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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (March 12, 1940)
DIAL 4-5444 STUDENT TRI WEEKLY NEWSPAPER OF TEXAS A. & M. COLLEGE CIRCULATION 5,400 OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE CITY OF COLLEGE STATION VOL. 39 122 ADMINISTRATION BUILDING COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS, TUESDAY MORNING, MARCH 12, 1940 Z725 NO. 62 Most Popular Seniors Are Announced Varner, McCullar, Pierce, Sullivan, And Burns Selected A. & M.’s senior class has nam ed “Woody” Varner, Max McCul lar, “Bodie” Pierce, “Sully” Sul livan, and Bert Burns, as the five most popular seniors of the class of ’40, George Smith, editor of The Longhorn, which sponsored the election, has just announced. One hundred and fifty-four bal lots were cast—excelling by 53 the number cast in last year’s elec tion. However, the percentage of the class that voted remains ap proximately the same—about 20 per cent. Votes cast for the first five were as follows: 1. Durward B. “Woody” Varner, cadet colonel and captain of the basketball team—126. 2. F. M. (Max) McCullar, sen ior class president—77. 3. F. A. “Bodie” Pierce Jr., head senior yell-leader—70. 4. Walter “Sully” Sullivan, student manager of A. & M.’s Town Hall—55. 5. Berton H. (Bert) Burns, sen ior yell-leader and president of the A. S. M. E.—45. A number of other seniors re ceived scattering votes, Smith an nounced. Full-page pictures of each of the five will appear in the 1940 Long horn, as is the custom each year. DRAMATICS CLUB PLANS FOR FOUR PLAYS THIS YEAR At a meeting of the faculty advisory committee of the Cadet Players, newly - formed student dramatics club, it was decided that the organization should pre sent one three-act play and three plays of one act before the end of the term. However, the group is greatly in need of some women players. All single girls or young married women of Bryan or College Sta tion who desire to be in plays are requested to get in touch at once with Professor C. O. Spriggs of the English Departments The Aggie Play Committee, com posed of R. L. Elkins of the Eco nomics Department, J. J. Woolket of the Modern Language Depart ment, and Mr. Spriggs, voted to dissolve the Aggie Play Commit tee and to donate their funds to the dramatics club, since little in terest has been shown the last two years in putting on an Aggie play. The basement of Guion Hall has been secured for the storage of the Cadet Players’ equipment. Next meeting of the club will be Thursday evening at 7:30 in room 303 of the Academic Building. The dramatics club has been arousing much interest, and a large number of students have en tered. The faculty members serv ing as an advisory committee for the student group are professors Spriggs, Woolket, Elkins, M. T. Harrington of the Chemistry De partment, and Captain C. F. Bur- bach of the Military Science De partment. A. & M. Scientists To Make National Meets Dr. A. R. Kemmerer of the Divi sion of Chemistry and Dr. P. B. Pearson, professor of animal nu trition in the Department of Ani mal Husbandry, left by car this morning for New Orleans. They will attend the annual meetings of the American Institute of Nu trition on March 13, and the an nual meetings of the American So ciety of Biological Chemists March 14, 15, and 16. The last time these meetings were held in the South was in 1937 when they were at Memphis. Architecture Students Get Data for Cotton Style Show The fifth-year class of the Department of Architecture visited The Fashion, ladies’ specialty store in Houston, last week to make a survey of the new styles which will be shown at the ninth annual Cotton Pageant and Style Show on April 19. These students are com peting for an award offered for the best setting for the Pageant. They are shown looking over a new costume modeled by Miss Josephine Roche. Pictured from left to right are Jack Holloway, Francisco Ruiz, Marshall Biggs, Frank Mothes, Paul Rose, Brooks Martin, Theo Holleman, C. A. Griesenbeck, Ross Miller, Arthur Bartel, Harris Northrup, Hal Moseley, and Edwin French. BILL OWENS, COLLECTOR OF FOLK "Champagne Music” Adds SONGS, SIGNS CONTRACT FOR TOUR To Aggiekmd’s Social Season By Bob Nisbet -f Nearly everyone connected with | A. & M. either knows or has heard j of William Owens, in his official capacity of English instructor or in connection with his hobby of studying and collecting folk songs. Few, if any, however, know