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About The Texas Aggie. (College Station, Tex.) 1921-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 13, 1943)
ry TOD ADDY : \ » Y J 4 4 La ab & CAMPUS FROM THE REVIEWING STAND A Well-Earned Retirement Announcement of the resigna- tion of President T. O. Walton and his appointment as President Emeritus, brings well-earned re- tirement to a man who headed Texas A. & M. for a longer period of years than any of his thirteen predecessors. Since 1925 he has sat in the president’s chair, during a period which saw the institution enjoy its greatest growth in en- rollment, physical plant and use- fulness. A. & M. men are accustomed to regard the man serving as presi- dent during their school days as their particular “Prexy”. Dr. Wal- ton is the “Prexy” of some ten thousand Aggies ,a heavy percent- age of the entire group of A. & M. men. Not realized by many is the fact that he, like so many other men, is fighting his second war. He was in the thick of the war of food production in World War I as Director of the Extension Service. He has been under the tremendous strain of gearing the many activities of Texas A. & M. and all its divisions and branches to the demands of World War II The important part the College is playing today in the War Pro- gram attests to the success of those efforts. With his sixtieth birthday com- ing up few men have crowded more activity and work into their first three score years than T. O. Walton. He has earned well-de- served retirement. As President Emeritus he will continue to en- joy the affection of the thousands of Aggies to whom he will always be “Prexy.” From a German Prison Camp Lt. Willard S. Thomas, ’39 Lt. Willard S. Thomas, ’39, prev- iously reported “missing in action,” is a prisoner of war in Germany. He was a squadron commander in the European theater, and it is “We've Never Been Licked” — Now Showing | Universal’s picture, WE'VE NEVER BEEN LICKED, is final- ly out and now being shown at numerous theatres in the South- west and over the Nation. With the A, & M. Campus as the show’s locale, and with a story built around an A. & M. Cadet and the traditions and customs of the Cadet Corps, W. N. B. L. is largely an Aggie affair. The picture pays high honor to the military record and traditions of the A. & M. College and its sons. That is the moving theme of the story and the show. Special tribute is paid such heroes of to- day’s war as Major General George F. Moore, 08, hero of Corregidor, presumed that his plane was shot down in a raid over Germany. Lt. Thomas, on June 26, ad- dressed a card from his prison camp to the TEXAS AGGIE. The message arrived on August 7. The message was as follows: “I am a Prisoner of War in Germany and this is one place that I haven’t been able to find an Aggie. It would be a pleasure to hear from my friends. Be glad when this is over. Would like to see a football game this year. 1st Lt. W. S. Thomas, ’39.” Lt. Thomas is the son of Mr. and Mrs. E. A. Thomas, who live near Weatherford. His wife is making her home with her pa- rents, Mr. and Mrs. Wylie B. Thompson, at Huckabay. Her ad- dress is Route 4, Stephenville, Tex- as. Lt. Thomas was called to ac- tive duty in Jan. 1941, later trans- ferring to the Air Corps. He left for foreign duty last April. He and Mrs. Thomas were married in Feb. 1940. Col. Jack Hilger, ’32, second in command of the Tokyo bombing raid, Captain Ed Crane, ’38, who lead the Marines ashore at Guad- aleanal, Major John F. Day Jr. ’30, who “Sighted Sub-Sank Same,” and Lt. (J.G.) George H. Gay, only survivor of famed Torpedo Squadron Eight in the Battle of Midway. The pictures toughest critics have been A. & M. men, yet their reaction to the movie has been en- thusiastic. The picture is already receiving national distribution. Watch for it and see it. It will bring back nostalgic memories of Texas A. & M. and a feeling of pride in the war records of the sons of A. & M. Orchids to Winstead on W. N. B. L. A. & M. men who have seen Universal’s movie, “We've Never Been Licked” have expressed de- light at the Aggie color and spirit in the picture. Credit for that job goes to