DIAL 4-5444
STUDENT SUMMER
WEEKLY NEWSPAPER OF
TEXAS A. & M. COLLEGE
The Battalion
DIAL 4-5444
OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER
OF THE CITY OF
COLLEGE STATION
VOLUME 3
122 ADMINISTRATION BLDG.
COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS, WEDNESDAY MORNING, JULY 16, 1941
NUMBER 6
Guion Hall To Be Converted Into Modern Theater
Farmers Short Course Completed
Col. Ike Ashburn
Delivers Principal
Address At Opening
Parallel Meetings Held
During Conference By
Various Affiliated Clubs
Farm men and women from
many parts of the state arrived
singly iand in groups at A. & M.
Sunday for the 1941 adult Short
Course which opened on the cam
pus at 10 Sunday morning and
continued through Tuesday. ^ The
state 4-H Short Course will begin
at 6:45 this afternoon and will
close on Friday.
Tiieutenant Governor Coke R.
Stevenson, who was scheduled as
the principal speaker in Guion Hall
Monday at 7:30 p. m., was unable
to attend because of illness in his
family.
Col. Ike Ashburn of Houston,
executive secretary of the Harris
County Committee for Industrial
Peace and former assistant to the
president of the college, delivered
the principal address.
Mildred Horton, vice director and
state home demonstration agent of
the Texas Extension Service, pre
sided at the opening meeting Sun
day in Guion Hall, where Euell
Porter, choir director of the First
Baptist Church, Bryan, conducted
a song service with Irving Dietz,
organist of the First Methodist
Church, Bryan, at the organ. At
11, the Rev. Harry G. Knowles,
pastor of the First Christian
Church, Houston, delivered a ser
mon on “Things That Abide.”
Tours of the campus, with vis
its to the college and administrative
buildings, air field and experiment
al farms were conducted by mem
bers of the college staff between
2 and 5 p. m. Afterwards, H. H.
Williamson, directors of the Tex
as Extension Service, presided at a
meeting in Kyle Field at 7:30
where Jeff Williams of Chickasha,
Oklahoma, spoke on “Every Truths
as a Layman Views Them.”
The regular adult short course
program was inaugurated Monday
at 7:45 a. m. with George E.
Adams, vice director and state
agent of the Extension Service,
presiding over the meeting in Guion
Hall. After a program of organ
music by Irving Dietz and group
singing conducted by Walter
Jenkins, choir director of the First
Methodist Church, Houston, E. J.
Kyle, dean of the school of agri-
(See SHORT COURSE, page 4)
Power Plant
Contracts For
Equipment Made
The new expansion program of
the power plant which is to be
enlarged during the next year was
brought one step further toward
realization with the awarding of
the contracts for the various equip
ment needed at the meeting of the
board of directors last Saturday.
The new equipment to be in
stalled is a new turbine which
will be installed by the General
Electric Co., a condenser by West-
inghouse, and a steam generator
by the Combustion Engineering
Corporation.
On Strike
!r m
Scene of the construction that will produce four new dormitories to increase the housing facili
ties at A. & M. The scene of a strike, work has continued as under normal conditions. Although the
work is three days behind schedule, the delay has been caused by heavy rains during the past few days.
Because of the necessity for new legislative action, the dormitories which were first scheduled for
occupancy the first of September will not be ready until next year.
Aggie Exes
Get Wings At
Randolph Field
A degree from the “West Point
of the Air” will be added to the
academic backgrounds of four for
mer A. & M. College of Texas stu
dents on July 12 as they success
fully complete their basic flying
training at Randolph Field, Texas.
They are:
Harvey P. Robinson, ’39-’40,
Joyton.
David L. Silverman, ’35-’39,
Longview.
Herbert A. Underwood, , 36-’39,
Amarillo.
Frank M. Wood, Jr., ’40, B.S.,
San Angelo.
This class of pilots-to-be enter
ed the enormous south Texas basic
training school on May 2 after
having completed 10 weeks of pri
mary training. At primary schools
they logged some 65 hours of
flying time in 200-horsepower
planes and gained the experience
necessary to handle the 450-horse
power basic trainers at Randolph.
