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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 16, 1949)
V.., Section Two The Battalion PUBLISHED IN THE INTEREST OF A GREATER A&M COLLEGE Pre Registration Edition Volume 49 COLLEGE STATION (Aggieland), TEXAS FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 1949 Number 32 New Professor Added to Dept. Of Journalism Durward E. Newsom was appointed the third full-time instructor in Journalism at A&M, with the rank of as sistant professor, D. D. Bur- chard, head of the depart ment, announced recently. Winner of the Harrington Award, highest honor conferred by the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University, New som has had some nine years of newspaper and radio experience. A graduate of Oklahoma A&M, he received his master’s degree in journalism from Northwestern Un iversity last June. Editor of the Drumwright, Okla homa, Journal and of the Drum wright Evening Derrick for four years, the new professor has also worked on the sports desk of the Daily Oklahoman at Oklahoma City. His other experience includes director of continuity and promo tion for radio station KSPI at Stillwater, Oklahoma, a period with the Oklahoma Tax Commis sion, and instructor and informa tion writer for Oklahoma, A&M. He also served as secretary and publicity director for Congress man Lyle H. Boren of Oklahoma for a year and a half. He was’ in the Navy from August 1942 to February 1944. Newsom specializes in the teach ing of typography and newspaper business classes. He will also offer work in radio news processing and in industrial journalism, Burchard said. Addition of a third man to the Journalism Department gives the teaching staff an aggregate of 40 years oif newspaper experience. Department Head Donald D. Bur chard has 13 years of newspaper work, Professor Otis Miller more than 18 years in various aspects of the field and Newsom has nine years. Students who haven’t been on the campus since the spring semester will notice a decided change in the growing Memorial Student Center. During the summer construction crews made fast progress so that it is now possible to obtain a good idea of the building’s appearance. It is ex pected that the building will be completed by the fall of 1950. Airplane For Agricultural Use Will Be Designed Here Development of the airplane as an effective agricultural tool is the aim of a national research project to be conducted here under joint sponsorship of the National Flying Farmers Association, USDA, Department of Commerce and the A&M System, the farm airplane research committee of the National Fyling Farmers announc ed at their annual meeting at Fort Collins, Colorado. Details of the joint undertaking Dr. J. P. Abbott, who has been with the college since 1926, will serve again as Assistant Dean of the College, with offices at Bryan Field Annex. He first assumed that position in 1947. To each of you the faculty and staff of the Annex ex tend a cordial welcome to the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas. We invite you to make full use of the facili ties, instruction, and guidance which the College exists to provide. You will find u,s ready to help you choose a course of study wisely and to direct your progress effectively. You may count on us to advise you when difficulties arise. You may expect us to see that you have every chance to make your life in college enjoyable as well as profitable. What in structions, guidance, warning, encouragement, and discipline can do we will undertake—all to the end that you may de velop into successful and valuable citizens. But you must remember that our efforts alone will not assure your education and development. Your own efforts are at least as important. You will need to bring a sincere desire to fit yourself for a rewarding life after college. And you will need to keep your overall purpose in mind as you face each day with its schedule of assigned work and its opportunities for free choice. For all but a few of you the freshman year will be spent with us the Annex, where a full program of first year courses and activities is offered. If you discover limitations, as you may in any set of circumstances, you will be wise to keep looking until you find the compensating advantages. The three classes which preceeded you here have made records that will challenge your best efforts. But your class may take comfort from the fact that a record stands only until it is bettered. With all of us working together, your freshmen year should become the sort of solid achievement that lasting success is built upon. J. P. Abbott Assistant to the Dean of the College and operating agreements were cording to Professor F. E. Weick, worked out in a conference of rep resentatives of the cooperating agencies at College Station, Wed nesday. A new plane design suited to the needs of agriculture and de velopment of improved methods af distributing sprays, dusts, seeds and fertilizers from the air will be the immediate objectives. The plane is to be designed to meet the needs of the average farmer. Research Underway Research along this line already underway at A&M’s Personal Air craft Research Center, an excel lent college" airport, wind tunnel, laboratories and shops, and out standing personnel available in the engineering field, plus the close tie-in here between engineering and agricultural work led to the selection of A&M for this project, it was reported by the