrial problems of value to
the state. The personnel of the va-
rious engineering departments consti-
tnte the staff of the station and the
research work which the staff is con-
ducting is correlated and directed
through the engineering experiment
station. The heavy demand for the
bulletins is perhaps the best indica-
tion of their usefulness and value.
Much Information Given.
The third relation has been through
"answering of inquiries regarding en-
gineering matters and giving infor-
mation in an informal way. The col-
lege is called upon to answer many
inquiries regarding matters of a tech-
nical or semi-technical nature and it
is always glad to give reasonable in-
formation of this nature upon request.
The college feels a responsibility
for leadership in developing the in-
dustries of the state and endeavors
tn have its faculty members take an
active part in meetings of engineers.
A short time ago the college coop-
erated with the federal authorities
(Continued of page 4)
AGGIES HAVE
Bl SUMMER
IN ROCKIES
Infaniry Cadets Spend Summer in
Cool Colorado.
By J. C. MAYFIELD,
Editor 1923 Longhorn.
The morning of June 15th found
eighty-two Texas Aggies arriving in
Denver, Colorado, where they were
scheduled to spend the summer in
training at the R. O. T. C. camp at
Fort Logan. They arrived in Fords
and automobiles, passenger trains
and probably freights. All roads led
to Denver for the Aggies and they
came bent upon enjoying their sum-
mer vacation in the Rockies at the
expense of Uncle Sam.
This summer camp was made pos-
sible by the War Department’s plan
of summer camps for the various R.
O. T. C. units throughout the coun-
wry. Ft. Logan was designated as
the camping place for all Infantry
R. O. T. C. units in the Eighth Corps
Area. The summer training is com-
pulsory for students of the advanced
course and it is elective for a limited
number of students in the basic
course. There were 152 students,
including both advanced and basie
course, in the Ff. Logan camp.
Dame Fortune, or. the hea dof the
R. O. T. C. branch of the army, was
surely smiling on the Infantry when
this site was selected. No more in-
viting place could have been chosen
to lure a college youth than this.
Exceptional Physically.
Physical examinations and the is-
suing of equipment were the first
things in order. The Post Surgeon
said of the 152 men he axamined:
“]l have never examined men who
were better qualified physically than
these”. The clothing issued was
regulary-army issue but it was new
and the best that could be procured.
Each cadet was issued 2 pairs of
trousers, 2 wool shorts, 1 blouse, 1
hat and hat cord, 1 pair of shoes, 4
pairs of socks, 4 sheets, 2 pillow
cases, 2 mattress covers, 3 blankets,
1 Springfield rifle, 1 Colt automatic,
1 belt and canteen, 1 mess kit com-
plete, and 1 raincoat.
Work began by noon of the first
day, and the instructors were army
officers of a type that could arouse
interest among the cadets and make
it possible to accomplish a great deal
during the short space of six-weeks.
The advanced course was divided
nto two groups. “A” Company was
known as tffe rifle company; while
“B” Company was the specialists
group. “C” company made up the
basic course. The first few days
were spent in the fundamentals of
instruction. Then each condpany
took up the work with their various
weapons. “A” company with the
riflle and pistol, and ‘“B” company
with the machine!gun, the one-poundy
ei, the trench mortar, and the pistol.
The first half of the camp was giv-
an over to these special weapons, and
che last half to such work as minor
tactics, field engineering, etc.
Cadets were allowed to visit Den-
ver after 3:15 in the afternoon of
each day, and to wear civilian cloth-
ing. Wednesday and Saturday af-
ternoons were half-holidays. Dur-
ing the last half of the camp, all
(Continued on Page 4)
ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING BUILDING.
; Note wireless tower on top of building. The Electrical Engineering Department
in cooperation with U. S. Signal Corps maintains an up-to-date radio department.
Electrical Engineering students studying different types of motors in one of the
department’s laboratories.
WGREGOR
HAS GOOD
POSITION
Graduate of the Class of 1916 Ac-
cepts Position With Southern
Pacific Lines.
