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Page Two z . ~ THE BATTALION, College Station (Aggieland)., Texas, Thursday, April 24, 1947:
HEART
ACHES is the |
Number One
song hit this
week. . . It’s
an oldie writ
ten some 15
years ago. . .
THE RITZ
BROTH-
ERS and the
Marx Broth
ers will be
teamed up
soon to do a
picture about
the hill-billy feudin’ families.
THE HATFIELDS AND THE
COWBOYS, which should prove
very funny. The reconciliatory ef
forts of the MICKEY ROONEYS
didn’t get any place and they’re
further away than ever. . . MEL
TORME, originally of the MEL-
TONES, is solo-ing it now and
doing plenty okay. . . with studio
commitments, recordings, and ra
dio and night club engagements,
this diminuative song stylist ought
to go places—if he keeps a level
head. . . former band leader ABE
LYMAN is now a producer and is
going to turn out musical movies-
at Republic Studios. . . Speaking
of bandleaders, PAUL WHITE-
MAN’S son, PAUL, JR. is fronting
a new band in New York City,
and doing okay. . . under the
guidance of POPS.
FRANKIE LAIN’S recording of
STAY AS SWEET AS YOU ARE
for Mecury Records looks like a
smash hit. . . FRANK SINAT
RA’S first role as a dramatic ac
tor will be THE MIRACLE OF
THE BELLS, for RKO Studios, in
which the swooner-crooner boy will
play the part of the priest.
WALT DISNEY’S newest
cartoon epic is called FUN
AND FANCY FREE and DIN
AH does the commentating off
screen.
BING CROSBY, his wife DIXIE
and theif entourage of four Cros-
byites leave for an extended tour
of the hinterlands soon. . . which
will also include a stay at the
Crosby Ranch in Nevada. Famed
columnist LOUELLA PARSONS
planed to NYC after her last
week’s broadcast to be at the bed
side of her ailing husband DOC
MARTIN.
Two of Hollywood’s wealthiest
comedians, who made their millions
long before talkies made its bow,
are about to appear in two great
comedies just completed. . . CHAR
LIE CHAPLIN in MONSIEUR
VERDOUX and HAROLD LLOYD
in THE SIN OF HAROLD DID-
DLEBOCK.
New Photo Course
Offered in Fall
A new course in photography
will be offered next fall according
to J. G. Potter, head of physics
department. Since an estimate of
the number of students is neces
sary before arrangements can be
made, Dr. Potter has invited those
interested to attend the next meet
ing of The Camera Club to be
held Monday, April 28, 7 p.m., in
Room 35, Physics Department.
At that time those present will
advise the Physics Department of
the nature and scope of instruction
for which there is a demand.
—HEARING—
(Continued from Page 1)
college catalog into separate
pamphlets.
Asked if he didn’t believe the
board should have final say on
how the catalog should be printed,
Clark replied that he did think so,
but he still resented their order.
Clark didn’t recall ever being ov
erriden by the board, but he did
know that Dean T. D. Brooks had
on occasion objected to many things
he had been forced to do by the
board.
Lack of Confidence
Summing up his attitude to
ward Gilchrist, Clark stated that
he would pot mind Gilchrist’s dic
tatorial attitude if. he just had
confidence in the man’s judgment.
Senator Harris began interro
gating Clark rather vigorously at
this point.
Q. Do you think the board should
run the school, or you as head of
the Economics Department should
run the school?
A. I think the board should
manage the college.
Q. Whom do you think the board
should consult on matters pertain
ing to the operation of the school?
You?
A. It depends on the matters
at hand.
Q. Should the board interrogate
each member of the faculty before
taking action?
A. No.
Q. Do you think the Board
should have consulted the faculty
before taking action on the hazing
problem ?
A. Yes. I believe the faculty
is better able to deal with hazing
through counciling with the in
dividual students.
This prompted Harris to make
the following statement: “Dr.
Clark, I think you know less about
anything than any witness this
committee has yet had before it.
You have been issuing statements
all over the state of Texas that you
have some facts to present to this
board, but as yet we have not se
cured fact one from you. Now just
what do you wish to leave as your
opinion of what is wrong at A
& M?”