Dean of Engineering H. W. Barlow. Wide use of the airplane in agriculture in Texas and 12-month flying weather in the area were also factors in the selection, ac- Architecture Prof Publishes Article The lead article in the June issue of “The Archie,” national architecture publication, is by Ernest Langford, head of the De partment of Architecture. The article gives praise and his torical background to Loring H. Provine, who for 35 years was head of the Architecture Depart ment at the University of Illinois. Langford was a member of the faculty of the department of arch itecture at Illinois and holds the MS degree from Illinois and the BS in architecture from A&M. aeronautical engineer in charge of aircraft research here. Chancellor Gibb Gilchrist flew from College Station to Fort Col lins Wednesday afternoon with a group from Washington, D. C., headed by D. N. Rentzel, Admin istrator, Civil Aeronautics Admin istration. Steering Committee Steering committee named to plan and assist with the project are: Weick, Chairman; E. E. Brush, head A&M aeronautical en gineering department; John H. Burke, National Flying Farmers Association, Oklahoma City; J. M. Chamberlain, chief, safety regula tions rules, C.A.B., Washington; C. Von Rosenberg, chief, air- crafi&division and W. M. Berry, assistant to the administrator, both from the fourth region CAA, Ft. Worth; Dr. H. G. Johnston, head of the department of en tomology at A&M. Also E. E. Tullis, Bureau of Plant Industry, Soils, and Agri cultural Engineering USDA and Texas Agricultural Experiment Station, Beaumont; J. D. Long, Bureau of Plant Industry, Soils, and Agricultural Engineering, Washington, D. C. and Frank Irons of the same Bureau, Toledo, Ohio; Dr. Fred C. Bishopp and Dr. J. S. Yuill, Bureau Entomology and Plant Quarantine, Washing ton, D. C. Barlow and Weick say N.F.F.A. will continue active support of the program. CAA will furnish person nel and money in aiding the pro ject and USDA will furnish per sonnel. Development of distribu tion equipment will be conducted through USDA and College’s ag riculturalists on steering commit tee. Student Union Grows as Crews Rush Completion of Masonry By BILL BILLINGSLEY Persons returning to the campus after a short absence, and looking south acress the old drill field, will be astounded to see a beautiful new building of light brick and Austin stone, looking up over the small oaks bordering that field. Less than a year ago the building site, now swarming with carpenters, bricklayers, welders, roof workers, and concrete finishes—was a quiet area containing only three frame "houses, a little-used parking lot and one diffident mulberry tree. Now the area contains the new, two million dollar Student Memor ial Center, the construction dream of several thousand students, ex students, and college employees, Frankie Carle Hall attraction. First Town and touted by its director, J. Wayne Stark, as “the place where most students will spend most of their leisure time.” Currently scheduled to open some time in the vicinity of September, 1950, the building won’t lack for facilities to make Stark’s boast become reality. It is divided into three main units now under con struction, and a fourth theatre unit, now on the drafting boards, which will develop when, and if, appro priations are made for it. Unit One Unit number one will contain the three main lounges, a dining room, coffee shop, a fountain, the U. S. Post Office, a barber shop and a gift shop. From ten to fif teen meeting rooms will also be housed in that unit, all of them of varying sizes and outfitted in a condition which Stark described as “flexible.” Enlarging on his terminology, Stark said the rooms would be lightly furnished, with removable tables and folding chairs, so that by moving in various-sized booths and tables, the rooms could be used for banquets, shows or exhibits, meetings, and any number of other functions requiring that space. A main ball and banquet room with a capacity of 350 to 400 persons is also housed in unit one. It is adjoined by an outside terrace where from 500 to 600 people can dance, Stark added. Four dark rooms have been in cluded in the first unit for the benefit of camera enthusiasts, and a small workshop will also be open to wood and metal workers. Baptist Church Fall Schedule Announced by Reverend Brown The fall activity schedule for the B.D. degree. After graduating First Baptist Church of College Station was announced today by Rev. R. L. Brown, pastor. Follow ing the pattern set by, the services in preceding years, jRev. Brown statpd'' that Sunday school will be gin at 9:45 a.m. and the regular morning worship at 10:50 a.m. The Sunday training union will be held at 6:15 p.m. and evening worship at 7:15. Services for Wednesday include prayer meeting at 7:25 p.m. and choir rehearsal at 8 p.m. A weekly social and recreation program will be announced at a later date. The church is located at Main Street and Church Avenue, one block from the North Gate. Rev. Brown, who has been with the First Baptist Church for 29 years, was born in Marlboro County, South Carolina. After receiving his A.B. degree from Wake Forest College, Rev. Brown served as superintendent of a state high school near Raleigh, North Carolina. He went from there to the Southern Baptist Theological Sem inary and thence to Crozier Theo logical Seminary i n Chester, Pennsylvania where he received his from Crozier, Rev. Brown attended the University of