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About The Texas Aggie. (College Station, Tex.) 1921-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 3, 1943)
Ne PN 8 ET Rh pikes Ry FROM THE REVIEWING STAND The State Department Should Act Relatives and friends of the thousands of Americans captured by the Japanese in the Philippine campaign are up in arms, and just- ly so, over the U. S. Department of State's apparent apathy as to the condition and eventual fate of these American heroes. The State Department may be doing its le- vel best but so far no results have been achieved. Nor has the State Department been able to con- vince the public that it is doing all in its power. Of the Americans captured in the Philippines, too many have died in Japanese prison camps. No- thing is definitely known as to the conditions under which they live. It is recognized that dealing with Japan presents an extremely dif- ficult problem. Regardless of any difficulties, the State Department or whatever other national agency might be charged with this problem should immediately, aggressively, and continuously attempt to work out some relief for these American captives. The best solution, of course, would be an exchange of prisoners. Failing in that, every effort should be made to send to the American groups ample supplies of food, clothing, and medicine. If diplomatic or other red tape stands in the way of immediate action, such barriers should be ruthlessly cut. If the State Depart- ment is doing everything in its power, it should say so and take the American people into its confi- dence by telling them what it has done and why its efforts have been stymied. So far the campaign to stir up the State Department has rested almost entirely on the relatives and immediate friends of the Ame- ricans in Japanese prison camps. It is high time for the State De- partment to make its position clear and to outline its efforts in this connection. Special For Overseas Men Would Texas Aggies, students of the University of Texas, other Texans, and football fans general- ly who are stationed overseas like to hear a short wave broadcast of the Texas Aggie-University foot- ball game this fall? The Humble Company, traditional broadcasters of Southwest football, offers to pay for lines from Texas to either coast where short wave could pipe the program overseas, or to fur- nish transcriptions of the game to any place where they could be re- broadcast. All commercials would be deleted. In view of Humble’s generous offer it seems a shame that such a program should not overseas, themselves be presented for men provided those men desire the program. If men overseas would like to hear this program, it is suggested that they make their wishes known to the Chief of the Radio Bureau, Office of War Information, Wash- ington, D. C. Here’s an opportunity for Ag- gies and Longhorns to unite in a common cause and to enlist the support of other Texans and other football fans on the far-flung for- eign front. OWI doubtless wants to put on such programs as are most desired by overseas fighting men. Let them know your wishes. The Placement Office To Ag Grads in the Service “We have a large number of agricultural graduates who have gone directly from college into the service. This means that many will not have positions awaiting them when they leave the Army. I would like for all of these men, together with others who might want to change positions, to feel free to write me or to the head of the department in which they took their major work as soon as they are out and we will be glad to do everything within our power to help them get lo- cated in good positions.” E. J. Kyle, Dean School of Agriculture Metallurgists The Placement Office has sever- al calls for metallurgists with or without experience in this field. Engineers One of the nation’s largest Air- craft Corporations has openings for engineers with at least three years experience in other fields. Such men may be hired on a full time basis at a rate of $200 a month, and will be put through a six-weeks training course to familiarize them with Aircraft en- gineering. Anyone interested shruld make application to the Placement Ofice, Mr. W. R. Horsly, Manager or to Mr. Howard W. Barlow, head of the Aeronautical Engineer- ing Department, Texas A. & M. College. Football Under Difficulties With the approach of football season it’s time for a look-see over prospects in the Southwest, where all conference schools except Bay- lor will field teams. At this stage of the season Texas University looms as an overwhelming favor- ite, with several letter-men pres- ent and a flock of experienced hands from the naval and marine reserves on hand. T. C. U., S. M. U., and Rice will likewise profit from similar but smaller reserve contingents, while Arkansas and the Aggies as army schools are left completely out in the cold. Strange thing about the army ban on reserves playing football is that the game will still be played at West Point. Over a hundred youngsters have been working out on Kyle Field for the past several weeks, with reg- ular practice due to start Sept. first. Additional prospects for the team will enroll at the opening of the fall semester late in Septem- ber. At this writing there is nothing on the Aggie squad that can be classed as experienced, be- yond a few lads who