2 L DIVA A
CAMPUS
FROM THE
REVIEWING STAND
Troubled Waters of College Affairs
Troubled waters of the A. &
M. College administrative situa-
tion were further disturbed in re-
cent weeks by additional develop-
ments. These included a campus
visit by members of the Texas
Senate Special Education Com-
mittee, headed by Senator Penrose
B. Metcalfe, 16, San Angelo; a
ruling by the Attorney General re-
garding authority of the Board to
pay President Emeritus T. O. Wal-
ton; determination of the College
Board to stand pat on its selection
of E. R. “Hico” Eudaly ’10, as
Extension Director; and widely as-
sorted rumors and pressure ef-
forts in regard to the selection of
a new College president to succeed
Dr. Walton.
The Senate Committee spent two
days on the campus in February.
College officials were highly com-
plimented upon financial savings
that had been effected for the state
by virtue of the Army-Navy train-
ing program at A. & M. The Sen-
zte Committee probed secret min-
utes of the Board of Directors of
the College and made additional in-
quiries into recent college staff
changes. Indications were that
the Senate Committee would con-
tinue its work in connection with
administrative relations between
the Directors of the College and
administrative officials of the
" College. There was some talk of
a joint session of the Senate Com-
mittee and the College Board at
the Board’s next regular meeting
scheduled to be held in Fort
Worth on March 11.
Walton Pay
When Dr. Walton was made
President Emeritus of the College
last August, the Board reported
that he would be paid $12,000 for
one year and $6,000 2 second year,
and later stated it was its hope
that he would continue to receive
the latter amount during suceed-
ing years. In response to the
Board’s request, the Attorney Gen-
eral ruled last month that the
Board was authorized to establish
the position of President Emeritus
and to define the functions and
duties thereof. In response to a
second question, the Attorney Gen-
eral ruled that the President Emer-
itus could be paid, regardless of the
state of his health, if he discharged |
the duties of his employment and
had legally been engaged. In re-
sponse to a third question, the At-
torney General ruled that the
Board was without authority to
establish a remunerative position
which contemplated the perfor-
mance of no service for the Col-
lege. The ruling further stated
that the Board of Directors ex-
ceeded its powers in attaching so
great a salary to the position of
president emeritus and that com-
pensation for that position would
be dependent upon the duties dis-
charged by the president emeritus.
Proper salary of the position must
be comparable with other positions
entailing similar functions.
No public announcement had
been made as the AGGIE goes to
press on the intentions of the
Board or of Dr. Walton in this
connection. So far he has been as-
signed no duties but is understood
to have requested such assignment
last November.
Extension Service
At a special called meeting of
the Board at College on February
19, F. M. Law, ’95, Houston, Board
president, announced that the Board
was standing pat on its selection
of Mr. Eudaly as Director of the
Extension Service. Washington of-
ficials of the USDA Extension
Service Dept., had previously indi-
cated that Mr. Eudaly was not sat-
isfactory. Since the Extension Serv-
ice is a cooperative program with
the Federal Government paying ap-
proximately fifty per cent of its
cost, the Extension director must
be approved by the Washington
Extension office. In response to a
letter from Mr. M. L. Wilson,
Washington Extension Director,
inquiring if the Board had any
more names to suggest other than
that of Mr. Eudaly, Mr. Law
declared, “Mr. Eudaly was the un-
animous choice of the directors for
the post and we so informed Mr.
Wilson two months ago. The opin-
ion of the board members has not
changed one iota with regard to
Mr. Eudaly and in the meeting
today we reaffirmed this opinion.”
In the meantime James D. Pre-
wit, ’23, named Vice-Director of
the Extension Service, will continue
to serve as Acting Director. Thus
that matter remained dead-locked.
Presidential Rumors
It became evident last month
that a boom was underway urging
the selection of Lt. Gen. Robert
L. Eichelberger, age 56, Army Air
Forces commander on far Eastern
duty, as president of the College.
Similar editorials presenting his
name have appeared recently in
several West Texas newspapers,
and a spokesman for the College
Board confirmed reports that copies
of the editorials had been receiv-
ed and that several letters backing
Eichelberger had been placed on
file. Source of the boom for the
General is not known.