of his latest achievement, because it has just happened. Bill has re cently signed a five-year contract with Lee Keedick to cover the United States and Canada lec turing on folk music that he has collected from over the South west. His tour is scheduled to start in November of this year under the exclusive management of Keedick, the man who also spon sors such well-known lecturers as Grant Wood and Carl Van Doren. In fact it was partly through the interest that these men showed in Mr. Owen’s work that he was able to make the tour. Also among those who have listened to and admired his folk music is Lawrence Tibbett, the Metropoli tan Opera star. In collecting his folk songs Mr. Owens uses a recording machine and makes records. He has over 400 of these. The reason for mak ing the collection was not just a matter of “having something to do” or “just to be collecting something as one collects stamps,” but it was to preserve the songs that repre sented the various cultures found in the southwestern part of the United States. Quite a number of different groups contributed to the building of the Southwest. There were German, Italian, and Czech immigrants, Mexicans from across the border, French Cajuns in South Louisiana, and many groups of negroes. Realizing that the folk songs of these clans are dying out, Bill Owens decided that it W. A. Owens would be a good thing if they could be recorded and preserved before they disappeared altogeth er. He has been working at this task for about ten years. During his search he has come in contact with all kinds and man ner of people. According to him, the most interesting group with which he has had dealings is the French “Cajuns” of the fabulous “Evangeline Country.” In obtain ing his Cajun music it was neces sary for Mr. Owens to penetrate into a territory where the only con tact the population has with the rest of the world is by their little flatboats hewn from cypress logs. He has drunk their black French- drip coffee and witnessed life as they live it. Several clubs and organizations have had the pleasure of hearing Bill Owens lecture and have heard him play his records. In every case the enthusiasm ran high. (Continued on page 4) Aggieland’s current social sea--f son SAvayed merrily on Friday night as the Coast Artillery regi ment presented its fourth annual ball with the officiating of Law rence Welk and his nationally- known “Champagne Music.” Future coast defenders and their dates waltzed and tangoed for three long-to-be-remembered hours as the lovely Jayne Walton sang her way into the hearts of every cadet in Sbisa’s main dining room. Nor was Friday night the first time that Lawrence Welk had ap peared at A. & M. Back in 1932 he played for one of the earlier Engineers’ dances with a five- piece combination band. “This campus has certainly grown tre mendously since that time,” he de clared. The thousand persons who at tended the prom were with one accord in appraisal of Welk’s fam ous “Champagne Music.” Blessed with a fine personality himself; fortunate in having an attractive singer who, in contrast to the gen- ei'al run of girl singers Avith popu lar dance bands, could really sing; and the director of a versatile and capable band, Welk’s return to the campus will be anxiously awaited by many cadets. Like the other orchestra lead ers on the campus this year, Welk could hardly say enough about the college. “I like very much your unique spirit of good fellowship. It’s one of the finest things I have ever seen.” He added that he hoped someday he would be able to have a Texas Aggie in his band. 1 Chairmaned by Curtis Kizer, the dance committee Included Joe Slicker, Bob Little, H. B. Parris, Marshall Biggs, Mayo Thompson, G. H. Reynolds, Henry Hertner, Tom Hill, and T. H. Stovell. ■ Previous to the dance the Coast Artillery juniors held a party at the Bryan Country Club. Kumen, Expert On Air-Conditioning, To Give Talk Here Herbert J. Kumen, manager of the transportation department of the Anemostat Corporation of America, will visit A. & M. Wed nesday to speak on the subject of air distribtuion in air-condition ing, in which he is a widely- known specialist. Professor C. W. CraAvford, head of the Mechanical Engineering De partment, announced yesterday that information had been receiv ed that Mr. Kumen would be in Houston for the meeting of the Houston section of the American Society of Heating and Ventilat ing Engineers. Through a long-dis