EDITORIALS, PAGE 2
“Sincere Investigation”
“Press Freedom”
VOLUME 46
College
alion
PUBLISHED IN THE INTEREST OF A GREATER A & M COLLEGE
COLLEGE STATION (Aggieland), TEXAS, SATURDAY, APRIL 12, 1947
INVESTIGATION
Continued 7:30 Monday
Night in Austin
Number 57
Directors ‘Stand Paf On Hazing Question
Summer School Starts June 9
Enrollment To Exceed 3000
Summer School plans have been completed and the pro
posed calendar drawn up. H. L. Heaton, registrar, has esti
mated the attendance to be 3100 for the summer session. The
Bryan Field Annex will not be used during the summer
session.
Aggie Fashion
For Spring ’47
For the rest of the world the
spring of 1947 arrived officially
last March 21, but for A & M the
first day of spring appeared Mon
day with the Cadet Corps greeting
the morning sunrise clad in Khaki
summer uniforms; no more appal
ling O. D.s for freshmen and sophs,
and erstwhile wearers of the
“green” and “pink” began to drag
“summer serge” out of the moth
balls or else join the procession to
North Gate tailors. Some of the
lucky however, saved quite a sum
by whipping out in outfits which
might have been on familiar terms
with the inner furnishings of a
B-29, or officer’s clubs the world
over. (Number one contribution of
veteran students to the progress
and welfare of the corps.)
Not to be outdone, vets showed
up over the campus in startling
shades of fabric designed to blend
with the colors of Easter season.
The conservative lads were likely
to be attired in two-tone jobs vary
ing from a light pink and beet red
combination to a general conglom
eration of the colors of the rain
bow. One radical was noticed Mon
day morning in front of Sbisa
wearing a suit tailored from an
outlandish dull blue pinstriped ma
terial. What some people will do
to attract attention! Here’s hoping
it won’t become a fad! Not to be
omitting the feminine side, the pre
vailing styles among better dress
ed collegiate wives seems to con
sist of—ah,—seems to consist of—,
well anyway, after a long hard
winter, spring has definitely ar
rived at Aggieland!
Senior Ring Dance
Set For May 16
The Senior Ring Dance will
be held May 16 in Sbisa Hall,
it was decided at a meeting of
veteran and Corps Seniors last
Thursday night. This is a
change from the previous plan
to hold the affair on May 9.
In a telegram to John Stiles,
member of the program com
mittee for the dance and ban
quet, Ike Ashburn accepted the
class’ invitation to speak at the
Senior Banquet also May 16.
Superintendent Of
Slaton High Joins
Psychology Staff
M. S. Kavanaugh, superinten
dent of Slaton High School for
the past seven years, has been ap
pointed to the staff of the depart
ment of education-phychology in
structor in psychology, George B.
Wilcox, head of the department,
has announced. The position was
left vacant by the resignation of
Kenneth Hackney on March 1.
Prior to his superintendency at
Slaton, Kavanaugh served as prin
cipal at Shamrock, Texas. He has
been in the teaching profession
for twenty-three years.
Kavanaugh attended Wesley
College at Greenville a year before
serving in World War I. Upon
returning, he went into construc
tion work to make enough money
with which to finish his college
education. He returned to Wesley,
transferring to East Texas State
Teachers College, then to the Uni
versity of Texas, wherfe, in 1934, he
received his bachelor of arts and
master of arts degrees in psychol
ogy. He has also attended the
University of Chicago.
Kream and Kow Klub
To Meet Tuesday
A meeting of the Kream and
Kow Klub is scheduled for 7:30
p.m. Tuesday, April 15 in the
Creamery Lecture Room. Feature
attraction of the evening is a film
entitled “Dairying As It Should
Be Done”.
All Dairy Husbandry majors are
urged to attend and to bring any
visitors who desire to come. Re
freshments will be served at the
conclusion of the program.
Certain limitations on enroll
ment are are to be continued for
the summer session. Briefly the
revised admission requirements
are:
A. Students entering A & M for
the first time:
1. Texas residents:
(a) Transfers—A limited
number of students
will be accepted. All
applicants must have
for the last two sem
esters of attendance,
a grade point average
of 1.00 or better for
all courses undertak
en, whether passed or
failed, at all institu
tions.