The Dallas News reported that
Governor Dan Moody had inform-
ed the Board that he would not
be interested in the appointment
as president, and the News further
reported that Dr. Charles E. Fri-
ley ’19, president of Iowa State
and former dean at A. & M., had
declined to be considered for the
position after interviewing Board
members. No public statement has
been made by the College board
regarding the type of man scught
for the presidency, nor indicating
the names of any of those under
consideration. Chairman Law has
indicated to the press, however,
that the list of prospects had
been reduced to four or five for
special consideration.
ood Place to Go After the War
January 30, 1944
From: Cpl J. H. Wade, "43
APO 502, c/o PM,
San Francisco, Calif.
. .. We get fresh meat two to
three times a week, ice for our ice
box, and all the fresh eggs we
want free where we are living.
This makes it easier for us to do
our own cooking. There are two
other corporals who are staying
with me. At present, I can speak
the New Caledonian language fair-
ly well, except I have trouble with
the correct grammar. However,
I can understand it a lot better
than I can speak it.
The climate here is fine; never
cold enough for snow even in the
mountains. The national tree is
the Niaoli, which belongs to the
eucalyptus family. Centipedes
over here aren’t harmful—I’ve
had them to bite me. The first
time a boy who was working with
me got bit, we thought he was
gone, until we inquired and found
that they weren’t harmful. There
are lots of deer and pigeon here
and the season is open the year
round. The only harmful insect
we have seen is what we call the
Black Widow spider in the States.
I haven't seen any wild hogs—
they stay in wild mountainous
country.
Historically, New Caledonia was
designated in 1863 as a convict
settlement for Frenchmen. Be-
sides the 15,000 convicts that
were sent here from then until
1895, over 3,000 political deportees
were added to the population of
New Caledonia. These men were
mostly leaders of the Paris In-
surrection and were of superior
intellect. A mixed race followed,
with the result that the island has
many persons similar to our Am-
erican mulatto negro. Mining is
the mainstay of the island, com-
prising 85% of the exports. Cof-
fee is the most important crop;
and tobacco grows with ease, as
well as sugar cane.
Cpl. J. H. Wade, ’43
APO 502, c/o P. M.
San Francisco, Calif.
Saga of a Livestock Expert
Army Service Forces
Chicago Quartermaster Depot
Chicago 9, Illinois
Subsistence Research and
Development Laboratory
February 10, 11944
Dear Mac:
After being down in the South
Pacific for about five months, I
have landed back in Chicago at
my old station where I am in
charge of research for all ani-
mal products used by the Army.
While I was gone I visited
Hawaii, Christmas Island, Fiji Is-
lands, New Caledonia, Esptritu
Santo, Guadalcanal, Samoa Is-
lands, and Canton Island. I spent
almost three months in New Zea-
land. On all of these islands I
was able to find either a class-
mate or someone who had come
from A. & M. with whom it was
very easy to strike up an acquain-
tance. Everybody is glad to see
everybody down in that section of
the world.
My wife sent me all of the AG-
GIES, which I enjoyed readihg
very much even though they were
a little behind time when they
reached me. Everyone I have
spoken to is strongly in favor of
the plan now afoot for building the
Union Building. That has been
a sore spot to all students for
many years. It is a shame that
we do not have a place for visitors
when they come to the college.
I hope it won’t be long until we
can have an old-fashioned reun-
ion at College Station.
Sincerely yours,
(Capt.) Woodrow W. Bailey, 36
THE 1944 MUSTER FOLLOWS THE SUN.
POSTMASTER: If undeliverable
for any reason, notify sender stat-
ing reason on Form 3578-P, postage
for which is guaranteed.
THE TEXAS AGGIE
POSTMASTER: If undeliverable
for any reason, notify sender stat-
ing reason on Form 3578-P, postage
for which is 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, THURSDAY, MARCH 2, 1944
NUMBER 62
To Be Speeded
A SPECIAL OVER-SEAS
their task easier.”
homes for first class mailings.