J. Ira McGregor ’16 spent the lat-
| ter part of the month of July at Col-
lege Station in consultation with the
Agricultural faculty and members of
the Extension Service relative to the
work he expects to put on in the
the
along the Southern Pacific lines in
way of improving agriculture
Texas and Louisiana as agricultural
agent for the Southern Pacific in Tex-
as and Louisiana.
Mr. McGregor specialized in duiry
husbandry at A. and M. College and
has been identified with various
dairying enterprises, agricultural ex-
tension work and agricultural teach-
ing since he left College. He gave
up a position with the Army Voca-
tional School at Fort Sam Houston
where he has been employed to give
agricultural instruction to the sold-
iers. He was a leader of his class
in College and has risen rapidly since
leaving school.
FI NR A eS aS
DENISON-HINTON.
Friends of Mr. G. A. Denison have
received the announcement of his
marriage to Miss Dorothy Ruth Hin-
ton of Birmingham, Ala., on June
21, 1922. Mr. and Mus. 'Denison
are making their home at 1252
Maplewood, Birmingham, Ala.
DR. MARK FRANCIS, EMINENT
SCIENTIST, HEADS SCHOOL
OF VETERINARY MEDICINE
Texas A. and M. College Offers Veterinary Students Rare Oppor-
tunity of Studying Under Man of Recognized
National Prominence.
The old time has
gone the way of the mustang pony,
the longhorn cow and the razorback
hog. Like the scrub animal he has
served his purpose in paving the way
for his more up-to-date successor.
With the broad backed, thick loined
beef animal, the high producing cow,
the royal blooded porker and highly
bred horses has come the modern up-
to-the-minute doctor of veterinary
medicine with his college degree and
his license from the state to practice
just like any medical doctor. In
fact, the doctor of veterinary medicine
of today is required to be as studious
of his profession as his brother M. D.
if he would keep abreast of the rapid-
“horse doctor”
sion and hold his license to practice.
fortunate in having at the head of its
Veterinary School one of the oldest,
most experienced and noted doctors
of veterinary medicine in the United
States. While he is one of the oldest
from the standpoint of service he is
one of the youngest from the stand-
point of actively engaging in his pro-
fession. Dr. Mark Francis, Dean of
the Veterinary School, came to Texas
while the state and its Agricultural
College were in their infancy. He
grew up with the principle industry
of the state, the livestock industry,
and beyond question, has contributed
more toward the advancement of the
industry in this state and throughout
the South than any other one man.
He arrived in this state when the
ravages of the Texas fever tick were
taking millions of dollars out of the
pockets of the Texas cattlemen. The
longhorn and the scrub were in evi-
dence everywhere and the cow men
had given up all hope of ever being
able to improve their herds by the in-
troduction of better cattle like their
fellow cow men of the northern
ranges were doing. This was be-
cause the fever tick forbade them
bringing in the pure-breds that were
not already immunized.
Investigation Necessary.
This was about the biggest problem
that confronted the livestock indus-
try of the United States but it wasn’t
too big for Dr. Mark Francis. The
U. S. Department of Agriculture had
its corps of veterinarians working on
the problem and in cooperation with
advancement of the veterinary profes-
The A. and M. College of Texas is'
DR. MARK FRANCIS.
Dean, School of Veterinary Medicine.
these men Dr. Francis set about to
find a solution. Little was known in
those days, even in the medical pro-
fession, about serums, antitoxines and
immunization against diseases. Na-
turally there was a long period of ex-
perimentation with disheartening re-
sults before the real solution began
to dawn upon the investigators. The
writer has heard Dr. Francis tell a
great many of his experiences during
those days. Uuon more than one oc-
casion he has been heard to declare
that while he was applying every
thing known to science to the solution
of the problem, he was also trying
out “every fool suggestion offered by
every ‘rube’ that chanced to come
along,” with the hope of stumbling
upon something worth while. One of
the most amusing of these experiences
was when he tried out someone’s sug-
gestion that ticks could be electro-
cuted on the cow without damage to
the animal. Determined to try out
this suggestion, Dr. Francis put a
“dogie” steer on an insullated plat-
form and connected him in on an elec-
tric light circuit and switched on the
110 volts of electricity. It seems
that up to that time no one had tak-
en the trouble to find out how much
electricity a steer could conveniently
carry through his body, but Dr.