(b) High-school graduates
—All applicants who
are graduates of ac
credited secondary
schools will be admit
ted on the basis of
present regulations.
B. Students who have formerly
attended A & M College:
1. Any veteran former stu
dent, otherwise eligible for
readmission, who has not
attended any college since
leaving A & M is eligible
for readmission without
regard to the provisions
in 1(a). Likewise if his
only college attendance
since A & M was under
the auspices of the armed
forces (V-12, V-5, A. S. T.
R. P., A. S. T. P., etc.) he
may be readmitted with
out reference to the qual
ity provisions set forth in
1(a).
2. A former student who has
attended another college as
a civilian since A & M
must meet the require
ments as stated in 1(a),
provided the attendance
was for as long as one
regular semester or quar
ter. The restrictions will
not be applied to work
done only in summer ses
sion at other colleges.
SUMMER SESSION SCHEDULE
1947
May 31, Saturday, 1 to 5 p. m.,
registration for students en
rolled in spring semester.
June 9, Monday, 8 to 12 noon, re
gistration for new and old re
turning students.
June 9, Monday, 1 p. m., classes
begin.
June 13, Friday, last day for re
gistration in the college div
ision for credit during the
first term.
July 7, Monday, holiday.
July 18-19, Friday, Saturday, first
term examinations.
July 21, Monday, 8 to 12 noon, re
gistration for the second term.
July 21, Monday, 1 p. m., classes
begin.
July 25, Friday, last day for regis
tration in the college division
for credit during the second
term.
August 28-29, Thursday, Friday,
second term examinations.
August 30, Saturday, 8 to 12 noon,
registration for students en
rolled in second term of Sum
mer School.
Duchess Escorts
Meet Tuesday
All men who are to escort
Cotton Ball Duchesses in the
Pageant are requested to meet
Mrs. Manning Smith in the YM
CA Lecture Room at 7 p.m.
Tuesday, April 15, to discuss the
schedule of procedure. Escorts
who cannot be present should
send a representative to receive
the information that Mrs. Smith
will give.
Tickets on Sale
Tickets for the Cotton Ball
and Pageant are now on sale at
the following places at College
Station: Luke’s Grocery, Aggie
land Inn, Lipscomb Pharmacy,
and the Agronomy Department.
They may also be purchased at
the Annex Recreation Hall, and
W.S.D. in Bryan.
Virginia Prewit
Chosen Duchess
Miss Virginia Prewit, senior at
A & M Consolidated High School,
has been chosen Duchess for the
Cotton Ball and Pageant to re
present the Kream and Kow Klub.
Miss Prewit is the daughter of
Mr. J. D. Prewit, Vice Director and
State Agent for the Extension Ser
vice at A & M.
R. B. Price, Jr., senior student
in Diary Husbandry who hails
from El Paso will escort Miss Pre
wit.
OFFICERS of the local chapter of ROA are from left to right Fred J. Benson, vice president; Sidney
Loveless, president; and Henry Murray, secretary.
Test for Seniors
Entering Graduate
School to Be Given
An examination for grad
uating seniors who plan to
attend a graduate school will
be given May 5-6, Dr. W. A.
Varvel, of the department of edu
cation-psychology, has announced.
A series of objective tests in
eight basic fields of the under
graduate curricula plus an ad
vanced’ test in the student’s major
subject will comprise the graduate
record examination. The tests are
prepared and scored by the grad
uate record office in New York,
but given in local centers four
times yearly. The tests to be given
in May and in August are timed
for the convenience of students
entering graduate schools in the
fall semester.
Dr. Varvel stated that a num
ber of the larged graduate schools
require that these tests be taken
before entrance will be considered.
Reports of tests results are sup
plied to the student and to the
school he intends entering.
Two periods of four hours each
are required in taking these tests.
A fee of $5 is charged if the ex
amination is taken at one of the
four regularly scheduled dates.
Applicants requesting a special ex
amination, given other than when
scheduled, are charged $15.
Students interested in taking the
tests should contact Dr. Varvel in
room 102 of the Academic Build
ing. Registration must be com
pleted by noon April 17. A pros
pectus and application schedules
will be available soon.