Special Over-Seas Texas Aggie
Reports Hamblen For Exec. Group
EDITION OF THE TEXAS
AGGIE will appear with this issue and will be mailed all over-
seas readers by first class mail, ova
gestion by the Executive Committee of the Association. Over-seas
men, themselves, particularly those in the India-China
and in the South Pacific area, initiated the idea in hopes of cut-
ting delivery time from its previous two to three months to one
month. In their suggestions they offered to send money for the
extra costs of mailing first class.
“Whatever those A. & M. men over-seas want, they shall
have” declared Association President Jake Hamblen, speaking
for the Executive Committee, “Just as long as it is in our
power to give it to them. Secretary McQuillen has found that by
trimming all margins and printing this special edition on lighter
paper, we can mail it in an envelope by first class mail, at an
added cost of approxmiately nine-hundred dollars a year. It is
the unanimous opinion of the Executive Committee that it should
be done. With this special over-seas edition go our very sincere
good wishes and our deep appreciation to those Aggies who are
so far from home. It is our hope that by getting their copies
of The Texas Aggie to them faster we can in a small way make
The over-seas edition will be printed on news print to save
weight and all margins will be trimmed. Other-wise it will be the
same as the domestic issue and there will be no diference in
content. So far as is known The Texas Aggie is the first alumni
publication to present a special overseas edition to its service
men. The first edition is being mailed and corresponds to this
issue. Approximately 1700 copies will be mailed. That number
will swell since hundreds are now having the Aggie sent to their
First Class Mail
following approval of the sug-
area
George Moffett, ’16
Runs For Congress
ASTP (Cancellation
To Relieve
Crowded Conditions on Campus
War Department cancellation of
the basic army student training
program April 1 will relieve a bad-
ly crowded condition at Texas A.
& M. college, reduce overloaded
teaching schedules and allow for
expansion of the advanced phases
of the military program, officials
declared after news reports re-
vealed the new order.
Specficially the new order will
take about 1000 basic ASTP st-
duents into the armed forces. More
than 400 advanced engineering stu-
dents will not be called, it is pre-
sumed.
More than 200 Reserve Officers
Training Corps men in the advance-
ed stages of training probably will
be assigned to officers candidate
schools, by April 1, it was dis-
closed.
Of the more than 1600 civilian
students—those under 18 and
those deferred by local draft
boards to continue scientific
courses, about 150 are expected
to be reclassified and inducted
within the intervening period be-
fore April 1, it was stated.
In addition to the advanced en-
gineers and the pre-induction age
students who will not be affected
by the current orders, A. & M.
College teaching, housing and din-
ing facilities are being utilized to
train Navy and Marine radio op-
erators and technicians. There is
every reason to believe that the
number of this type of trainees will
be increased, it was disclosed.
Half of one of the largest dining
halls in the world is now required
to feed the Marine and Navy
trainees at A. & M.
A large portion of a second din-
ing hall is now being required to
feed Air Corps preflight trainees
who are given five months of col-
lege-level training as a prerequis-
ite for commission in that arm of
the service.
There are approximately 150
veterinary medicine students in
the advanced stages of their edu-
cation. and about 50 pre-medical
students past their basic studies.
The status of these is not clear,
but it is presumed they will not
be inducted April 1.
AMONG
A. and M.
CO
PIONEERS
OOOO CARO A
(1876-1897)
Dr. F. E. Giesecke, ’86
College Station
DR. HIRAM T. COULTER and
WALTER J. COULTER, both ’95,
recently enjoyed a joint birthday
celebration at the home of the
former in Rockdale. Walter Coul-
ter is President of the Brazos
County A. and M. Club. . .. WAL-
TER G. LACY, SR. ’96, President
of the Citizens National Bank at
Waco, sends his gift to the Devel-
opment Fund.
MR. W. M. OSMON ’88, has re-
tired and lives at 1104 Rigsby, San
Antonio. He was for many years
in the candy business.
1902
V. H. Foy,
3322 Knight St., Dallas
A. R. VIDOWERE, formerly
wiht the Brownsville Printing Co.,
Brownsville, Texas, is now living
in Laredo, Texas. . . . SOL E.