played last year on the Fish squad. A few of them have stood out, perhaps because they are well known for past high school performance, and it is a fairly safe bet that those few will be among the Aggie leaders. Prospects Best looking among the backs to date have been Marion Flanagan, the Sweetwater flash, who starr- ed last fall for the Fish, Earl Beesley, 170, Dallas, Bob Butchof- sky, 170, Ysleta, “Red” Turner, 200, Beaumont, and James Hall- mark, 160, Kilgore. Among the squad’s fastest men is Gunn, Col- umbus, who will be dangerous in an open field. Among the lines- men, Marion Settegast, 200, Hous- ton, Goble Bryant, 200, Dallas, and Charley Hohn, 155, College Sta- tion, have been standouts. Sette- gast is the son of famed “Newt”, Aggie tackle of 1915-16, and Hohn the son of famed “Dutch”, who starred a few years earlier. The Saddest Sight The season’s saddest sight for Aggie coaches and fans will be a bevy of experienced gridders sitting in the stands, ineligible for play because they are in the army training group. They will be among the juniors taken into the army last spring and scheduled to be returned to the campus for this next term. Among them will be the following lettermen and an additional flock of squadmen: Barney Welch, Otto Payne, Hank Foldberg, Ed Sturcken, Dickie Haas, Floyd Hand, Jelly Stey- mann, and Damon Tassos. There is a pretty fair backfield, a couple of tackles, a good end and a cen- ter. And incidentally the snapper- back post has Norton plenty wor- ried at this time. The Schedule Head Coach Norton will be as- sisted by Bill James, Manning Smith and Lil Dimmitt. The sched- ule opens with the Bryan Air Field on Sept. 25, moves to San Antonio for Texas Tech on the night of Oct. 2, to Baton Rouge for L. S. U. on the night of Oct. 9, and to Fort. Worth for T...C..U. oni Oct. 16. “Klepto” Holmes, ’26, brings his N. T. A. C. powerhouse to College on Oct. 23, bolstered with ma- rine and navy reservists, and due to be among the best in the area if he keeps his boys on hand. Then comes Arkansas, S. M. U., Rice and Texas. If this paper is not called for return postage is guaranteed by publisher. THE TEXAS AGGIE 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 VOLUME XII COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 1943 WHEN WNBL CAME TO BALTIMORE The above group appeared on the radio program over Station W.LT.H. at Baltimore, Mary- land, in connection with the opening of WE'VE NEVER BEEN LICKED, at the Keith Theater in that city. From left to right: Captain Fern L. Nickle, ’28; Miss Shamburger; Captain T. G. Hall, ’40, Special Service Officer, Edgewood Arsenal, Maryland; Major Roy Franks, ’30; Miss Fredricks; and Kent Manning, ‘44. They were among a group of well over 100 Texas Aggies who participated in Texas Aggie night at the Baltimore opening. NUMBER 50 “10,000 In 44”; Goal 2nd Annual Development Fund Drive For Memorial Center “10,000 IN ’44” has been annual Texas A. & M. College set as the goal of the second Development Fund. The Fund campaign opened on September first with details mailed from the Association of Former Student office to fifteen thousand A. & M. men. Decision to place emphasis on the number of contributors to the fund this year was reached by the Board of Directors of the Association at its summer meeting held Aug. 7-8. The objective of this year’s Development Fund will again be War Bonds to be given to the college, to be held to launch the Memorial Student Activities Center on the campus after the war is over. This year’s Fund solicitation carries a con- ception of the Center sketched by Jack Finney, '22, Professor of Architecture. The Memorial Feature In a message to A. & M. men in connection with the Development Fund campaign, Association President Jake Hamblen, ’27, Houston, stressed the memorial feature of the Student Activities Center with these words, “The Me- morial feature of this Golden Dream is difficult to sketch, and even more difficult to discuss. Nevertheless, the contri- bution to the defense of their Country by the Eleven Thous- and A. & M. men in the armed services today, by the Twenty- Five Hundred in 1917-18, and by the similar heroes of other wars. MUST NEVER BE FORGOTTEN. Their record has built the greatest tradition of Texas A. & M. Their record has made Texas A. & M. a national symbol of rugged patriot- ism. That record will be fittingly immortalized in the Me- morial Student Activities Center.” ; ’ The present Fund Drive is for the 1944 Fund, which will close next May 31. In normal years the Fund will close at Commencement, and the annual gift from the Fund to the College will be made as a feature of the Commencement ex- ercises. 