Chamber of Commerce
Meeting Postponed
The organization meeting of the
proposed College Station Chamber
of Commerce has been postponed
a week and will be held Monday
night, April 21, about 8:00 p.m.
at the Consolidated High School
Gymnasium, according to an an
nouncement today.
The exact hour will be announced
later when the final Muster Day
plans are completed.
The organization committee re
quested all workers having peti
tions not yet turned in to do so
this week.
Ladies are invited to become
members of the association.
Aggie Band Presents Annual
Spring Concert Next Tuesday
A spring concert in Guion Hall has been arranged by
the Aggie Band for April 15. Featuring instrumental group
ings as well as full band numbers, the organization will
appear in concert for the first time this year.
Under the direction of E. V. Adams, the Aggie Band has
♦■returned to its full strength of
over 200 musicians making it again
Jakkula Says
No Pressure
On Faculty
Dr. Arne A. Jakkula, executive
director of the Texas A. & M. Re
search foundation, stated to a Bat
talion reporter this week: “I am
willing to make a statement, under
oath by a notary public, that no ad
ministrative officer of this college
had anything to do with the writ
ing or distributing of the petition
now being circulated on this cam
pus.” The petition states that un
dersigned members of faculty sup
port President Gilchrist and the
board of directors, “resent pre-
sumptious statements of Dr. F. B.
Clark that the greater part of staff
is opposed to administration, de
plore his unethical conduct and bad
taste in alleging to speak for us.”
The petition concludes “we have
been neither intimidated nor co
erced nor have our civil liberties
nor academic freedom h,een
abridged by administration of this
college.”
Reports that pressure had been
put on teachers to sign the petition
were denied by Jakkula. “The
purpose of the petition is explained
to each man. If he does not want
to sign he is not high pressured,”
said Jakkula.
“These petitions when signed
will be retained in my office, and
the names on them will be avail
able only to the investigating com
mittee at Austin, not to the col
lege administration,” Jakkula ex
plained. “I will certify to the com
mittee the number of names at
tached to the petition, and file
with them a copy of the document
itself.”
one of the largest musical organ
izations in the country. This will
no doubt be the final public per
formance of the band with the
graduating seniors.
A varied program is scheduled
for the concert, which begins at
7:30 p. m., including military sele
ctions, a symphony, school music,
and Spanish melodies. Two trios
will perform: a cornet group with
Phillip Kosub, T. D. Prater, and
W. L. Carruth; and a trombone
threesome, composed of E. S.
Anderson, D. R. Howell, and John
R. Lauderdale.
The fare will open with “Castan
ets”, a Spanish march, followed
by “Martha” from the opera by
Flotow. “Triplets of the Finest”
will be given by the cornet trio
after which the band will play
“The World Is Waiting for the
Sunrise”, a concert march militaire.
The drum section will be fea
tured in a number called “Percus
sion Antics”. “Three Trombon
ists” will be the rendered by three
members of that section. Then
the band will encroach upon the
religious theme with “Faith Eter
nal”, a fantasy of “The Old Rug
ged Cross”. This will be followed
by “Los Toros” from “Paso Doble”.
The band will give a rendition of
that famed bugle call “revielle”
as their ninth number.
As a climax to the show the
band will turn orchestra to pres
ent Schubert’s “Symphony No. 8
in B Minor” (Unfinished). The
program will close with the “Ag
gie War Hymn”.
Newman Club Initiations
Sunday at 5:30 in Chapel
Newman Club initiations will
take place at 5:30 p.m. Sunday,
April 13 in the basement of St.
Mary’s Chapel. On the following
day, April 14, at 7:30 p.m. the
club will hold a regular business
session at the church.
‘Dead Week’ to Be Observed
Before Spring Final Exams
The Student Life Committee met
last Monday and took action on
several pertinent school problems.
In regard to the recommendation
Left to right: AUSTIN BURCH, president of the campus Society
for the Advancement of Management, receives the charter for the
organization. MITCHELL I. KOPPEL, president of the Houston Chap
ter of SAM, and W. W. FINLAY, vice-president and general manager
of the Guilberson Corporation, Dallas, made the presentation.
sent to the Academic Council by
the Committee concerning a “dead
week” prior to final examinations,
the Council took action by instruc
ting the different Deans to contact
the heads of their departments and
make every effort to schedule ex
aminations so that all would be
completed at least several days be
fore finals.