tance call, Mr. Kumen’s Ansit to A. & M. was made possible. He will speak to all those in terested in mechanical engineering, and air-conditioning in particular, Wednesday at 7 p. m. in the Me chanical Engineering lecture room. Ex-Aggie, Owner of Bryan Radio Shop, To Marry Soon K. S. Halloran of Fort Worth, graduate of A. & M. in electrical engineering with the class of ’30, and proprietor of The Radio Shop of Bryan, Avil be married March 25 to Miss Anna Toastis of Dallas. The couple are planning on go ing “down Mexico way” on their honeymoon, after which they will return to Mr. Halloran’s home in Bryan. George Hamilton To Play For Engineers Dope Ring’ Is on WTAW Each Friday This is how those “cockeyed” radio programs come to be broad cast. Imagine that you are eves- dropping in the vicinity of Stinky Glutz, an M. E. student from “X” Coast. Glutz has just been handed his corrected paper on an A Quiz. Glutz is muttering in a four-day beard . . “Wise guy . . . yeh, that smart- aleck! . . .whudduzee thinkeeis, anyhow? Like ta see him pop up with the right answer to some questions I could ask . . .” Hence—a radio quiz program with genuine reverse English. That’s the new idea for WTAW’s popular Friday afternoon student broadcast, the Aggie Clambake. Tentatively named The Dope Ring, the program will feature four good-natured faculty members and a student master of ceremonies, disguised as Simon Degree, with questions submitted by students. WTAW director John Rosser said the idea, proposed by Paul Ketelsen, managing editor of The Battalion Magazine, would be tried out this Friday afternoon from 4:45 to 5 o’clock. The four fac ulty victims probably will be C. O. Spriggs (English), W. S. McCulley (Mathematics), P. A. Nutter (Economics), and R. W. Steen (History). Auditions of stu dents for the role of M. C. will be held Thursday night, Rosser said. Ralston Purina Mills, Danforth Foundation Offer Fellowships The Ralston Purina Mills and the Danforth Foundation are of fering two summer fellowships to junior students at A. & M. this summer, D. W. Williams, head of the Animal Husbandry Depart ment, has announced. A total of 38 fellowships are offered in the United States. The course coA^ers intensive training under actual business conditions in St. Louis, followed by two weeks of leadership training at the Amer ican Youth Foundation Camp on Lake Michigan. Last year Durward B. Varner and Wilson B. Buster were award ed fellowships for this college. Dean E. J. Kyle of the School of Agriculture has appointed a com mittee to select the students who will be given the awards this year. The committee will meet in the Animal Husbandry offices Wed nesday, March 20, at 1:15 p. m. On ly agricultural students will be considered. Announcements are available on the bulletin board in the Animal Industries Building and in the offices of the Dairy Husbandry, Agronomy, and Agricultural Eco nomics departments. Any student who wishes to apply should read the details of the announcement and consult the head of his de partment. Orchestra Is Well-Known For Music-Box Music Ever since his first professional engagement at the Opera Club in Chicago, George Hamilton has been in the public spotlight as one of the prominent orchestra lead ers. His present orchestra, fea turing Louis Chicco at the harp, and the tenor voice of Lee Norton, is by far the best organization that has played under the baton of the “Music Box Musician.” It is this orchestra that comes direct from Chicago’s famous Pal mer House to play for the Engi neers’ Ball at A. & M., Friday and the Corps Dance Saturday, through arrangements with the Music Corporation of America. Following four successful years at the Opera Club, George Hamil ton moved to the north side of Chicago and the Edgewater Beach Hotel. After a lengthy stay, the band was booked for two years at the Book-Cadillac Hotel in De troit. While in Detroit, the then mayor of New York, Jimmy Walk er, heard the band and liked it so much that he induced the Cen tral Park Casino in New York to hire the band. George Hamilton scored a big triumph at the Casino which did much to popularize his music with dancers everywhere. From then on he had smooth sailing and the name of George Hamilton has burned in bright lights throughout the country. Among the hotel en gagements are numbered those at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York, the Di-ake in Chicago, the Mark Hopkins in San Francisco, the