W. Byron Winstead, Direc- tor of Information of the College. It was his responsibility to inter- pret the atmosphere, the spirit, the traditions, and the customs of Texas A. & M. to the movie makers. In satisfying A. & M. men them- selves, he has satisfied the pie- ture’s toughest critics. As thousands of cadets and cam- pus residents realized during the filming of “We've Never Been Licked”, the production of a movie is no small matter. Mr. Winstead poured plenty of sweat and long hours into the movie, which was in line with his position and re- sponbility. Had the picture not clearly portrayed the atmosphere and the spirit of student life at A. & M., however, Winstead would have been the goat. Since the pic- ture does so well portray Aggie- land, this column believes this is- sue’s orchids go to Winstead. One A. & M. man, a member of the Board of Directors of The College, remarked after seeing the picture, “I don’t know how other people will like it, but the A. & M. people will love it.” He Keeps Them “Pike” Netherwood, ’11 Joseph F. Netherwood, 11, was promoted to the position of Sup- erintendent of Motive Power and Equipment for the Southern Pacific Lines in Texas and Louisiana, on June 30. He succeeded Mr. John A. Power, retired, and had been Rolling on . P. Mr. Power’s first assistant since 1936. A native of Lohn, Texas, Mr. Netherwood, began his career with the Southern Pacific soon after graduation in 1911. He is a mem- ber of the Society of American Me- chanical Engineers, the American Welding Society, and a represent- ative member of the Mechanical Division of the A. A. R. Known to his classmates as “Pike”, Netherwood was a younger brother of Brig. Gen. Douglas E. Netherwood, ’08, who started the nickname of “Pike” at A. & M. He was a distinguished student, a member of the Ross Volunteers, a member of the “Y” Cabinet, and a Cadet officer. Among A & M MEN 1946 NORMAN E. HALBROOKS, PHM 3/c, enlisted in the Navy after spending two semesters in A. & M. and at present is in school at Kingsville, Tex. PVT. ERNEST G. SIMMONS is with a Med. Recruit Training Bn. at Camp Barkeley, Tex. | lating to the opportunities for serv- t a If this paper is not called for return postage is guaranteed by publisher. THE TEXAS AGGIE LIBRARY Agricultural & Mechanical College of [excs - RETURN POSTAGE GUARANTEED Published Semi-Monthly Except During the Summer Months when issued Monthly by the Association of Former Students of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas VOL. XII COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS, FRIDAY, AUGUST 13, 1943 NUMBER 49 Dr. T. O. Walton Resigns Presidency Brazos County Chub Elects Officers At Big Barbecue WALTER J... COULTER, :.’95, Bryan, was elected president of the Brazos County A.&M. Club at a big barbecue held on the evening of August 2. Other new officers in- cluded: J. E. “Jocko” Roberts, ’33, Fred Hale, Carl first vice-president; ’22, second vice-president; Wipprecht, ’18, third vice-presi- dent; Charles W. Crawford, ’18, secretary-treasurer; and Dean E. J. Kyle, 99, sergeant-at-arms. The barbecue was attended by 125 A. & M. men, and was held at the Bryan Country Club. President Coulter served the Club last year as Vice-Prseident and as active President with the departure of President Martelle Dansby, ’37, to the Army. He is a leading figure in the financial and business life of the city of Bryan. The Brazos County A. & Dr. Thomas Otto Walton M. Club meets monthly. Ass'n. Directors at Summer Session Plan War End Aid to Service Men - Set 10,000 Man 1944 Fund Goal Thirty-three directors of the As- sociation of Former Students were present at the regular summer meeting of the Board, held on the campus August 7-8. President J. P. Hamblen, ’27, presided, and the group held business sessions Saturday afternoon, Saturday even- ing, and Sunday morning. The Saturday afternoon session was devoted to the transaction of routine business items. The report of the Auditing Committee, ren- dered by T. W. Mohle, ’20, chair- man, was approved and the Com- mittee and Auditor thanked for their good work. The final report on the 1943 Development Fund was approved, as was the budget for the current year. A report from the Student Loan Fund trustees was given by trustee A. F. Mitchell, ’09, and approved. Various other details of the routine work and program of the Association were checked by the Board, discussed and approved. 