The Academic Council also re
quested that the Committee pre
pare a complete report on the
Scholarship Honor Society, and
that the Society be reactivated as
soon as possible.
The Student Life Committee was
commended on the merit of its
proposal concerning the change of
Easter Holidays. No change in
this year’s Easter recess was made
as inspection trips had already
been scheduled and it was impos
sible to change the plans; however
the recommendation is to be fol
lowed in next year’s calendar.
A delegation from the Agronomy
Society appeared before the Com
mittee requesting a greater per
centage in receipts from the Cotton
Ball, as operating expenses for
the Cotton Pageant will be high
this year and it is feared proceeds
will not be great enough to provide
for the costs of the annual Cotton
Tour. When put to a vote, the
(See DEAD WEEK on Page 4)
Resume Testimony
Monday in Austin
By Vick Lindley
Dr. T. O. Walton was not re-elected president of A. & M.
in 1943 because he was half-hearted in enforcing anti-hazing
regulations and because in general the school ‘‘had outgrown
him,” G. R. White, president of the board of directors, told
the house-senate investigating committee in Austin Thurs
day. Mr. White, who has been a+
director of the college for 22 years,
of the seven ex-Aggie
was one oi tne seven
members of the board questioned
by the committee.
“The school was bigger than Dr.
Walton,” said White. Then that
line of questioning was cut off by
an objection from Rep. Cecil
Storey, on the ground that it was
irrelevant. Chairman Fred Harris
sustained the objection, but allow
ed the question, “Do you think Dr.
Walton has caused this present
unrest?” White’s answer was “I
won’t tell you what I think—only
what I know.”
Another question was, “Some
people have stated that a promin
ent Bryan business man has exer
cised himself unduly in the affairs
of the college. Do you know any
thing about that?”
ever, Sanders did make quite a
statement pertaining to the college
administration.”
Describing adoption of the Basic
Policy in 1945, Newton said that
the hazing situation had become in
tolerable and that attempts to con
trol it by student officers had fail
ed. Recognizing that they were
making a radical change in policy,
the board had interviews with many
seniors about the situation, and
finally adopted recommendations
of a committee composed entirely
of Aggie-exes, to set up the Dean
of Men’s office and adopt the Basic
Policy.
The location of A. & M. in a
small town, College Station, with
a nearby city, Bryan, neither of
them able to furnish adequate rec
reational facilities for the thous
“I have heard about it. I don’t
know,” answered White.
The question was then asked,
“Do you recall a flare-up between
Bryan and College Station, about
banks, picture shows, etc., being
established in College Station in
competition with Bryan?”
“Yes, and about the dairy bus
iness too,” answered White.
(Note: A letter has been sent to
Governor Beauford Jester by Mrs.
R. J. Cardwell, protesting that
Easterwood Field offers flight
trainig at prices so low as to con
stitute unfair competition to the
Cardwell Flight Academy, Coulter
Field, Bryan.)
Queried about his statement,
“The board is 100% behind Gil
christ” at the t time of the veterans
mass meeting, White said that at
the time he made the statement he
did not know about the veterans
meeting and meant that the board
backed Gilchrist 100% in abolish
ing hazing.
Expected Strike
All directors queried expressed
their opinions that hazing was at
the bottom of all the present diffi
culties, even with the veterans.
They confirmed their tmanimous
opposition to hazing.
“The board was looking for a
student ‘strike’ when the change
in disciplinary matters was made in
January, in order to crack down on
all hazing,” White stated. How
ever, he explained that the board
did not expect so big an uproar as
has. actually taken place. They
particularly did not expect any
protest from the veterans. “We’ve
gone to a lot of trouble to help
those boys. I can only believe that
their pretest is sympathetic to that
of the corps,” said White.
Disavows “Gestapo”
John W. Newton, spokesman for
the board at the hearing, when
asked if the board would condone
“gestapo” tactics, such as com
plained of by many veteran wit
nesses, if it were proved that such
tactics have been used, stated. “We
do not condone any practice not on
fair and equitable basis.”
