r t
X
Published
Four Times Weekly
Throughout the Summer
Number 35: Volume 50
The Battalion
PUBLISHED IN THE INTEREST OF A GREATER A&M COLLEGE
“COLLEGE STATION (Aggieland), TEXAS, THURSDAY, AUGUST 3, 1950
Nation’s Top
Safety Section
Lumberman’s 1949 Contest
Price: Five Cents
1 BA Department
'I To Deceive 4
14 'IBM Machines
International Business Ma
chines’ world headquarters in
New York has approved a
request to place electric-
punched card accounting ma-
1 chines with the Department of
® ® us i ness Administration for in
structional purposes, according
to T. W. Leland, head of the de-
\ partment.
it q No definite machines have been
assigned as yet, Leland said, but
the Houston office of IBM has
made a proposal to the world head
quarters to give the department
the following items:
® Punch machine for preparing
cards.
® Sorting machine with count
ers.
® Reproducing machine which
r ^ will automatically reproduce
punched cards and will punch
summary cards (total cards)
when attached to the tabulator.
[ v . ® Electric alphabetical numeri-
^ ^ cal tabulator which processes
punched cards and prepares
printed reports therefrom.
The machines will be placed
i4i the department’s new wing in
Francis Hall, Leland said, and
will be ready for use in the spring
semester of 1951.
The machines will be used for
teaching accounting and statisti
cal methods.
Dean to Attend
* *
Oklahoma Meet
H Dr. and Mrs. J. P. Abbott
will leave early next week for
Stillwater, Okla., where Dr.
Abbott, dean of Arts and Sci
ences, will attend the fourth
informal Conference of Deans of
Arts and Sciences.
The conference will be held at
Oklahoma A&M College in Still
water August 15-17. The Abbotts
plan to vacation a short time in
Colorado before, going to Still
water.
Subject of the conference will be
| “Evaluation and Improvement of
Instruction,” according to Dr. Ab
bott. The conference will be under
t -ij the general direction of Dean
Schiller Scroggs of the Oklahoma
i;. A&M School of Arts and Sciences.
Approximately 160 deans from
,.j§. colleges and universities in the
vf Southwest, Middlewest, and South
are expected to attend the confer
ence.
In previous years, A&M has
been represented at the confer
ence by Dr. M. T. Harrington,
former dean of Arts and Sciences
and now president of the college,
and by Dr. T. D. Brooks, dean
emeritus of the Graduate School.
^ f , Kelly Assigned To
Saudi Arabia Base
Lt. Col. J. H. Kelly, associate
professor of Air Service and Tac-
^ tics, has been assigned to the Mil
itary Air Transport Service at
Dharhan, Saudi Arabia.
Col. Kelly is scheduled to leave
about August 20 for air transport
the Arabian base. His probable
duty assignment at the new base
will be as inspector general.
Col. Kelly has been stationed at
A&M since February, 1947. Mrs.
Kelly and their daughter will re-
] main in College Station where
Vheir daughter will attend A&M
Consolidated school.
Ail Editorial . . .
Lei’s Get Together
To Prevent Fires
One week ago a home burned in College Hills, and, since
that time, some residents of that area have been “up in
arms,” protesting that the local fire department is inade
quate.
Throughout the week, The Battalion has tried to col
lect information from sources on both sides of the matter.
We have talked to city officials, the fire chief and other col
lege employees, and to some of the residents.
As in every disagreement, two sides appear. And when
ever there is dissension, there is likely to be irrational, hasty
thought—something which is only natural if the people do
not have the facts before them.
Both the college and the city are served by one fire
department, operated by A&M. Cled Warren, a college em
ployee, heads the department.
Fire protection for College Station is adequate, accord
ing to Chief Warren, although far from perfect, as in most
cities. Major fires have been at a minimum and fire insur
ance rates compare favorably with those of equally-populated
areas.
At least one man, and often two, are on duty 24 hours
a day at the college power plant, to which all fire department
calls are directed. When a call is placed, the telephones in
both the fire department building and the power plant—
only a few hundred feet away—ring. The siren can be set
off from either point.
When the siren is sounded, volunteer firemen imme
diately drive to the station, board the truck, and head to
ward the fire.
We have heard reports of a petition being circulated in
College Hills protesting the inadequacy of the fire depart
ment. We are glad to see that the residents of that area
realize the importance of such a public service and are ex
ercising their constitutional right to see that the service is
the best possible.
But the situation, if one exists, must be dealt with log
ically, and cannot be met with only indignant words. It
must be met with cooperation.
Some residents want a city fire department. We see
little need in establishing one, for the expense involved would
be quite high. A fire station, trucks, equipment, maintenance
crew—all add to a tremendous total.