Cosmopolitan in Denver, the Baker in Dallas, the Gunter, San Antonio, and the Roosevelt, Hollywood. Bel Canto Group To Sing Here Quartet To Appear On Town Hall Soon The next Town Hall program will take place on March 19th and will consist of musical offer ings to be given by the Bel Canto Quartet and Mrs. Nancy Swin- ferd, all of whom are Texans. For the past ten years the Bel- Cantos have been the featured artists of Radio Station W.F.A.A. in Dallas. To date they have sung in many of the largest cities of the North American Continent, in cluding personal appearances ia the Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles Stadium, where they sang to an audience of 100,000 persons. This group is reputed to be one of the best of its kind in the South and, in the past, has proved to be a success on every occasion as a result of their many years’ practice and their splendid blending of harmony. (Continued on page 4) KING UGLY I ABDICATES! Love and Beauty Cause Thompson To Yield--Hall Wears Crown By George Fuermann King Ugly I has abdicated! Throughout the realm of the Kingdom of the Uglies excitement and confusion are the order of the day. Elected King of the Uglies by virtue of the balloting of his loyal and worthy supporters, Irvin Thompson has abdicated his cele brated throne in favor of his close runner-up, Robert C. “Eddie” Hall. Asked to give The Battalion an exclusive statement, Thompson de clared, “I feel that I am unfit to reign as King of the Uglies. I’m too handsome, and anybody knows that you’ve got to be ugly to be a king of the uglies.” Investigat ing further on its oavu initiative, however, The Battalion found a more concrete reason for Thomp son’s abdication. It was disclosed that Thompson had received a tele gram from his fiancee which read, “IrAdn: If you go through with this Ugly Boy championship, you’re through with me too.” The telegram was signed “Sophronia.” So now his exalted and magnif icent excellency, Eddie Hall," reigns supreme as the august and mighty King of the Uglies. His corona tion, which will take place on the steps of the Y. M. C. A. tonight, will, be an affair of majestic grandeur and stately beauty; one long awaited by his loyal and pa triotic subjects. Said King Hall from his spa cious throne room in the palace, “I still think Thompson is uglier than I am, but, as the voters in dicated, there’s little question but what I’m the second ugliest man in the kingdom.” The King went on to say, “At least I’ll get one degree from A. & M. College.” And right he is, because each year the citizens of the Kingdom of the Uglies confer upon their King the B. U. degree—Bachelor of Ugli ness. From his modern little home in Uglyville, the abdicating Thomp son made his historic renounce ment of the throne through an ad dress via a world-wide radio net work.. “At long last,” he said, “I haA'e come to this difficult de cision. I have a choice between my kingdom and the woman I love, and it is to her that I choose to go.” But back to the coronation again . . . An occasion of pompous and regal splendor befitting his majesty’s dignity, the kingdom’s town crier, Bodie Pierce, will pre side over the royal festivities. Im mediately after supper tonight the Kingdom of the Uglies will croAvn a new sovereign as his majesty- to-be, Eddie Hall, becomes mon arch of the uglemugs, King Ugly n. Voting in the runoff election of Backwash’s Ugly Boy contest fell off slightly from the record vote cast in the first primary. Two thousand and eighty-four votes were cast in the runoff with Irvin Thompson, Field Artillery junior from Silsbee, leading the ballot ing with 571. Close on Thompson’s heels was Robert C. “Eddie” Hall, Infantry senior from Electra, with 522. S. D. Martin was third with 430, Roy Chappell fourth with 416, and Maurice E. Shepherd last with 145. Bureau of Standards Division Chief To Address Chem Society “Hydrocarbons in Petroleum” will be the subject of an illustrat ed lecture by Dr. F. D. Rossini of Washington, to the A. & M. Sec tion of the American Chemical So ciety at 8 p. m., Wednesday. Dr. Rossini is chief of the sec tion on thermochemistry and con stitution of petroleum of the U. S. Bureau of Standards. Due to the large quantities of petroleum produced in Texas, the subject of the address is of great interest, and the talk will not be as technical as its name suggests, it was announced by Dr. G. S. Fraps. The meeting will be held in the Chemistry lecture room.