1944 Fund Goal—10,000 Aggies The Saturday evening session was devoted to a full discussion of the 1944 Development Fund. The Memorial Student Activities Cen- ter was again listed as the Fund’s objective, and this year’s goal set at 10,000 contributors to the Fund. President Hamblen has assigned to Vice-President Rufus Peeples, 28, Tehuacana, responsibility for inaugurating the program of class organization to assist in the Devel- opment Fund campaign. It was approved by the Board. This pro- gram calls for the appointment of a class representative for each class. It was decided that the pro- gram would be started conserva- tively, but should be definitely in- itiated by the spring of next year. Directors viewed this feature of the Development Fund program with enthusiasm. To Help War Veterans The Sunday morning session was devoted to a variety of topics under the general heading, “What About the Future?” Highlighting this session was a discussion re- ice on the part of the Association to A. & M. men at the conclusion of the war. The Board declared it would be the policy of the organi- zation that every preparation and every effort should be made to be of assistance to A. & M. men in the armed services whenever the time came for those men to return to civilian life. The President was requested to appoint a committee to lay additional plans along this line. The Board discussed with inter- est the possible effect of the post- war national military program on Texas A. & M. as a military school. appoint a committee to study this matter, the committee to be head- ed by Adjutant General A. B. Knickerbocker, ’20. The Directors again approved the idea of a huge ali-College victory homecoming, whenever the war is over. No action was taken on the suggested organization of the Past Presidents’ Club or on the sugges- tion that the Association sponsor and assist in the reorganization of the “T” Club. Held over for fu- ture discussion and decision was a suggested organization of local A. & M. Club officers to be known as “The Associated A. & M. Clubs.” Fine Attendance Officers and directors present were: J. A. Whyte, '14, Texarkana; Richard Carey, 11, Beaumont; H. K. Deason, ’16, Port Arthur; John P. McCullough, ’24, McKinney; Austin C. Bray, ’29, Dallas; Walter Coulter, ’95, Bryan; George H. Richards, ’35, Huntsville; Dr. Thomas P. Kennerly, ’34, Houston; T. M. Smith, 01, East Columbia; Cavit Love, ’99, Austin; W. E. Wade, ’30, Temple; S. J. Baker, 27, Fort Worth; Herbert Spreen, 22, Fort Worth; George Moffett, ’16, Chillicothe; C. M. Gaines, ’12, San Antonio; H. D. Winters, ’16, Brady; Tyree L. Bell, ’13, Dal- las; C. P. Dodson, ’11, Decatur; T. W. Mohle, ’19, Houston; C. M. Elwell, ’23, Austin; L. H. Wood, 23, Waco; Rufus R. Peeples, ’28, Tehuacana; J. A. (Hop) Reynolds, ’30, Dallas; Major R. N. Conolly, 37, Waco; Hubert 'G. Davis, 22, Waco; Virgil V. Parr, '14, College Station; Tyrus R. Timm, ’34, Col- lege Station; Major J. H. Blackal- ler, ’28, San Antonio; W. G. Mec- Millan, 22, Lubbock; Wm. J. Lawson, 24, Austin; J. P. Hamb- len, ’27, Houston; Brig. Gen. Ar- thur B. Knickerbocker, 20, Aus- tin, and C. C. Krueger, '12, San Antonio. “Chief”’” Now Major E. L. ANGELL, executive as- sistant to the president of the College, has been called to duty by the Army, commissioned a major, and has reported to Fort Custer, Michigan. He is slated later to attend the school for military government at the University of Virginia. Known to students of the past several years as “Chief”, Mr. Angell came to Texas A. & M. in 1936 as manager of Student Publications. He served in that capacity until June, 1941, when he was named executive assistant to The President was requested to the president. You Can’t Keep A Good Hall Down Austin Hall rating along with ‘Pfeuffer Hall as the oldest struc- tures on the Campus, is undergo- ing repairs and will become head- quarters and offices of the new