Then there have been allegations of inefficiency in op
eration of the department. One report claimed that a truck
was delayed several minutes in reaching last week’s fire,
due. to battery failure. Chief Warren said that the battery
was low, but the truck started a few seconds later after just
a push from the firemen aboard it.
Reports have varied on the time required by the fire
men to reach the blaze. Chief Warren said water was direc
ted at the flames 11 minutes after the siren was sounded.
He offered a suggestion, which we believe, if it could be
effected, would be of definite aid. He suggested a commit
tee of citizens, to be appointed by the city council, to work
with the college department and bring before College Sta
tion residents necessary information needed to prevent fires,
and what to do should one occur. The committee would
serve as a liaison between the department and the residents,
a type of public relations service.
Certainly the fire department has limitations on its
capabilities, but we do not believe them to be of major im
portance. No generator is available to keep the trucks’
batteries in top-flight condition, but a careful check is made
frequently on their performance.
It is quite natural that, once in a while, since mainten
ance equipment and maintenance crews are not always avail
able, the trucks may falter. But, as in the battery failure,
very little time is lost.
We believe the situation can be improved, but only by
cooperation between the fire department and the citizens.
Hot-headedness and anger accomplishes little.
Should the city council take steps to form the suggested
citizens committee to work WITH the firemen, we are sure
that many opinions—from both sides—would become less
: biased and more rational and constructive.
Senator Asks
Spanish Bases
If War Starts
Washington, Aug. 3—(AP)
—Senate approval of a $100
million loan to Spain prompt
ed a proposal by Senator
Bridges (R-NH) yesterday
that the United States seek an
agreement for use of Spanish bases
if war breaks out in Europe.
The Senate wrote the Spanish
loan provision into the one-paek-
age appropriation bill by a 65 to
15 vote Tuesday. Sponsors argued
for it on the grounds that Spain
is important strategically and also
is anti-Communist. However, Sen
ator Morse (R-Ore) described it
as an attempt to bridge the Franco
government into friendly relations.
Morse was one of the four Re
publicans and 11 Democrats who
opposed a directive to the govern
ment’s Export-Import Bank to
make the funds available to Spain.
The loan would permit the purchase
in the United States of such com
modities as wheat and cotton.
If the House, which has not
passed on the issue, also approves,
the United States is expected to
get some strategic metals in pay
ment.
Bridges told a reporter he thinks
the proposed commercial transac
tion might well be broadened to
include Spain in the more than
$5 billion in foreign military as
sistance that Congress is expected
to make available soon.
“If Spain wants to be included
in arms aid, there is no reason
why we shouldn’t negotiate for
some bases there which we could
use quickly if there is a Russian
attack in Europe,” Bridges said.
This coincided with a proposal
by Chairman Tydings (D-Md.) of
the Senate Armed Services Com
mittee that other nations which get
American military supplies be re
quired to produce on their own a
tank—or its equivalent—for every
tank they get from the United
States.
Spence to Discuss
Water Situation
Th£ water situation in College
Statkm will be discussed by T.
R. Spence, manager of physical
plants for the A&M System, to
morrow morning at 7:15 over
radio station WTAW.
Spence will talk on the vital
matter of water conservation
and other matters concerning
the water situation in College
Station.
(Ernest Langford, mayor of
College Station, and Roland
Dansby, Bryan mayor, together
with Spence have issued a re
quest to all area residents to
conserve water during what
they termed a “critical situa
tion.”)
Graduate Class
Tours Houston
Twenty-two members of the
graduate class in Agricultural Eco
nomics 645, “Government and Ag
riculture,” left yesterday on a field
trip to Houston.
In addition to the class and its
instructor, Dr. T. R. Timm, ex
tension director G. G. Gibson, as
sistant extension editor J. W. Potts,
and L. P. Gabbard, head of the
Agricultural Economics and Soc
iology Department, are also on
the trip.
The class will return to College
Station this afternoon.
N e wBasketballCoachReported
Named; Officials Say ‘Not So’
In the first step toward construction of the new college adminis
tration building, test holes have been drilled on the building site
to determine depth of footings for the building. The new admin
istration building will be located on the area just north of Goodwin
Hall, across the street from the south side of the YMCA.
John Floyd Resigns Position
At Little Rock for A&M Post
By FRANK N. MANITZAS
Battalion Sports Editor
D. W. Williams, chairman of the Athletic Council,
denied last night that John L. Floyd had been hired as A&M’s
new head basketball coach.
Floyd said yesterday morning in Little Rock, Ark. that
he had been hired a week ago and that terms had already
been agreed upon. He resigned Tuesday as coach for Little
Rock Junior College, where his team won only one of 19
games last season, according to Associated Press reports.
He has been at the Arkansas school only one year. Dur
ing the past season, he was beset by poor material.