Under new regulations former
college students who have not com
pleted the required two years of
college may, however, be exempted
in the mental examination from
subjects which they have completed
in college.
Weep No More
Many Juke Box
Proms Are Left
By Florence Hollingshead
Sniff, sniff, boo-boo, and all
that. The last of the first semes
ter Juke Box proms was held at
the usual spot on ye ole’ college
campus Saturday night.
Although the heavy dew tried
it’s best to drown out the rug-
cutters, it failed to dampen their
spirits. It seems that the idea
of a “turn-about-week” as a change
was a success, but the idea had
better not be harbored by anyone
anytime soon. It was both a sur
prise and a pleasure to find that
the dance was free of cover charge
and all other kinds of charges.
There were quite a number
of chaperones there, was it because
of the short course? If so, we’re
always glad to have them join in
on our fun. A number of boys
returning from camp came by to
try their luck at hot-footing it,
too.
Because of a blessed break in
the summer semester terms, there
will be no prom this week end,
but they will continue to be reeled
off on the successiv^|L Saturdays
from then on. We h^f^hat they
have been successful,
(See JUKE BO:
Agricultural
Economics Field
Trip Planned
The Agricultural Economics field
trip will be held from July 21 to
August 31. L. S. Paine, agricul
tural economics instructor, will
head the trip and has made all
the arrangements in advance.
The trip was planned for last
year but didn’t come through as
was scheduled. This year the
trip has been taken up by the
students for its full value. The
maximum number already have
turned in their reservations and
a waiting list has been started.
The boys who are to make the trip
are W. T. Jones, R. L. Whorter,
Oliver Goen, Bill Cameron, W. B.
Burchard, G. A. Adams, G. C.
Fajardo, Roland Bing, Claude
Brandon, G. G. Harris, Duglas
White, C. B. Ehman, Jack Jones,
J. R. Scott, R. D. Nichols, M. J.
Lyons, L. T. Vivian, G. E. Lytel,
and Ernest Pettit.
From the 7,000 mile trip, which
will cover most of the states west
of the Mississippi, they will be
able to get a good idea of condi
tions as they are in this country
at the present time. Will get
first hand information on the prob
lems of the country. By getting
this information and viewpoints it
will be possible for them to become
more intelligent and understand
able leaders, Paine said.
First Plans Call For
September Occupancy
The remodeling of Guion Hall to provide a motion picture theater
at a cost of $5,800 was authorized by the board of directors at their
meeting Saturday morning. Guion Hall will replace the Assembly Hall
for the showing of films, and will be ready for occupancy by the be
ginning of the first semester.
“The Y. M. C. A. committee has been anxious for the privilege of
using Guion Hall as a motion pic
ture house for several years and
have delayed motion picture equip
ment improvements until a more
satisfactory location could be
found,” Dean T. D. Brooks, chair
man of the committee said. “It
will be possible in the new loca
tion to provide good recreation for
students at low cost.
ADD to Guion Story gal 12
Work will begin immediately to
provide facilities that will be need
ed. Draperies will be hung to im
prove acoustics. Aisles and stair
ways will be carpeted to deaden
sounds.
Upon completion Guion Hall
will house 2,000 persons at one
time, which would give a capacity
of 6,000 under a normal show
schedule.
To improve ventilation facilities,
new equipment will be installed
which will provide more comfort.
At present plans call for neon
signs which will be placed across
the top of the building.
P. J. Norton, architect of the
college, will have charge of the
alterations and the designing of
the decoration plan.
“Every effort will be made to
convert Guion Hall into as mod
ern a theater as possible,” Dean
Brooks said.
The Assembly Hall will continue
to function as a meeting place for
class meetings and other meetings.
The Town Hall programs will con
tinue to be held in Guion Hall.
Crockett Heads
New Field Office
Opened at Dallas
J. Burke Crockett, graduate of
A. & M. and a native of Texas,
has been chosen to be district man
ager of the new field office in
Dallas, one of six recently opened
by the Priorities Division, Office
of Production Management, E. R.