Management Engineering Dept. headed by Professor V. M. Faires. Erected in 1887, Austin Hall shel- tered thousands of Aggie Cadets before being retired from active service a number of years ago. The old hall finally became just a storeroom. Last Cadet outfit to live there was the famous old “Black Eye” Company, in the late ’20’s. Pfeuffer Hall also continues in use as the scene of offices and headquarters of several experi- mental projects. N Ame Field in Honor W. P. Ragsdale Jr., ’33 “Ragsdale Field” near Fairfield, in Solano County, Calif., has been named in honor of the late Capt. William P. Ragsdale, Jr., ’33, of McAllen, who lost his life in a blazing transport plane off the Australian coast early in the war while helping evacuate civilians and soldiers from Java and Australia. Capt. Ragsdale was the son of Mrs. W. P. Ragsdale, Sr., and the late Mr. Ragsdale of McAllen. He was a brother of Elmer M. Rags- dale, 31, and James E. Ragsdale, ’39. His widow, now Mrs. H. S. Al- corn lives in McAllen. He is also survived by two sons. SKEELER FARM SCENE ORANGE CLUB BARBECUE A. & M. men ranging from the class of 1885 to 1945, were present at the barbecue of the Orange A. & M. Club, held on July 21, at the farm of W. J. “Bill” Skeeler, 16. Senior member present was Mr. previous President of the College. ing of the Board of Directors of "Elected President-Emeritus After Serving Longer Than Any Other Man - Bolton Appointed Acting President Dr. T. O. Walton resigned as President of the A. & M. College on August 7, and has been named President Emeritus. He had served as President since 1925, occupying that position longer than any other Dr. Walton’s resignation was presented to a meeting of the Board of Directors and was made upon advice from his physician. He has been in poor health for the past two years. Vice-President F. C. Bolton, Dean of the College, has been appointed Acting President by the Board. In a letter of resignation addressed to Mr. F. M. Law, ’95, Houston, Board Chairman, and dated August 6, Dr. Walton declared: “After consultation with my physician and acting up his advice, I respectfully request that the Board of Directors relieve me of all administrative responsibilities for the direction of the college and its branches. My resignation as president is to take effect at the pleasure of the Board of Directors of the College.” President Emeritus Mr. Law’s announcement of Dr. Walton’s resignation and his ap- pointment as President Emeritus of the institution followed the meet- the College. In a letter accepting the resignation and speaking for the Board, Mr. Law said: “It is the sincere wish of each member of the Board that your health may be soon regained and that many more years of service as a citizen of Texas may lie ahead of you.” No announcement has been made by the College Board regarding a successor to Dr. Walton. The Board is scheduled to hold its next meeting in September. Flash Bulletin: H. H. Williamson “Bill” Williamson, ’11, Director of the Agricultural Ex- tension Service of the College since 1935, was not re-elected by the Board of Directors of the College at its meeting on Aug. 7-8, ac- cording to a story released by The Associated Press as the AGGIE goes to press. No statement has been made by the Board to that time. According to the A. P. story Mr. Williamson was advised by Acting President F, C. Bolton of the action of the Board. When ask- ed if he would confirm rumors that he had resigned Mr. William- son said, “I’ve been told that I've been fired. I had nothing to resign for. No reasons were given me in asking for my resignation and I have had no hearing to date.” Announcement of the change was made by Acting President Bolton on authorization of College Board Chairman F. M. Law, ’95, Hous- ton. Mr. Williamson, a native of Grimes County, joined the Exten- sion Service four years after his graduation from A. & M. in 1911. He had been advanced through various positions in to Service un- til he was made Director in 1935. George E. Adams, Vice-Director, has assumed the duties of Direc- tor, although it has not been an- nounced if he is serving in an “Acting” capacity. George Bancroft, class