Floyd, if he is hired, would re-* ‘
place Marty Karow, A&M head
basketball and baseball mentor who
will leave to assume duties as
Ohio State head baseball coach
August 31.
New coaches for a college are
usually hired some time in advance
of the official meeting of the col
lege’s Athletic Council. It is us
ually a routine matter for a Coun
cil to name the man selected at
these meetings.
“Floyd has not been hired,” Wil
liams said last night. “No one has
been hired. No one will be hired
until the Athletic Council meets
Saturday to approve the person
who has been recommended for the
position by Athletic Director Bar-
low Irvin.”
Williams did say, however, that
Floyd was “one of many” being
considered for the job. Floyd was
On a Question and Answer Basis
A&M’s Basic Division -How
It’ll Operate, Why Needed
With the nearing of another
school year in the history of
A & M, subjects such as fresh
men on the campus and the opera
tion of the Basic Division have
caused considerable discussion on
the campus for the past several
weeks.
The following questions were de
signed and answered in an attempt
to clear up any questions anyone
migh ask concerning the Basic
Division.
Q: Who is responsible for first
conceiving the idea for the Basic
Division here at A&M?
A: Dr. F. C. Bolton, president
emeritus of the college, is credit
ed with the suggestion.
Q: What has been done to put
Bolton’s idea into action?
A: In the fall of 1949, a com
mittee of faculty members was
appointed to study the problem
fully and prepare recommenda
tions. Members of the committee
were Drs. P. W. Burns, F. W. Jen
sen, H. G. Johnston, T. F. Mayo,
J. C. Miller, and S. R. Wright, and
Professors V. M. Faires and W. L.
Porter. The findings were reported
to the Executive Committee of the
Academic Council who approved
the recommendations.
Q: What are the primary aims
of the Basic Division?
A: According to a letter sent to
the Board of Directors by the Aca
demic Council, the aims of the
Basic Division are
(1) To give first year students
closer supervision than is ordin
arily given.
(2) To assist students who have
not definitely decided on a field
of study.
(3) To give beginning students
the benefit of guidance by peo
ple professionally trained to oper
ate a guidance program.
(4) To supply the various schools
of the college with a highly se
lected group of students fully pre
pared to carry on specialized train
ing necessary for a profession and
outstanding citizenship.
Q. What will be the status of a
freshman student who is undecided
as to a major?
A: Students who are not certain
of their degree objectives and those
not meeting entrance requirements
will be permitted to take a more
liberal course pattern during the
first and possibly the second semes
ter, and apply all the courses
which are satisfactorily completed
toward meeting graduation re
quirements in the school to which
they transfer at the end of 'the
year.
Q: Who will be included in the
Administration of the Basic Divi
sion ?
A: The Basic Division will have
a small selected staff by choice.
It will be composed of five coun-
selers to be assigned to the Com
mandant for administrative pur
poses but will help in educational
counseling and remedial wox-k un
der the direction of the Basic Divi
sion staff. The staff will be com
posed of three full time profession
al workers, as well as the Basic
Division’s Dean, John R. Ber
trand.
Q: What will be the duties of the
Basic Divisions Staff?
A: The staff’s work will con
sist of clinical counseling, group
and individual testing, remedial
reading, non-directive group ther
apy, in-service training of fresh
man advisers and dormitory coun
selors, group guidance and orien;
tation of freshmen, and program
evaluation.
According to Bertrand, other ad
ministrative details concerning the
Basic Divisions are yet to be
worked out. The names of the Divi
sion’s staff and counselors will be
announced in the near future, he
added.
reportedly recommended to A&M
officials by Hank Iba, tutor of the
powerful Oklahoma Aggies and by
Adolph Rupp, Kentucky Univer
sity’s head basketball coach.
Floyd was formerly an assistant
to Iba. The Oklahoma A&M coach
labeled Floyd as “one of the truly
outstanding young basketball
coaches in the nation.”
The 31-year-old Kansan played
on the Wellington , Kan. high
school quintet which won the
state title just before he en
tered Oklahoma A&M, where he
played varsity ball for three sea
sons.
Floyd was on the All-Missouri
Valley Conference team for one of
these three seasons.
Upon graduation from Oklahoma
A&M, Floyd tutored the fresh
man Aggie team there, winning 16
games and losing only one, during
the 1942-43 season.
Star on Navy Team
The following year he entered
the Navy, playing on the Norfolk
Naval Training Station’s cage team
for two years. After the first sea
son, his team was rated among the
top in the nation, and the follow
ing year again ranked high nation
ally.
Returning to Iba’s side as assist
ant coach after three years in the
Navy, Floyd had a hand in the
Aggies’ winning the national title
that year.