GILLESPIE’S address is 5020 Ab-
bott Ave., Dallas, 5.
Mr. Hal Moseley
3807 Skillman Street
Dallas, Texas
Dear Hal:
Your very interesting 1900 class
letter was received, and I enjoyed
it immensely, though in listing me
with the class of 1900 someone has
conferred upon me a honor I am
not entitled to. It may be modesty
that causes me to disclaim the
THE 1944 MUSTER FOLLOWS THE SUN.
MEN
honor, or perhaps when a man
passes the three score mark a
small matter of two years makes
a difference.
I entered the third class in the
fall of 1899 and completed the
year’s work, but left to attend the
University of Virginia in the fall
of 1900, so I belong in the class
of 1902. The members of the class
of 1900 were seniors while I was
at A. & M., and the class roster
enclosed in your letter brought
back fond memories of forty-four
years ago. The members with whom
I was associated were very kind
to me while I was a fish, but it
has been my misfortune to have
but few contacts with the members
of this class I left A. & M. Mr.
McGinnis paid me a short but
very enjoyable visit a few days
ago, and he too was confused about
my class affiliation.
Though I am not a member of
the class of 1900, I am sending a
copy of this letter to Mr. McQuil-
len so that he can make the cor-
rection, and for this information
I will answer the inquiries con-
tained in your letter. All three of
my sons are in the Service. My old-
est son, Capt. Cary M. Abney, Jr.,
a member of the class of 1934,
was on Bataan, and is now a Jap-
anese prisoner. My second son,
Major Thomas Y. Abney, had just
begun the practice of law with
me when he enlisted as a flying
cadet in December 1940. He was a
Squadron Commander at MecClel-
lan Field, California until his
transfer a few days ago, but I am
not clear as to what his new dut-
ies will be. My third son, Ruben K.
Abney, left the law school at the
end of his first year, and is a
Staff Sergeant in an Anti-Aircraft
outfit at Camn Davis, North Car-
“Cotton” George Moffett
GEORGE MOFFETT, ’16 veter-
an Texas Legislator and Agrieul-
tural leader of the legislature, has
announced his eandidacy for Con-
gress from the 13th. Texas Dis-
trict which includes a bloek of fif-
teen counties with Wichita Falls
the largest city in the District. His
home is at Chillicothe. He has
served with distinction in both the
State House of Representatives and
Senate.
Senator Moffett has well earn-
ed the nickname of “Cotton” from
a double source. He accumulated it
first at A. & M. because of his
blondness of hair and skin. In later
years the nickname has come to
be a tribute to his great work
as a progressive agricultural Iead-
er in the Texas legislature and in
national agricultural eircles. He
is currently the only farmer in
the State Senate at Austin and is
Chairman of the Committee on
Agricultural Affairs. He is also a
member of thirteen other commit-
tees, the heaviest assignment ever
carried by a member of the State
Senate. He and his father before
him have farmed the same home-
stead in Hardeman County for over
fifty years. He is largely respon-
sible for the present very exten-
sive program of research for new
uses of cotton.
During his many years in the
Texas Legislature he has been a
strong friend of education, and a
particularly powerful friend and
aggressive worker for Texas A.
& M. He has served as a member
of the Board of Directors of the
Association from his distriet for
several terms. A. & M. men have
been proud of his fine accomplish-
ments in both public and private
life, wish him well in his new ven-
ture to step up another round in
his political career, and have a
feeling that the people of his dis-
trict will again reward him for his
fine service, as they have done in
each of his other candidacies.
olina. My only daughter married
a soldier who is a Finance Officer
at McClellan Field. My only dau-
ghter-in-law, the wife of Cary,
Jr., is a WAC Sergeant. I have
served as Appeal Agent for one
of the Local Draft Boards since
the Selective Service Act went
into effect. My wife is Chairman
of one of the Red Cross Sewing Cir-
cles, and my daughter taught a
First Aid class before she married
and left with her soldier husband.
So you see the family is almost one
hundred percent in the war.
I hope that in the near future
I mav have the pleasure of seeing
you and renewing our friendship
of long ago.