of 1885. Club President H. L. “Heinie” In- gram, ’10, presided. The club’s next meeting will be held in Sep- tember and will be a Ladies’ Night. Arrangements for the barbecue were made by the club’s executive committee, consisting of E. L. Bruce, '94; J. H. Thomason, ’16; W. J. Skeeler, ’16; R. A. McClean, ’18; and A. J. McKenzie, "27. To Fight Soil Erosion in Chima 4 Dr. D. V. Shuhart, 20 Dr. Donald V. Shuhart, ’20, has been appointed to assist the Chi- nese Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, as a specialist in the con- trol of soil erosion. He is leaving immediately for Chungking, China. He goes as a representative of the Division of Cultural Relations of the United States Department of State. The appointment was made by the Hon. Cordell Hull, Secre- tary of State. Dr. Shuhart has been a specialist in soil erosion control in the Soil Conservation Service for the past ten years. Prior to that time he taught Hor- ticulture. He is regarded as one of the outstanding soil conserva- tion experts of the United States. His chief aim in China will be to aid in safeguarding the soils for crops under the vital Chinese War- Time Food Program. Shuhart entered A. & M. in 1914 but due to World War I service did not receive his degree until 1920. He later took his Master’s Degree from Oklahoma A. & M. and his Doctor’s Degree from the Univer- sity of Chicago. As a student at A. & M. he made his letter in track and was a distinguished student. His Fort Worth address is 2910 Wabash Street. His future address, Chungking, China. Dr. Walton became the thirteenth president of Texas A. & M. in 1925. He succeeded Dr. W. B. Biz- zell, now President Emeritus of Oklahoma University. During his eighteen years as President, he has seen almost three-fourths of the living graduates of Texas A. & M. receive their diplomas. Dur- ing his tenure the College enroll- ment record has soared from 2,379 to approximately 7,000 immediate- ly before Pearl Harbor. Born in Panola County, East Texas in 1884, he was educated in the public schools, at the North Texas State Teachers College and took special courses at Texas A. & M. Baylor University conferred the degree of Doctor of Laws up- on him in 1926. Dr. Walton’s first contact with the A. & M. College came in 1908 when he was named County Agri- cultural Agent in Polk County. He became a district agent and later director of the Extension Service. He moved from that position to the presidency in 1925. Heads Land Grant Colleges Dr. Walton is a past president of the Association of Land Grant Colleges of the United States, and at the present time is the Chair- man of the Executive Committee of that organization. Dr. and Mrs. Walton raised their family on the Campus, all of their children now being grown. Dr’s. Turner Walton, ’27, and T. O. Wal- ton, Jr., ’37, are practicing phy- sicians in Bryan and College Sta- tion. Mrs. H. E. Burgess, (’29,) the former Miss Ethyle Walton, lives at College Station, when she . is not with her husband who is in the Army. Mrs. Frank E. Bortle, (’31), the former Miss Lilly Mae Walton, lives with her husband in Ames, Iowa. Dr. Walton has announced no future plans other than to express his desire to be of any possible assistance to his successor and to render whatever service he finds possible in his position as Presi- dent Emeritus. Bolton Faculty Veteran Dean Frank C. Bolton, has been at A. & M. for the past twenty- five years. He was formerly head of the Electrical Engineering De- partment, later Dean of Engineer- ing and more recently Dean of the College and Vice-President. He is a graduate of Mississippi State College. Dallas Aggie Stage WNBL Program Hundreds of A. & M. men, pa- rents of students and Ex-Students, and their friends crowded the Majestic Theater in Dallas last Thursday night for the grand open- ing in that city of WE’VE NEVER BEEN LICKED. A radio program from the stage of the theatre pre- ceded the show. Appearing on the program to represent A. & M. men were Marion S. Church, ’05, A. J. Rife, 09, and J. A. “Hop” Rey- nolds, ’30. The theatre party was staged through the cooperation of the Dallas A. & M. Club and the Majestic Theatre.