4 A. & M. men took over the Keith Theater in Baltimore Maryland, for the first showing in that city of WE’VE NEVER BEEN LICK- ED, on the night of August 11. Swelling the attendance of Ag- gies present were nearly 100 of- ficer-candidates from Edgewood Arsenal and the Aberdeen Proving Grounds all members of the 1944 Class. As a part of the evening prog- ram the radio show was broadcast over Station W.I.T.H. Appearing on that program was the group above. In addition to those in the picture, others seen present were Keeling ’38 (Jack R. or John B, whichever one, please report); Lt. Bill Dean ’36; Capt. John Zercher ’40; Lt. Fritz Brocksmidt, ’38; Lt. Bill Brandon ’43; and Lt. Fred Rand ’43. Many others were pre- sent whose names were not secured and no register of the big number of 44 men was available. Danny Green Tops J Swim Records In the Southern A.A.U.P. Swim- ming Meet held in New Orleans recently, Danny Green, second se- mester sophomore, won in three events and set three records. Green swam the 220 yards in 2:20 min- utes, 4 seconds under the old rec- ord. In the 100-yard swim Green made it in 55:3 seconds, a margin of .7 second under the old time. Danny outswam Hirose, an Ha- waiian, former national 100-meter champion in 1941 in the 440 yard stretch, swimming it in 5:17:9 minutes, which is 3.5 seconds less than the old record. Green was presented a trophy and granted recognition by the city of New Orleans. Forrester Heads Amarillo Aggies V. G. Forrester, '25, has been elected President of the Amarillo Pan-Handle A. & M. Club. The Club meets regularly on the first Monday night of each month. Other new officers include George W. Scott, ’26, Vice-President, and Carl W. “Miller From Amarillo”, '28, Secretary-Treasurer. President Forrester is with the Federal Land Bank of Houston, with Headquarters at Amarillo. His address is P. O. Box 1414. He was a former Texas Farm Loan Superintendent for a large in- surance company. He has had previous A. & M. Club official ex- periences, having been one of the organizers and serving as Presi- dent of the Greenville A. & M. Club a number of years ago. = x ¥ pi ° pe Lr Nr a 5 b ory be. Fo wad Wd 4 5 ECL Fe Senate Committee Investigates Changes In College Personnel; Walton Recovering A one day hearing on the recent change in personnel at the A. & M. College involving President T. 0. Walton and Extension Director H. H. Williamson was held by the Senate General Investigating Com- mittee, in Austin, on August 19. Following the hearing Senator Houghton Brownlee, Chairman of the Committee, declared the case to be still open but said nothing more was to be done and that un- less something new developed it appeared that the probe had been comcluded. The committee hear- ing was held after the resignation of President Walton and the fail- ure of the Board of Directors of the college to re-elect Mr. H. H. Williamson. Walton’s Illness Confirmed That Dr. Walton’s resignation was forced by illness was confirm- ed to the Committee in a telegram from Dr. Walton’s physicians, Drs. L. O. Wilkerson and T. T. Walton, Bryan. F. M. Law, ’95, Houston, Chairman of the College Board, testified to the same effect. The hearing brought out that the Board had gone as far as it could to provide financial compensation for Dr. Walton by electing him President Emeritus at his present salary of $12,000 for the first year and $6,000 for the second year, with the hope that subse- quent boards would continue the $6,000 until Dr. Walton reached the College retirement age of 70. The Williamson Case Most of the one day hearing was taken up in testimony over the failure of the College Board to re-elect H. H. Williamson, ’11, ve- teran Extension Service employee and for 8 years Director of that Service. Board Chairman F. M. Law and other directors denied that any outside agency had influ- enced their action or had attempt- ed to do so. Mr. Law declared that no member of the College Board had ever impugned the honesty, integrity or character of Mr. Wil- liamson, but that a majority of the Board felt he should be re- placed for the best interests of the Extension Service and the Col- lege. Director Burns Differed Director John C. Burns, ’04, Fort Worth, was the only member of the Board to declare that he fa- vored retaining Mr. Williamson— “He held the place a long time and I saw no reason why he should not be continued. I knew of no spe- cific reason for not re-employing him,” said Mr. Burns. Burns agreed with other directors that the subject of Williamson's servi- ces had been discussed by the Board at least two years ago. He said that he had asked the Board to gve a hearing before action was taken but was over-ruled by a majority. Directors. who said they favored discontinuing Mr. Williamson’s services included: A. H. Demke, Stephenville; R. W. Briggs, ’17, San Antonio; G. R. White, 95, Brady; Major General H. C. Brees, San Antonio; and Chairman Law. Their individual testimony was essentially the same as that of Chairman Law; that in their considered judgement a change in the Director of Exten- sion was for the best interests of that service. Williamson Testifies In his testimony Mr. Williamson said he had no idea of why he was discharged, as no reason had been given and that his attempts to appear before the Board were de- nied him. He said he had very few contacts with the Board during his entire tenure. He denied that he had engaged in politics in reply to one director’s charges that he was too politically minded. Mr. Williamson said his relations with Dr. Walton had been splen- did but that he had once been charged with being too loyal to the President. He admitted his loyalty both to Dr. Walton and to his friends and associates in the Extension Service. In his concluding statement, Mr. Williamson said he did not ques- tion the right of the College Board to fire him and was sure that the Board was motivated by conscien- tious desires to serve the .best in- terest of the Extension Service and the College. He definitely did question