Yours truly,
CARY M. ABNEY, ’02
Abney & Abney
Attorneys at Law
Marshall, Texas
1904
J. A. Pirie,
State Highway Dept., Paris.
TEMPLE B. HOFFER, P. O.
Box 366, Mission, Tex., reports to
class agent PIRIE that he and
JOHN W. “PA” PUCKETT still
want to be a part of A. & M. and
Texas, even though they do live
far away. He also indicates the
address of W. A. HOUCHINS as
1528 SUL Ross, Houston.
STAYTON W. HAMNER of
Healdton, Okla., proves his good
work by sending a new AGGIE
fish from his home town at the
beginning of the last term of
school. MR. HAMNER keeps a
good representation at A. & M.
from Healdton.
1906
J. Rodney Tabor,
209 Union Nat’l Bk. Bldg., Houston
P. L. DOWNS, JR., who has
been under treatment and obser-
vation at Scott and White Hospi-
Alaskan men have adjourned,
day.
A. & M. Club officers and local
chairmen at other places in the
United States will be contacted
about Muster plans in the first
two weeks of March. Following
last year’s successful plan a gen-
eral program will be sent each
E. C. Martin Promoted
By Extension Service
E. C. “Boots” Martin, ’18, has
been named acting Vice Director
and State Agent of the A. & M.
Extension Service, according to an
announcement by Acting Director
James D. Prewit, 23, and has as-
sumed his new duties. He was
formerly a District Agent and has
been with the Extension Service
since 1928 when he started as
County Agent of El Paso County.
Prior to being made a District
Agent he served as State Boys
Club Agent. He saw extensive
service in France in World War
I and was wounded in the Ar-
gonne Battle. He received his
degree in Animal Husbandry, re-
turning to school after the War
to complete his work.
Alamo Club Hears
Hamblen and Norton
One hundred and fifty members
of the Alamo A. & M. Club and
their guests were present at a
meeting held at the WOW Hall on
the evening of Feb. 17, featuring
the presence of Association Pres-
ident James P. Hamblen 27,
Houston; Head Coach Homer
Norton; and Association Secretary
E. E. McQuillen, Club Pres. Car-
roll Gaines ’12, presided. Associa-
tion President Hamblen outlined to
the big crowd the plans and pro-
gram of the Association. Coach
Norton spoke briefly on the ath-
letic situation, then showed movies
of several football games of the
past fall.
Hamblen-Norton
At Corpus Christi
The Corpus Christi A. & M.
Club entertained on the evening
of Feb. 16, at the Central P. & L.
Auditorium, with Association Pres-
ident, J. P. Hamblen, ’27, Houston;
and Coach Homer Norton as speak-
ers. Club President Kinnard Moss
’31, presided. President Hamblen
outlined to the fifty A. & M. men
their wives and guests the present
program of the Ex-Students’ As-
sociation. Coach Homer Norton
spoke briefly about war-time ath-
letics at A. & M. and showed mo-
tion pictures of last fall’s games.
tal, Temple, is now back at his
post in the Fiscal Office on the
A. and M. Campus and making im-
provement toward complete re-
covery. A former member of the
Board of Directors of the College,
and past President of the Brazos
County A. and M. Club, an Aggie
friend referred to him recently as
“the most enthusiastic Aggie
about Aggies and Aggieland I
ever saw.”
JOE S. WELBOAN, Freeport,
sends the address of L. G. LENERT
(Continued on Page 2)
THE 1944 MUSTER FOLLOWS THE SUN.
‘44 Muster Well On Way
To Following The Sun As
Meeting Plans Pour In
With Guadalcanal and Alaska setting the pace the 1944
Muster of A. & M. men on April 21st is well on its way to a
great realization of its slogan, THE 1944 MUSTER FOL-
LOWS THE SUN. Guadalcanal and Alaska are not far from
the two ends of the date, with the former just over the
Pacific date-line where the day begins and the latter nearing
the date-line again when the day will end. When all Muster
announcements are in, it is likely that others will be found
to start before the Guadalcanal gathering and after the
but it is already assured that
the Muster will truly follow the sun around the globe that
Major Vernon L. Wimberly, ’31, who originally sug-
gested the thought of the Muster following the sun, is serv-
ing as Chairman of the Guadalcanal Muster, and Captain
Ira L. Solovey, ’35, is taking the lead in the Alaskan Muster
at his post. There will of course be other Musters in both
areas. Under war conditions there are certain to be hundreds
of small Musters, held wherever Aggies are stationed and
whenever military duties will permit. :
Overseas Aggies are again urged to “Take Over”
their respective posts or stations, arrange a Muster wherever
possible, and advise the Association office of its details as
early as possible. Even if only an APO identification can be
made there may be others in that vicinity who can attend.