Clark replied that he wanted the
committee to know that Gilchrist
and the board had used coercive
and repressive tactics in enforcing
the state law against hazing, and
that he personally held no hard
feelings against any member of the
investigating committee.
★
Reconvening Tuesday night at 8
p.m., the committee resumed the
questioning of Delbert V. Schultz.
Sen. Fred Harris was not present
at the opening of the session and
Sen. Dorsey Hardeman began an
interrogation of the witness.
Leading off with a list of eight
“facts” Schultz stated he wished
: to give the statements and then
elaborate on each. They were as
follows:
1. The faculty and the presi
dent do not work in harmony and
neither do the students and the
prexy.
2. A refusal of the president to
converse with the students on
problems.
3. The continuance of an in
creased room rent fee in spite of
an increase in enrollment.
4. The administration has been
questioned consistently.
5. The senior court has been
abolished, thereby taking away
the responsibility of the senior
class the presence of which is
essential to leadership.
6. A. & M. does not fulfill the
requirements in Basic R O T C
Manual as a Military College.
7. The presence of Gilchrist on
the campus threatens the en
trance of prospective students.
8. A. & M. spirit is low.
Seeking to substantiate these
statements, Sen. Hardeman ques
tioned Shultz on each individually.
The results were that “fact one”
was based on an observation of
Shultz after a visit to Gibb Gil
christ in the president’s office in
February of 1946. In a “one
sided” conversation, Shultz stated
that all Gilchrist would say was,
“Yes, I am changing A. & M”,
and in answer to a question on the
assumed objection by the students
on the new policies, “I’m sorry.”
Shultz added that under the Basic
Policy endorsed by the Board of
Directors and Gilchrist, the stu
dents have no voice in the govern
ment of the school.
For the proof of “fact two”, re
fusal of president to council with
students on problems, Shultz of
fered no specific instances.
In trying to find a reason why
Shultz believed that the amount
collected as room rent was too
much, Hardeman, asked if Shultz
thought the money was misap
propriated. He didn’t know. He
believed if the dorms once had
been operated on a certain a-
mount, then that need not ever
be raised.
T o substantiate his charge
that the administration has been
consistently questioned, Shultz
simply said, “The questioning
was evident.”
Referring to the Basic ROTC
Manual p.39, Shultz stated that the
requirements of a MC (Military
College type of ROTC training as
opposed to CC, civilian college type
of training) institution was that
the students be administered by
military officers and that the stu
dents be on a constant military
standing. He said that when Gil
christ put the control of student
affairs in the hands of the civil
ian personnel of the Office of the
Dean of Men, A. & M. was no long
er MC, but came under the classi
fication of CC where students were
on a civilian status, except in mil
itary classes. Hardeman asked if
a CC type of ROTC training was
as good, to which Shultz answered,
“Yes”, but when asked if A. & M.
was as good as a CC school he
said, “No.”
For evidence of students not com
ing to A. & M. because of Gil
christ’s being president, Shultz
mentioned two men who were re
gional track champions in high
school. They said, according to
Shultz, that they would not come
to A. & M. unless Gilchrist was
removed. The two boy’s names
were not given.
At this point Shultz stated that
the enrollment had dropped from
9200 in February 1946 to 7500 in
February 1947. The decrease was
attributed to Gilchrist. The first
was supposedly gotten from the
B' talion and the second from the
Registrar’s Office.
Batt. Note: The Battalion
shows that there were 4199 stu
dents enrolled in Texas A. & M.
February 6, 1946.)
Reverting then to the morning
discussions concerning the letter
written by Shultz and paid for by
Travis Bryan, president of First
National Bank of Bryan, Harde
man asked how many copies were
printed. Shultz said 9 in all. From
further questioning it was learned
that the cost of printing was as
sumed by Bryan after a phone
conversation with Shultz, and that
the amount was “about eight dol
lars”.
Also stated by Shultz was that
the financial figures of the let
ter were gathered from Dr. T. O.
Walton in a meeting the day be
fore the letter dated February 6
was written. Walton supposedly
investigated on February 5 after
their conversation and Shultz
went back for the information.
No auditor’s report or copy of
figures were seen by Shultz; the
data was given him orally.