In 1947, he returned to Welling
ton, Kan. where he coached the
high school team to a state cham
pionship. The following two years,
his teams reached the quarterfinals
and the finals of the state play-off.
Floyd served as assistant foot
ball coach on the Little Rock Jun
ior College team that won the Lit
tle Rose Bowl title this year, to
gether with tutoring the basket
ball squad.
To Initiate Okie Style
With basketball workouts be
ginning at A&M Oct. 15, Floyd is
planning to install the style of
basketball which was played at
Oklahoma A&M.
At the Grove
Tonight
8 p.m.—“Tulsa,” Eagle-Lion pro
duction starring Susan Hayward,
Robert Preston, and Hoagy Car
michael.
FRIDAY NIGHT—8 p. m. Square
dancing, preceded by half-hour in
struction.
V
-c
#
*
Oscar Levant
Third ’50'51 Town Hall Artist . . .
Expect the Unexpected from
Ace Pianist Oscar Levant
By LOUISE JONES
When Oscar Levant takes over
the Guion Hall stage next Feb.
1 for a Town Hall performance,
he won’t know exactly what he in
tends to play. That’s just the kind
of man he is.
The well-known, well-liked radio,
stage, and screen artist is complete
ly informal and delights in making-
side comments to his audience.
Levant will be Town Hall's
third performer of the season.
The evening’s agenda will be en
titled “A Program of Piano Music
with Comments.”
Even though he claims no
exact idea concerning what he
will play, he usually has a few
favorite composers from whom
he draws crowd-pleasing music.
Some Bach, Beethoven, Gersh
win, and perhaps some Shostako-
vitch will probably make up the
Feb. 1 program.
These selections, like Levant
himself, are subject to change
after he “appraises” his audience.
Levant likes to suit his num
bers to the mood of the audience
and to himself, with “asides” ap
propriate at the moment. In any
formal concert, Bach would come
first, but the impulsive Oscar may
insert the great composer at any
spot in the program.
Though he never releases his
program before taking the stage,
Levant will give College Station
area music lovers fine music,
expertly played. Those who can’t
lose themselves in music alone will
find added enjoyment in the re
marks he tosses to the audience.
Levant almost always men
tions Pittsburgh in his recital
comments. That’s where he was
born, and his father was a jewel
er there. From his earliest child
hood, Levant loved music.
His father converted the attic
over his store into a studio for
his son, and there Levant practiced
incessantly. As a high school
freshman, he organized his own
band to play for school dances.
At 15, the pianist abandoned his
formal schooling to go to New
York. There he devoted his full
time to music studies. He became
a pupil of Sigismund Stojowski
and later studied composition with
Arnold Schoenberg.
To earn money in New York,
Levant played the piano at a
Japanese tea garden.
Such has been Levant’s success
that he has played with the New
York Philharmonic Symphony Or-
chesti’a* the Philadelphia Orchestra,
the NBC Symphony, and the San
Francisco and Minneapolis Sym
phonies,
His classical compositions in
clude the “Overture 1912” and
“Dirge” which were introduced
by thd Boston Symphony.
The radio program, “informa
tion, Please,” completely projected
Levan’t personality to the public.
Together with his book, “A Smat
tering of Ignorance,” and his num
erous movie roles, the musician
has become a great personality to
the American public.
Despite his adroit humor, critics
and the pianist himself regard Le
vant as primarily a concert pianist.
Q: How will the Basic Division
affect a student who has a defin
ite major in mind?
The student who is sure of his
degree objective, and who meets
the entrance requirements for the
school of his choice, will be per
mitted to take the same course pat
tern which he would take if he was
enrolled in that school.
Q: Where will students in the
Basic Division be housed?
A: Basic Division students will
be housed in dormitories 14, 15, 16,
17, and Walton Hall. They will
eat in the dining room of Sbisa
Hall.
New College Dean
Arrives Monday
Dr. Charles Clement French, for
mer vice-president of Virginia
Polytechnic Institute, will arrive
here Monday to assume his duties
as A&M’s new Dean of the Col
lege.
Dr. and Mrs. French will live at
410 Throckmorton. The new dean
was appointed by the college board
of directors upon recommendation
of the president and approval by
the chancellor.
A native of Philadelphia, Dr.
French received his Bachelor of
Science in chemical engineering at
the University of Pennsylvania in
1922. He received his Master of
Science in chemistry and his
Doctor of Philosophy in physical
chemistry at the same school.
Keeping the college’s physical plant in top-notch condition is quite
a job, and these are some of the men who do it. Drilling through
a wall in the Student Apartments offices in Goodwin Hall, this
crew has joined the offices with a new door. All over the campus
this summer, B&CU men are making minor and major repairs
and changes in anticipation of a crowded campus this fall.