Stettinius, Jr., Director, announced.
E. C. Laird, Jr., and L. Edward
Scriven, assistant deputy directors
of the division, will be in charge
of these field offices, as well as of
four others opened previously.
Crockett has previously been a
civil engineer and a general con
tractor. He served from 1911 to
1914 as assistant professor of civil
engineering at A. & M., and from
1924 until 1939 he operated his
own contracting business and work
ed with other contractors in Ten
nessee, Oklahoma and Texas.
Summey Returns
From Engineering
English Conference
Morgan Delivers Address
On the Background Of The
Teacher of Composition
Dr. George Summey, Jr., head
of the English department, return
ed Monday night from a conference
for teachers of English in techni
cal schools which was held under
the auspices of the University of
Michigan and the English com
mittee of the Society for the Pro
motion of Engineering Education.
Dr. Summey was in charge of
program for the second week which
featured English composition. Dur
ing the week he delivered papers
entitled “Scholarship That Work
ed”, “Normal English Style To
day”, “Levels of Good Language”,
and “Improving Vocabularies.”
S. S. Morgan, professor in, the
English department, also attended
the conference. He delivered a
paper on the background of the
teacher of English composition.
Mackey Elected
Head Of Master
Farmers’ Club
Twelve members of the Texas
Master Farmers’ Association and
their families attended the annual
meeting of the association which
was held Monday, in connection
with the Farmers’ Short Course.
The election of officers for next
year was held at the meeting.
The new officers elected were L.
L. Mackey of Longview, president;
Mrs. F. M. Chamblee of Van
Zandt county, vice-president; and
Eugene Butler of Dallas as sec
retary. The meeting was complete
ly a social affair with short talks
by the Master Farmers descrbing
agricultural conditions in their re
spective communities.
F. O. Masten, the retiring pres
ident, showed some motion, pictures
of his farming methods on his
8,000 acres cotton farm in Lamb
and Cochran counties. Eugene
Butler also presented some motion
pictures of his trip to South
America and gave a descriptive
talk on his recent trip.
Board Meeting
Results In Many
New Activities
Law Reelected To Serve
New Term As President,
White As Vice-President
A building program for North
Texas Agricultural College at
Arlington and the John Tarleton
Agricultural College at Stephen-
ville was launched by the board
of directors at a meeting Satur
day.
The board invited the executive
committee of the Association of
Former Students to hold a joint
meeting with them on the cam
pus August 30 and 31.
After reelecting F. M. Law of
Houston as president, and G. R.
White of Brady as vice-president,
the board with all nine members
present awarded contracts for con
struction of the Agricultural Ad
justment Administration building.
Architect A. C. Finn of Houston
was employed to draw plans for
two dormitories and an agricultural
building at John Tarleton and a
classroom building at Arlington.
The Texas Forestry Service was
authorized to erect a kiln drying
oven at the Lufkin forest products
laboratory at a cost of $1,700.
Dean Kyle Granted Four Months Leave To Make Good Will Visit To
Pan American Countries Under National Defense Council Auspices
Engineers Of The
State Contribute
$40,000 To College
The registration committee of
the Engineers of the State recent
ly has given $40,000 to the college
for the purpose of buying books,
and the A. & M. Board of Directors
has voted to accept the gift. The
books which will be purchased from
the fund will be a most welcome
addition to the school library. The
books will be kept in the Cushing
Memorial Library.
A flying four-months good will
visit to Central and South Amer
ica countries will be made by E.
J. Kyle, dean school of agricul
ture under the auspices of the
Council of National Defense and
other cooperating organizations, it
ivas revealed here when the Board
of Directors granted him a leave
of absence. The purposes of his
visit are to renew acquaintances
with his former students who are
to be found in considerable num
bers in all of the South and Cen
tral American countries; to make
a thorough study of the agricul
tural systems of each country vis
ited, and to make a broad study
of commercial agriculture as it
exists today and the opportunities
it offers for the future in the
countries visited. This study is to
include livestock, especially beef
cattle and sheep, and the principal
crops grown in each country.