Walton was said to have stated
that Gilchrist had violated the law.
In final questioning, Hardeman
asked if Shultz would appear be
fore a Grand Jury to give evidence
to indict Gilchrist on a charge of
this sort. Shultz said he would.
Harris took over the interroga
tion at this point and kept up the
line of questioning started in the
morning session. Shultz was asked
repeatedly to name more members
of the* Star chamber. Finally he
thought of a boy of the name of
Gilbert—the younger of two broth
ers, but didn’t know where the boy
was from. He was probably refer
ring to Boots Gilbert of Dallas.
★
Shultz’s conversation with Ar
thur B. Knickerbocker, state ad
jutant general and Aggie-ex, was
then discussed. At the meeting in
the general’s office, it was testi
fied that the dissatisfaction and
uneasiness of the students at that
time (November 1945) was brought
up. Shultz said he wanted the
exes to know about it. A plan for
the cadet corps to make'‘'an indig
nation march on Austin was dis
cussed and the general was asked
what he thought about it and could
he arrange for the students to stay
somewhere—perhaps at Camp Ma
bry. Knickerbocker was not in fa
vor of this action and Shultz said
he dropped all thoughts and plans
of the venture. He phoned Travis
Bryan to tell him of the result of
the interview with Knickerbocker.
During his two week stay on the
campus in 1945 to investigate the
situation the school was in, Shultz
says he spoke to 40 or 50 students
privately to find out their opinion.
All were against Gilchrist he stat
ed. He could not think of any
friends’ names for the record. He
mentioned several business men of
the North Gate Area, however.
These were Smith of the Aggie
land Pharmacy and Mausner, Class
of ’41, of W.S.D.
Senator Moffet asked witness
Shultz that if General Knicker
bocker had been in favor of a
“march” on Austin, would the ca
det officers have been willing—
Shultz said the 10 members of the
group would contact the company
officers to lead their organizations
to the capital city.
Asked why he hadn’t interviewed
the governor instead of Knicker
bocker, Shultz replied that he did
n’t think O’Daniel was an ex.
When asked who would pay ex
penses of the trip, Shultz said
that since the Aggies would pre
sumably “thumb” over and stay
where Knickerbocker provided,
the cost would be small. Bryan
had told Shultz, “Don’t ever wor
ry about expenses; you get ’em
hopped up and I will pay for it.”
Representative John Cox then
asked Shultz if he doubted the
integrity of Dr. Walton. Shultz
said “No”. Then Cox asked Shultz
if he knew that Dr. Walton tes
tified before the investigating
committee that Shultz was known
to him only as a student and no
meeting or visit concerning the
letter written by Shultz was held.
Harris continued his queries. He
asked Shultz how the letter was
presented to the senior class for
adoption. Shultz answered that
the letter was read at a mass meet
ing (at which he was not present
but others of the group of 10 were).
Shultz met with McCormick in the
latters’ room after the meeting at
which the letter was read. Shultz
said that H. C. Huddleston had
carried the letter to Ft. Worth.
In all Shultz had met with the
group of 10 in private session once,
with Walton twice, and with Bry
an 4 times excluding one phone call
—this by his own testimony.
As a concluding question, Harris
asked Shultz if he was either dir
ectly or indirectly related to Dr.
F. B. Clark, Shultz said that he
had never met him.
★
Shultz was dismissed and Byron
Winstead, Director of the College
Dept, of Information was called to
the witness stand. Several spe
cific questions were asked of Win
stead. They were as follows:
Does Gibb Gilchrist discuss in
formation for public distribution
with the Publicity Office? To
this the answer given was “no”
if the inference was to censor
ship or coercion. It was added
that twelve hours after Gilchrist
had assumed office, he had in
structed the Publicity Director
not to play up the president’s
name but to give credit to the
people who do the work dis
cussed.
Winstead stated that 90 per
cent of the material issued from
his office was written by four vet
eran student assistants. They
covered the four fields of engi
neering, agriculture, sports, and
liberal arts and sciences. He told
the committee that he had his “re
sponsibility to the institution”, but
all the information “requested by
state papers” was given out. “No
member of the Board of Directors
or Dean tries suppression”, Win
stead said. He added th#t he
would not keep the job if it was un
der conditions of censorship.