the wisdom and justice of the Board’s action of dispensing with the services of an employee without giving the party involved specific reasons and an opportuni- ty of defense if he so desired. He declared that such a policy would be damaging to the morale and per- formance of the many fine and competent employees of A. & M. College—*“It is no longer a possibi- lity or a probability that such a thing can happen—it has happen- ed,” he concluded. The one day inquiry produced nothing startling and in the opin- ion of newspapers of the State ended a wide-spread discussion of the changes at A. & M. brought about by the resignation of Presi- dent Walton and the elimination of Director Williamson. Another ator Penrose Metcalf, ’16, is Chairman, has the authority to hold another investigation. No word of such a decision of that committee has been heard. Dr. Walton Resting Following his resignation as President of the College, Dr. T. 0. Walton has been put to bed by his physicians, Drs. L. O. Wilker- son and T. T. Walton, the latter his son. He is suffering from a gastro-intestinal difficulty brought on by the terrific strain under which he has been working for the past several years. His physicians believe that a thorough rest and relaxation will bring a complete cure. No specific plans have been an- nounced for Dr. Walton in his new service as President Emeritus of the College. It is known that he and Mrs. Walton plan to move from the President’s Home to their private home adjacent to the cam- pus in the near future. In a letter to the faculty and staff of the College, following his resignation, Dr. Walton expressed his appreci- ation for the support he had re- ceived during his presidency and urged that the same fine support and cooperation be accorded his successor, whoever he might be. The New President Although no official word has come from the Board of Directors of the College, newspapers of the State and rumor lovers enjoyed a field day conjecturing on who would be named the 14th President of The A. & M. College. The Dallas News declared that Engineering Dean Gibb Gilchrist was the lead- ing prospect. Austin papers, abet- ted by Governor Coke Stevenson, presented the name of Former Governor Dan Moody. Governor Stevenson stated to a press con- ference that the election of Gover- nor Moody would meet with his full approval and he guessed that it would be highly agreeable to the majority of the College Direc- tors. Board Chairman F. M. Law expressed surprise when queried about Governor Moody, but added that his name was on the list of possibilities along with 20 or 380 others. Mr. Law stated that the Board would meet on September 6, at Houston, and declared “Be as- sured that nothing definite has been done or will be done until the September 6 Board session. We will consider the matter at that time and it is not definite that fi- Fund Sets High Record The first year of the Develop- ment Fund Program set what may be a new high record in number of men contributing, among the Ex-Student organizations of the Nation operating on this basis. Oldest and largest funds are those of alumni groups of Harvard, Yale, Dartmouth, Cornell, Chio State and several of the Eastern women’s colleges. With 6,277 men participating in the Fund in its first year, Texas A. & M. men broke into a select circle so far as Ex-Student activities are concern- ed. Few fund programs have en- joyed so complete a succes in their first year. Should the Development Fund reach this year’s stated goal of “10,000 IN 44”, it may bring to A. & M. men the honor of leading every Alumni organization in the country in number of participants in a Fund Program. Basic Fund Details They've been related often but every A. & M. man should know the basic details of the Develop- ment Fund Program, “Every Ex- Student of Texas A. & M. 1s a member of the Association of For- mer Students.—The only financial program of that Association is the Development Fund.—Every man is asked to make an annual gift to the Fund of whatever amount he wishes and feels able to give.—An Annual Fund Honor Role report will list the names of all contri- butors, but not the amount of their individual gifts.—Every Donor to the Fund receives the TEXAS AG- GIE.—Through the Fund A. & M. men will endeavor to give to the College or its Student Body some of the things A. & M. needs, but for which State Funds are not available.—Present Objectives of the Fund is to build on the campus after the war a Student Activities Center.—Fund emphasis is placed upon the principle of EVERY Man making a Gift each year, accord- ing to his particular abilities and desires.” So far as is known neither Gov- ernor Dan Moody nor Dean Gil- christ is in any wise a candidate for the presidency nor have they been approached by the College Board. Their names were doubt- less among the 20 or 30 which Mr. Law said had been suggested to the Board. No official news will be forthcoming until after the Board holds its meeting in Hous- ton, September 6. Business As Usual In the meantime affairs of the College are moving along smoothly under the direction of Acting Pre- sident F. C. Bolton and Acting Extension Service Director George Senate Committee, of which Sen-|nal action will be taken then.” Adams. : at 3 AT . NX ¥ aX 5 5 aL % Wy PA Be on RA ¢ AE Garg a & n A SRA TEARS © Te LS RE els RACE TB ee