Pennsylvania, graduating with an M.A. degree in 1919. He then served one year as pas- tof'of the First Baptist Church in Ridley Park, Pennsylvania moving from there to College Station. The intervening years have seen many changes in the growth of the Baptist Church here. It is now being enlarged with a new addi tion, an educational building. “New and old students,” Rev. Brown said, “will find the two story Education-Student building nearing completion when they re turn to school. It will meet the urgent need for a great educa tional and social program. “There will be a large recreation room, two assembly rooms, a well equipped kitchen, a lounge and 22 class rooms.” Completion of the building is ex pected early in the fall term, he announced. “We have no children,” Rev. Brown stated, except the thousands of students who have attended A&M since we came here in 1920. We welcome the newcomers, and with their help are looking for a still greater A&M.” Freshman, You Never Had It So Good Blood, Sweat and Tears Are Normal In Freshman’s Life At Bryan Annex BY FRANK CUSHING Class of '53, this is for you. No doubt, freshmen, you are dis couraged by your surroundings. Then, take heart and listen to the story of one who has successfully undergone the battle of the An nex. Yes, I too was once confined to the Aggie Proving Grounds known as the Bryan Air Field. It seems like only yesterday, although it has been several years now, that I was in your shoes entering the portals of college. However, I real ize that it was five years ago that I was a newcomer since I am now a sophomore. Perhaps by reading the account of my initiation you may gain the confidence and courage necessary for your new life. It was a typical Brazos Day that I staggered through the gates leading to the Bryan Annex. I was slightly warm carrying my trunk, suitcase, three boxes, four bags, one set of golf clubs, tennis racket, and checker board. The tempera ture was 105 degrees. Someone had told me that the Freshmen College was just "over yonder”, so I had walked from town. Once through the gates I saw the unbelievable spectacle of my new home. There before my eyes lay “Little Aggieland.” My eyes watered and my throat choked up. After I had wiped the dust from my eyes and swallowed the clod of dirt in my throat, I stared before me. Immediately I decided that Uncle Sam was trying to trick me me into uniform again. I turned to run and was halted by a dis tinguished looking individual who. turned out to be the Warden. He assured me that I was not in the Army, nor was I seeing mirages. 1 With a look of justifiable pride he exclaimed, “Lad, that tree stud ded campus is your future alma mater. Those fine concrete, all modern dormitories you see before you will house you and your class mates. The ivy covered buildings ahead will shelter you as your pro fessors lead you into the paths of knowledge.” I thanked him for his informa tion, patted his seeing eye dog on the head and resumed my trek towards the area. I would rather not tell you about my registration experiences. There are some things that are best for gotten. I will state that I wake up in the night screaming, “No! No! Not another card to fill out. I can’t stand it!” My first morning of classes was one I looked forward to with vast anticipation. I woke with the dawn and leaped from bed intending to start my day with a bang. My in tentions were completely fulfilled since I had forgotten that I was reclining on a top bunk. I spat out some teeth, which I had no further use for, straightened my nose into a semblence of its former shape, and started for breakfast. Thirty minutes later I reached the mess hall. (I had been an ace track star in high school.) There delicious smells were wafted from the kitchen to me. I later learned that the cooks were pre paring their own breakfasts. I ate the provided food. This consisted of oatmeal that had been saved from the previous semester, one piece of toast that had been burnt the night before and placed in the freezer to keep fresh, and one cup of coffee made from the traditional recipe of one coffee bean to three gallons of water. I stuffed myself like a pig. By that I mean I consumed the chow and went to class. Classes were brief. The instructors merely pointed out the books to get and the hundred pages to be read for the following day’s class plus the assignment problems to be worked. , I was extremely fortunate in obtaining my books. It took only the remainder of the day. A friend of mine allowed me to step in his place while he went out and ob tained some sleep. He was so ex hausted since he had been in the line for two days and a night that he failed to return. Having secured my books I decided to enjoy the pleasures offered by the place. Rumor had it that the snack bar was using two beans in their coffee ration, so I started my evening with a bracing cup. I put my name on the list for the ping-pong and pool tables and was informed that my application would be considered, and that a post card would be mailed to me when it was my turn to play. I then took in the free movies that were being shown at the theater. (I use the noun loosely.) The first show was an exciting picture entitled “The Great Train Robbery.” It was excellent but might have been improved with sound. The other feature was an Academy Award winning movie named “We’ve Never Been Licked.” A hot shower was next on my schedule. At first I was slightly disconcerted by the crowd