It was stated that the College
Office issued only “news” and no
“propaganda”. The only editing
of news items was on “choice of
words”, Winstead said.
The first he had heard of the
Shultz letter was when it was
read to him over the phone by a
member of the staff of the Hous
ton Chronicle five hours after it
was received.
Charges of censorship of Col
lege Publicity by Gibb Gilchrist
had been made in the letter writ
ten and issued by Delbert Shultz
and also in a statement given by
Bill Andrews to a meeting of
Veteran Student Association on
March 28.
General Knickerbocker
Next to testify was Adj. Gen.
Knickerbocker. The General re
called tiie meeting with Shultz and
dated it as shortly after the first
of January 1946. He said Shultz
wanted to talk about the “situa
tion at A. & M.” The latter be
gan giving the grievances of the
students to the General and brought
up ways and means of getting rid
of Gilchrist.
Some of the methods cited by
Knickerbocker as told him by
I am the Candy Kid, an
Effanbee at
Joyce’s Toy House
for You to See.
Durable, lovable, from
head to toe.
If you onpe hold me,
you won’t let go.
508 S. College Ph. 2-2864
Shultz were the publishing of a
sheet of changes needed and dis
tributing it to the newspapers and
to A. & M. Clubs and a march of
the Cadet Corps to Austin to talk
to the Governor or other officials.
Shultz inquired if the General
could house the Aggies during their
stay, perhaps at Camp Mabry—out
side of Austin, quarters of the
Dept, of Public Safety.
Gen. Knickerbocker told the
committee that he did all he
could to dissuade Shultz because
he believed that the publicity
would hurt the College more than
help it. He said ‘we must do the
dirty work ourselves if need be
but keep it out of the papers’.
Wanting other A. & M. men to
hear the plan and get their opin
ion, Knickerbocker called in
Clarence M. Elwell and Colonel
Black and then all three attemp
ted to talk Shultz gut of the
scheme. The General told
Shultz that it was evident that
he (Shultz) did not know what
was wrong, that he should keep
personalities out, and do all work
in a “constituted” manner.
It was brought to the attention
of the General in the meeting with
Shultz that the latter had not spok
en to Gilchrist concerning his views
and then Knickerbocker advised
him to pay the President a visit.
Shultz protested that he would not
be able to get to see Gilchrist. Gen.
Knickerbocker said he would guar
antee that Gilchrist would grant an
audience to him.
The General said that contin
ually throughout the interview
Shultz referred to the statement
“We all want this” (speaking of
the ousting of Gilchrist). Knick
erbocker said that both he and
Elwell attempted to find out who
constituted “we”.
Shultz offered as explanation a
mention of Walton and Bryan, but
he did not say why they were in
terested in this affair.
The General tried to find out
who Shultz wanted in the presi-
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The Battalion
The Battalion, official newspaper of the Agricultural and Mechanical College
Texas an d the City of College Station, is published tri-weekly and circulated
Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday afternoons.
Member
Ptssooded CpHeftiote Press
Entered as second-class matter at Post Office at College Station, (Aggieland)
Texas, nnder the Act of Congress of March 3, 1870.
Subscription rate 4.00 per school year. Advertising rates on request.
Represented nationally by National Advertising Service, Inc., at New York Ci
Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Allen Self
Vick Lindley
Charles E. Murray .
J. K. B. Nelson
David M. Seligman
Paul Martin
Corps Editor
— Veteran Editor
—Tuesdar Associate Editor
Thursday Associate Editor
.Saturday Associate Editor
Sports Editor
Larry Goodwjn^ Andy Matula, Jack Goodloe, Dick Baker, Earl Grant......Sports Writers
^ Advertising Manager
Wendell McClure
D.
D. W. Springer
Ferd B. English, Franklin Cleland, Willia
u .. e ,K>u, A-Acumnu ^isiouu, tv niiam Miller, Doyle Duncan,
Ben Schrader, Wm. K. Colville, Walter Lowe, Jr., Lester
B. Gray, Jr., Carl C. Krueger, Jr., Mack T. Nolen
Circulation Manager
-Reporters
Some Predictions ...