Talking about corps troubles
over hazing, Newton said that the
average age of boys in the corps
is low, due to the “speed-up” plan
the last few years. “Boys of 18
and 19 now hold responsible jobs
in the cadet corps,” he stated. “We
thought the return of older boys
to the campus would help, but it
hasn’t.”
Asked if there was a student
government system iunctioning on
the campus now, Newton said that
such a system had been set up, but
was not effectively functioning.
Asked when it stopped function
ing, Newton reported that it be
came ineffective about six months
after it was set up, in 1945.
Newton was asked by Sen. Har
ris about hazing at A. & M. when
he was a student there.
Q. When you were at A. & M.,
were you ever whipped?
A.
Yes.
Q.
What with?
A.
A leather uniform
belt,
doubled up.
a
Did you complain?
A.
No.
Q-
Did you clean up any
rooms
as a
freshman?
A. No, sir. The seniors cleaned
their own rooms. They weren’t
very clean.
“What do you know about Major
Long taking off his insignia so a
boy could talk freely?”
“Information came to the board
that two fellows had made remarks
about corruption and misuse of
funds. They were brought before
the board to see if they could of
fer any information. We recog
nized that that board meeting was
no place to ‘try’ anyone. How
Investigations will be resumed
in Austin Monday evening at
7:30 in the Senate chamber.
Only three witnesses will be
subpoenaed for any single ses
sion of the investigation. Sen.
Harris announced yesterday
morning.
ands of students at A. & M., makes
a huge recurrent problem, Newton
said. The board is trying to solve
it by many forms of student rec-
tional activity.
“The general state of unrest in
the nation as a whole is a contrib
uting factor and possibly of funda
mental nature in the present dif
ficulties,” said Newton.
Asked if the hazing situation
had improved after Walton was
dropped as president, White said
that it had grown worse.
White had not been subpoenaed
but appeared voluntarily.
C. C. Krueger, “freshman” di
rector, told the committee that
hazing was very mild when he was
in school, lasting only a week at
the beginning of the school year.
Krueger stated that he is will
ing and eager to hear from stu
dents, faculty or other persons
connected with A. & M. at all
times. Because he has been on
the board for such a short time,
he was unable to speak oficially of
most matters under discussion.
Tyree Bell, also a “freshman”
director, reported that he spends
considerable time on the campus
unofficially. Asked about charges
that the administration had shown
lack of tact and finesse, Bell sta
ted, “Mr. Gilchrist has never been
known as a diplomat.”
E. W. Harrison and Roy Potts,
also directors, went on record as
thoroughly opposed to hazing.
Rufus Peeples, under questioning,
admitted that he had done “maid
service” as a freshman, received
“maid-service” for the other three
years and had even used “the
board.” However, he stated, he is
now opposed to all hazing.
Gagged, He Says
Shannon Jones, a leader in the
mid-night march to Gilchrist’s home
when the corps officers surrender
ed their commissions, was asked
to explain what he knew about
“gestapo” methods. Jones resign
ed from the corps after the January
troubles and before the “no confi
dence” ruckus.
Jones stated that when he asked
Col. Guy S. Meloy if it were true
that “you intend to break me,”
Meloy answered with, “Well, you
made a rather unfortunate speech
before the Lion’s Club in Bryan.”
Jones testified that his speech at
the Lion’s Club was made at the
Invitation of that group, and he
felt that under the doctrine of free
speech he had a right to make it.
Later Meloy said, according to
Jones, “The President says you
may stay in the corps, but I sug
gest you keep your nose clean and
stay out of controversial issues,
because I believe you want to study
and graduate in June.”
Rather than stay under a “gag”
rule, Jones stated, he decided to
leave the corps, and he quoted Me
loy as saying, “That’s a **** po
tent idea.”
Wayne Long Case
Jones also stated that Wayne
Long, under fire in another matter
of charges of breaking a confi
dence, made an inspection tour un
der improper circumstances, as a
result of which the outfit to which
he was attached asked the mili
tary department to transfer him
to another group.
Because nothing has been done in
regard to any of the charges
against Long, Jones stated that
the confidence of the cadet corps
(See HEARING on Page 4)