under the taps. I watched several others gain admitance to the shower room so I successfully followed their technique of running at full speed and slamming into the con gested bodies. I left the shower much re freshed only to find that I was not wet. Rather than undergo the ordeal again I put on my Denton Sleeper’s and plodded wearily to bed. Having read this, freshmen, you must now realize that the path before you is hard but it has been conquered by others. Yours is a bleak future, but others are suf fering too. Why, just think of all the poor unfortunates who must attend other schools that have coeds. On the second thought, you’ed better not think about that after all. A sixty-six room hotel is the main feature of the second unit. Of interest to students accustom ed to standing in line waiting for a cramped phone booth, will be the eight long-distane phone booths, complete with a long distance op erator at the building’s own switch board. The second unit also contains three small record rooms,' a brows ing library, a music library, and a rack of late magazines and news papers. Offices for the building’s student government, a planning room to be used as temporary of fices for various clubs (such as the Agronomy Society for its yearly Cotton Ball), offices of the build ing management, and offices of the Former Students Association (which will move from the Admin istration Building) will be housed in the second unit. Two other facilities will be a game room and a piano room, both open to all students at all times. Recreation Unit The third unit; projecting east from the other two units toward Guion Hall, will be the recreation unit; housing eight bowling allays and eleven billiard tables. Locker space is also being constructed so students may keep their bowling balls, shoes, and other equipment at the alleys and not be forced to carry them back and forth to their rooms, Stark added. The cavernous basement of the Memorial Center wil house storage space, dressing rooms for employ ees, and the large amount of tem porary equipment and supplies necessary to operate the huge building. A room has also been provided in the third unit for Col lege Station’s budding art colony. Potential artists may bring their oil paints and easels there to sketch in their free hours. , Although the building is far from complete, the management work of the Memorial Center is go ing at top speed, Stark said. He and the Center’s assistant director and business manager, C. F. Gent, have temporary offices on the; first floor of Bizzell Hall where most of the purchasing and planning for the new building is being done. Stark and Gent estimate the com pleted Center will require from 100 to 250 employees to keep it in operation, with approximately 100 of these to be students on part time employment. Many of the students who will work in the building are already working for the Memorial Center and more are being hired all along, Stark added. Unlike other student wages, the Center’s em ployees are paid on a sliding merit scale of from 45c to as much as 90c or a dollar an hour, depending on their ability and willingness to work. Governing Body The Center will be governed by a board made up students, ex-stu dents, and faculty members, and Stark said he anticipated President Bolton’s naming of the first gov erning body early in the fall se mester. Even though the Student Me morial Center is actually only an unfinished shell at the present time, the outside finishing work has shown students what their Center will look like upon its com pletion. , It is no longer an entity merely discussed, seen on a blue print, or represented by a disorganized pile of steel girders. The A&M Me morial Student Center is well along the way, both in construction and planning, to being one of the fin est, if not the best, in the South west, Stark added. Dr. M. T. Harrington is Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences, and also serves as Acting Dean of the College. A 1922 graduate of A&M, Dean Harrington has been Acting Dean of the College since the creation of the A&M System. On behalf of the staff and faculty of the College, I am indeed glad to extend to each new student a cordial welcome to the A. & M. College of Texas, and sincere greetings to each returning student. Our sincere wish is that this will be the most successful and enjoyable year of your college career. This wish can be realized by the cooperation of each student and staff member. Each faculty member is happy and willing to assist you in any manner possible and hopes that you will feel free to call on him. You can add to the richness of your college year by making acquaintance of your instructors and they in turn will gain from your friendship. You will measure the success of this school year by the academic records which you will have attained in your courses of study. Remember that the best preparation for a final examination is to start studying with the first assign ment the first day of the semester. Never have a feeling of satisfaction in a grade unless it represents your very best efforts. I am sure that I can speak for each faculty and staff member and former students when I say that we are indeed happy that you are enrolling for this school year and may it prove to be a great year, even more successful and enjoyable than any of us could anticipate. Sincerely, M. T. Harrington Acting Dean of the College and / Dean of the School of Arts and Scie’ n m