Francis discovered that 110 volts was
(Continued on Page 4)
| damentals
ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING
COURSE IS BEST OFFERED
IN THE
SOUTHERN STATES
Laboratory Ranks With the Best Institutions in the Country.
Faculty of Experienced Engineers. Unlimited Oppor-
tunities for Graduates.
The course in Electrical Engineer-
ing at the A. and M. College of Tex-
as is designed to give young men
both a thorough training in the fun-
of engineering and a
knowledge of those subjects which
make for a broad and comprehensive
understanding of the individuals duty
to society. It has for its objective
the preparation of men for positions
of responsibility in industrial and
engineering organizations. While
the course is intended to give the
student some training which he can
use in the industrial fields immed-
iately on graduation, decidely the
major purpose is to so equip the stu-
dent that he will eventually rise
through the more subordinate tech-
nical positions to a position of real
leadership in those industries which
concern themselves with the produc-
tion, transmission or utilization of
electrical energy either in the oper-
ation or the design and construction
of electrical systems or their parts.
Course of Study.
The faculty has worked out a
course of instruction which it be-
lieves is most effective in preparing
the student for this objective. Three
‘mportant points have been kept in
view.
1. The course gives a working
knowledge of the more fundamental
principles of engineering upon which
a student can accumulate such a
fund of engineering experience that
will transform him from ‘the status
of an engineering graduate into a
real engineer. This includes an ac-
quaintance with physics and chem-
istry as underlying sciences, a knowl-
edge of mathematics as a tool which
the engineer must use continually,
and a grounding in engineering me-
chanics of materials, and kinematics,
the application of which are so wide-
spread in engineering practice.
2. Of great importance is a thor-
ough knowledge of the principles un-
derlying electrical phenomena with
sufficient of the practical application
to maintain the student’s interest in
the topics under discussion and to
impress more firmly the fundamental
laws of electricity.
3. The importance of English,
economics, and other subjects of cul-
tural value must not be underesti-
mated if the engineer is to*take his
place as an educated c'tizen. In the
limited time available it is not pos-
sible to give a complete cultural edu-
cation but these subjects are includ-
ed in the curriculum with the pur-
pose of showing a student his need
for such education and arousing in
him a desire for additional cultural
knowledge which will impel him to
continue his stduies after he leaves
college.
Opportunities Are Many.
While the electrical field is young
in comparison with some other en-
gineering fields, its development has
been very rapid and many of its
methods have become standardized.
In spite of the fact that much devel-
opment has already taken place,
there is still an excellent opportunity
for the man with the inventive or
creative mind who will not be daun-
ted by the limitations of our present
knowledge, but will find new uses for
electricity or new methods of applying
our present knowledge of its uses.
In addition to the type of man
needed for research and investiga-
tions, the manufacture of electrical
equipment demands some men who
can design electrical machines, some
who can develop the most efficient
methods of manufacture, others who
can determine the best type of elec-
trical machine for each use, and still
others to handle the actual distri-
bution and sales of such equipment.
All these require men trained in elec-
trical engineering, for whether a
man is to build electrical machinery
or sell it he can only do so success-
fully when he has knowledge of the
principles on which it operates and
how it forms a part of the entire
system.
In the operating -field the demand
is no less varied. The electric pow-
er plant in a community has become
the source of energy not only for the
lighting of buildings and streets, but
for the operation of all kinds of ma-
chinery ranging in size from the lar-
gest factory to the sewing machine
and the vacuum cleaner in the home.
Because of the nature of the bus-
iness, men with engineering train-
ing are needed not only for the more
highly technical positions in the or-
ganization but by virtue of their
technical ° training they function
best in practically every position of
(Continued on Page 4)