The legislative investigation of the A. & M. situation
has lately been out of the public eye, for several reasons.
The Texas City disaster crowded it off the front pages, and
suspension of testimony for a week brought some people to
believe that the investigation had been closed. Then, .too,
most of the sensational charges have already been hurled,
with little prospect of any more worthy of note coming to
light.
It now appears that the investigation will last for about
a week more, with perhaps a two-day session on the cam
pus. But after the farce of Dr. Clark’s testimony and the
damaging contradiction of Shultz’s and Walton’s testimony,
little sympathy can be expected from members of the com
mittee.
The investigation has continued long enough that some
predictions may safely be made. The most obvious pre
diction, which requires no trance or crystal gazing to con
jure up, is that a “clean bill of health” report will be forth
coming. Some people will call it a “whitewash.” There will
naturally be some gentle remonstrance of the administration
for assorted bungling of student relations, but this will un
doubtedly be couched in such terms that it will go unnoticed
by newspaper readers.
Charges of financial mismanagement or misappropria
tion of funds will be declared unfounded. This is only na
tural, as no conclusive evidence has been introduced which
will prove such skullduggery.
Outside influence, in the person of the local postmaster
and others, will be held guilty in large measure for inciting
the student uprising. The report will probably hold that no
concerted “Oust Gilchrist” movement would have exploded
were it not for non-student aid, comfort, and advice.
Charges of faculty intimidation will be dismissed as un-
supportable.
The President and the Board of Directors will be com
mended for their courageous stand on the hazing issue.
Long Range
Assumptions concerning the long range effect of all
this mess are more difficult to reach. The whole contro
versy and investigation has disgusted everyone who has fol
lowed it. The students are bitter because the investigation
appears prejudiced. Those interested in the future of high
er education in Texas are disgusted because of the reverbera
tions which will still be heard long from now. Many people
are repelled by the part outsiders have played in the contro
versy, seemingly to further their own personal ambitions.
This one conclusion is indisputable—Gilchrist has made
no friends among the students as a result of the ruckus.
Their animosity toward him will remain. He can probably
never have the 100% support of the student body. Perhaps
he will even lose the 100% support of the Board of Directors.
The investigation of the college has proved that it is
not an auditor we need here, but an experienced, capable, and
skillful “human relations” expert.
Another such expert should be employed as personnel
director of the faculty and staff. An attempt was made to
improve student relations through the establishment of a
new officer, but this has proven largely ineffectual, as evi
denced by the recent explosion.
If content and happiness are to prevail again at A. & M.,
some kind of organizational change will have to be made.
A “clean bill” report from the investigating committee may
put salve over the sore, but it will not cure it.
Hollywood Revel-ations
By Harry Revel
Hi’ya Aggies. . . Here’s some more Movie Mecca Musings. . . Rita
Hayworth, footloose and fancy free once more, is becoming more and
more TONY MARTIN conscious. . . IRVING BERLIN has already
completed the new score for EASTER PARADE which MGM will
produce this year as a super-duper* ——
Musical.
Harry Revel
dent’s chair after Gilchrist was
ousted. He stated that Shultz said
that there were “lots of good men”.
Walton was thought to be one of
the “good men” by Shultz. Knick
erbocker told the committee that he
informed Shultz that was not in
favor of returning Walton to the
administration—in fact, not in fa
vor of the whole idea of a march
or published letter.
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THURS., LAST DAY
A HEART-WARMING,
/ V-iMIENCE! /
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\FIRSI UVE ACTION
[V MUSICAL i
;^W0RAMA'
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of the SOUTH
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INCLUDING ANI
MAUD DH.ES OF
UNCLE REMUS
Distributed t> fiKO RADIO PICTURES, tat
FRIDAY-SATURDAY
“13 RUE
MADELEINE”
Starring
JAMES CAGNEY
pens 1:00 p.m. Daily
THURSDAY ONLY!
DANA ANDREWS
RICHARD CONTE
“A WALK IN
THE SUN”
FRIDAY-SATURDAY
Double Feature
“THE BLACK
ANGEL”
with
DAN DURYEA and
JUNE VINCENT
— Plus —
SONS OF THE PIONEERS
And Introducing
_ RICHARD KORBEL