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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 7, 1950)
Puts You at Ease . . , Ernest Langford Is Amiable Mayor By FRANK DAVIS Some people have a way of making others feel at ease. Wheth er this trait is inherent or acquired is not known, but any one who has had occasion to be in the presence of Ernest Langford, mayor of Col lege Station, knows that he dis plays such a characteristic. It is a characteristic that has carried him far. In the eight years that Langford has been mayor of College Station, he has had only one opponent. In the election of 1944, Dr. Ralph Steen of the His tory Department ran against him without success. Puts Others at Ease There is something steadying about a person that puts others at ease. To meet and to talk with Langford is to feel that the me dium, slender slightly greying man wearing glasses is timeless, so complete is your relaxation. There is certainly nothing spec tacular about Langford’s record, but just to review it denotes that steady, tireless quality which marks him from other men. He was raised in Burnet County and graduated from Bertram High School in 1909, entering A&M as a freshman architecture student the same year. In June 1913, Langford was graduated from A&M with a de gree in architecture, whereupon he went to Austin where he was em ployed in architecture offices for two years. December of 1913 marked his wedding in Austin to Miss Lela Davidson from Bertram, Tex. Came Back to A&M Langford came back to A&M as an instructor in architecture in 1915. After four years here he entered the faculty of the Archi tecture Department at the Uni versity of Illinois. Enrolling in the graduate school there, he was giv en his Master’s degree in architec ture in 1924. One year later he returned to A&M as a full professor of archi tecture, and after four years was made head of the department, a position he has held since. When College Station was in corporated in 1939, Langford was on the city council. April of 1942 rolled around and Langford was elected mayor of the city. A history of development in this area could be written from just talking with Langford, and joting down his remarks. “College Station started from scrap—only someone who has seen a city built up from nothing can fully appreciate this,” Langford said. Contrasting Start Conti’asting this feeble start, the city today owns her sewerage dis posal, electrical and water distri bution and fairly adequate facili ties for the maintenance of these services.' Within his department, estab lished in 1905, Langford noted that in a period of 21 years the depart ment has grown from four faculty members for 60-80 students to a faculty today of 12 which supplies the needs of 350 students of archi tecture. The department became a mem ber of the Association of Colleg iate Schools of Architecture in 1940 and eight years later was acredited by the National Archi tecture Acrediting Board. Believing that everyone should belong to their professional socie ties, Langford is a member of the American Institute of Architects and a charter member of Texas Society of Architects. “Pm Not a ‘Joiner’ ” “Pm not much of a joiner,” LangfoxM is apt to reply in answer to questions concerning this club or that fraternity: So far as known outside of his professional society Langford is a member of Tau Beta Pi only. “Establishment of the Basic Division marks one of the most progressive steps the college has taken,” Langford remarked. With the Basic Division the col lege has an opportunity to work with freshmen students more than ever before, and to save many from being di’opped from the school. Mi’, and Mrs. Langford, living at 1600 West Dexter Park, have one son, Ernest Keith Langfoi’d, who was graduated from A&M in THE Page 8 BATTALION THUR., SEPT. 7, 1950 1 fffii i Singing Cadets Expect Large Organization By DALE WALSTON One of the largest groups in the history of the Singing Cadets is expected this fall, according to Bill Turner, director. The addition of freshmen is expected to swell the enrollment of the organization. Often billed as the “South’s finest male glee club,” the Sing ing Cadets have an enviable impu tation throughout Texas. The group annually appears several times on the campus as well as making numerous tours over the [state. The Singing Cadets is not an j organization of professional sing ers; you don’t even have to be able to read music to join. Only requirements for membership are the desire to sing and an inter view with Turner. Corps and non corps members alike are welcome in the organization, regardless of classification. Original Arrangements Ken Darby, the well-known chor al leader and director of music at Universal Studios, has done ori ginal arrangements of the Aggie songs especially for the glee club. Always appearing in the A&M cadet uniform, the group presents a very distinctive appearance. Highlights of last year’s off- campus activities included a tour of North Texas, with concerts at Dallas, Fort Worth, McKinney, TSCW, and Arlington. While in Dallas the Singing Cadets were featured on a 30-minute radio show over WFAA. Other trips took the singers to many of the major cities over the state. Plans are now in the making for several trips this year for the group. A tour of West Texas is planned, to include at least Abilene and San Angelo. Of course, one of the highlights of the year’s activ ities will be a trip to TSCW. A trip to the Rio Grande Valley is being considered, to include El Campo, Refugio, Corpus Christi, Harlingen, and several other cities. Programsi Planned Besides these off-campus con certs, the organization always takes part in several traditional Aggie programs. Regular appearances in- clifde a Christmas program, the Aggie Muster, the Mother’s Day program, and numerous campus shows. Officers of the Singing Cadets include David Haines, president; Ken Wiggins, reporter; Bob Stin son, vice-president; John Derry, business manager; and Foster Gray, Librarian. Bill Turner, the director of the Singing Cadets, is a graduate of the North Texas School of Music. He has studied with Fred Waring in the Waring Choral Workshop. This summer he studied in New York City. Always friendly and always smiling, Turner is known to the members of the Singing Cadets as “Pop.” Any students interested in join ing the Singing Cadets are invited- to contact Turner at the Music Hall from 3 to 6 p. m. and week day. Rehearsals are held every day from 5 to 6 p. m., except on Tuesdays. * Mayor Ernest Langford 1939 with a degree in civil engin eering. He is presently employed with the Armco Metal Products Company in Dallas. Bryan Students Receive Masters The following students from Bryan received their advanced de grees at A&M August graduation. Master of science in chemistry, John Blair Meckham; Albert J. Druce, electrical engineering; Don ald Paige Hanks, chemistry; Wal ter T. Matzen Jr., electi’ical en gineering; Frederick Adolph Rau, animal husbandry; Glenn Ribert Ross, rural sociology; John Wayne Overall Sr., education; Joseph Wel don Young, agricultural education; Cecil Floyd DeVilbiss, civil en gineering. McCarthy to Speak In Houston Sept. 18 Houston, Aug. 31—OP)—Senator Joseph R. McCarthy (R-Wis) is to speak here September 18 at an American Legion Americanism and defense program. • We pay the highest prices for Used Books— GET OUR PRICES BEFORE SELLING v . ■ ; THE EXCHANGE STORE ■ "Serving Texas Aggies" Rendezvous with Loveliness... Lush Salt iSuede How deliciously flattering the new fell suedes are! 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