Dean Kyle’s trip, sponsored by
the Council of National Defense
with several other organizations
^On Leave
Dean E. J. Kyle
cooperating, will begin by plane
on July 27. The countries visited
will include Mexico, Nicaragua
Costa Rica, Panama, Venezuela,
Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Para-'
guay, Chile, Ecuador, Peru, and
Columbia.
For twenty years, there have
been a considerable number of
young men who have come to Tex
as A. & M. College from the Cen
tral and South American Coun
tries. Dean Kyle has written
those men of his plans and hopes
to be able to renew acquaintances
with each of them.
Having been Dean of Agriculture
at the Agricultural and Mechanical
College of Texas since the School
of Agriculture was established in
1911 and having represented the
United States in a survey of the
agricultural colleges in the United
States, Dean Kyle is thoroughly
familiar with the agricultural edu
cational system in the United
States and is anxious to make a
careful study of the agricultural
system of each of the countries
in South and Central America. He
Acting Dean
D. W. Williams
coming from Central and South
America.
is now preparing a course of study ! In audition to Dean Kyle’s ex-
especially designed for students perience in agricultural education
al affairs, he is a director in the
Farm Credit Administration and,
as such, will study the agricul
tural credit systems of the coun
tries visited. He is also a trustee
in the million dollar Luling Texas
Foundation, which is probably the
most important demonstration farm
in the United States.
Dean Kyle hopes to visit with
some of the leading farmers and
ranchmen and make a comprehen
sive study of types of animals and
crops grown.
Dean Kyle will make a written
report of his findings to the Coun
cil of National Defense upon his
return to the United States.
Long an advocate of greater
emphasis on the business and
economic side of agriculture, Dean
Kyle has taken the lead for A. &
M. over other American universi
ties and colleges in an advanced
curriculum. His administration as
dean has been the enrollment in the
Texas A. & M. School of Agricul
ture grow to make it the largest
in the nation and in the world.
Farm Security
Workers Complete
Successful Course
With the program Wednesday
devoted to “strengthening nation
al defense through improved meth
ods of producing and conserving
foods of maximum nutritional
value,” Farm Security Administra
tion workers from all parts of the
state ended their three-day annual
meeting on the A. & M. College
campus.
FSA farm and home workers
spent most of the time during
the three-day short course listen
ing to and watching A. & M. Col
lege and Extension Service special
ists lecture and conduct demon
strations on how to produce more
food on small farms. Livestock,
poultry, gardens, and orchards
came into the discussion.
Wednesday Misses Grace I.
Neely and Jennie M. Camp, exten
sion specialists in food preserva
tion and home production special
ists, pointed out the evidences of
nutritional deficiencies in the diet
of Texas small-farm families. Sug
gestions for remedying this defi
ciency included year-’round gar
dens, long-term land leases so that
tenants would plant and keep home
orchards, and better feeding of
cattle, hogs and poultry so as to
(See FARM SECURITY, page 4)
Mapping-, Surveying:
Short Course Reaches
Conclusion This Week
The second course in Soil Clas
sification and Mapping will be of
fered at Texas A. & M. College
this summer from July 21 to Aug
ust 9. Field workers and technical
as well as non-technical men will
have an opportunity to take a
three-weeks course beginning July
21 in a very important phase of
agricultural field work.
E. A. Norton, chief of the Phy
sical Surveys, Division of the Soil
Conservaton Service, will come to
College Station from Washington,
D. C., in order to conduct this
course.
The appeal that this type of in
struction in outdoor field methods
has for agricultural workers may
be ascertained by noting the at
tendance last year. Graduates of
more than 12 colleges made up the
class of 40. All but four of those
in attendance were permanent
workers in some form of agricul
tural service. Graduates from the
Universities of Arkansas, Okla
homa, Kansas, Texas, Baylor, Tex
as Technological, Iowa State, Col
orado A. & M., Georgia Tech and
North Dakota State College of
Agriculture were in attendance.