at
Muster Chairman in order that a
common theme and program may
be used at each of the hundreds
of gatherings to be held on the
traditional date. Final program de-
tails will be announced later and
sent each Muster Chairman.
If no Muster Chairman has
been appointed for your locality
by March 20th, you are requested
to voluntarily serve, make ar-
rangements, and advise the Texas
Aggie in order that your Muster
may be included in the complete
list to be announced in the issues
of the Aggie prior to April 21.
Followisig The Sun
Indicative of the spread of the
1944 Muster are plans already
under way at the following loca-
tions between Guadalcanal an
Alaska. Captains Ben Johnson, ’2
and Charles A. Bell, ’41, are col
laborating with Dr. A. H. Holl
’24, on the Canal Zone Muster iii
is certain to be a grand occasic
Up at Camp Davis, N. C., Lt. C
A. Nance Jr., ’43, and others ar
already laying plans. Bill Denny,
’21, and J. R. Button, ’41, have
their heads together and plans are
at = ah
Schenectady, N. Y. Back down in gos 1
well along for the Muster
Texas the Brazoria County Club
plans the largest meeting in its
history, probably at Freeport. At
Madison, Wisconsin, Captain Ed-
win D. Martin, ’27, has volunteer-
ed as Chairman and promptly ap-
pointed. Lt. Col. E. H. Bruss, ’27
has things under way at Albu-
querque, New Mexico, and those
still in that area are still talking
about their Smorgasborg of last
April 21. At Camp Sibert, Ala-
bama, Captain Clifton O. Duty," 3
’42, was elected 1944 Chairman and
is making plans. Those are just
early announccinents.
Organized A. & M. Clubs are
“On The Beam” from Los Angeles
to New York with Muster Chair-
men and officers already laying
plans to make this year’s Muster
the greatest ever held in their
cities. THE NEXT
THE AGGIE WILL CARRY A
PRELIMINARY © LISTING OF
ALL MUSTERS ANNOUNCED
TO THAT DATE. Muster Chair-
men, Club officers and volunteers
are requested to report promptly
in order that full anouncement
may be mailed each muster chair-
man by April first.
A steadily growing tradition
since 1903 the anual April 21st
Muster of A. & M. men last year
broke all previous records with
over 600 separate gatherings cele-
brating the occasion. The tradi-
tion saw its birth on April 21st,
1903, when the student body of
the College demanded that the
anniversary of the Battle of San
Jacinto be observed and then vow-
ed that henceforth A. & M. men
would always meet that day to
remember and pay tribute to the
heroes of the battle that won Tex-
as independence. The tradition
was given added inspiration by
the meeting of a gallant band of
A. & M. men on beseiged Corregi-
dor on April 21st, 1942, shortly
before ‘The Rock” fell to the
Japs. The annual Muster has be-
come a symbol of the fine spirit,
loyalty and comradeship of the
great fraternity of A. & M. men.
Over 10,000 members of the fra-
ternity wil answer “present” this
year as the 1944 Muster follows
the sun.
10,000
READERS OF THE
TEXAS AGGIE
NOT COUNTING
“EXTRAS”
OR SECOND-HAND READERS.
HELP CLOSE THE'GAP
Between Readers and Fund Contributors
BY SENDING YOUR GIFT
TODAY, IF YOU HAVE NOT
ALREADY DONE SO
CONTRIBUTORS, TO DATE, TO
THE 1944 DEVELOPMENT FUND
(1944 FUND OPENED JUNE 1,
1943, CLOSES MAY 1, 1944)
0,400
ISSUE OF