Thursday, November 9, 1950 THE BATTALION Page 5
Traveling Troubadors . . .
Reknowned Singing Cadets
\ Started As '06 Glee Club
By JOE GRAY
Tfhe Singing Cadets have long
beefr a permanent fixture at Ag-
gielamd, and a very pleasant one.
This ) unique choral organization
was formed on the campus in 1906
with f 24 members who chose the
names of Texas A. & M. Glee and
Mandolin Club. These singers per
formed for many campus activities
and Sponsored the first fine arts
numbers.
Mr. F. D. Steger joined the Glee
Club in 1911 and served as director
until 1916. In 1912 under Mr.
Steger’s guidance, and faculty
sanction, the Glee Club embarked
on its first tour staging concerts in
North Texas cities.
During the month of February,
after successful appearances in
Bryan and College Station, the
Glee and Mandolin Club accom
panied by the college orchestra
made another successful trip,
touring North Texas in a private
railroad car.
The groups made stops at Cor
sicana, Dennison, Baylor Univer
sity in Waco, Polytechnic College
in Fort Worth, C.I.A. in Denton,
and Kidd Key College in Sherman.
During the early days of the
college the Glee Club furnished
the music for these compulsory
shapel services.
1 In 1929 the Glee Club re-organ
ized and, during the 1931-32 school
year, gave concerts in Bryan,
Caldwell and San Antonio under
the direction of Mr. K. H. Beach.
In 1934, under the direction of
Mr. E. W. Glenn, the Glee Club
tang for the faculty banquet, the
rhurches in Bryan, and journeyed
, to Galveston to present a concert.
The Glee Club rocked along un
der shaky organization until 1938
when 18 Aggies with spirit and
determination banded together to
put it on a stable foundation, which
was later to make it the great or
ganization it isf today.
After receiving official sanc
tion from the faculty, the group
literally drafted Professor J. J.
Woolkett, head of the Modern
Languages Department, as dir
ector and became known as the
Texas A&M Glee Club. In his
College days at Oberlin College
in Ohio, Woolket had been a
member of the glee club and had
organized several singing groups
at this college.
During the first year member
ship and interest increasing sub
stantially and the Aggies were able
to journey to San Antonio to pre
sent their first off-campus pro
gram. This was the forerunner of
the many superb concerts to be
staged all over the South by the
Aggies in the next 12 years.
During the 1938-39 school year
the club, which numbered sixty,
presented concerts in Houston and
Galveston where they toured
schools, radio stations and clubs.
Even with scholastic requirements
and other interests interfering with
the singer’s practice, the club elec
ted to tour south Texas and was
received with great ovation. The
people of Texas were beginning to
take notice of the Aggie voices.
While basking in the rain of
praises the club was not all to
happy with their name, so they
decided to sponsor a contest to
rename the club. The name of
Singing Cadets was thus chosen.
Richard Jenkins succeeded Wool
kett as director and immediately
embarked on a program to make
the Singing Cadets known through
out the South by touring schools,
colleges, clubs, and various other
groups.
In 1942 when Universal Pictures
personnel began production of the
picture “We’ve Never Been Lick
ed,” the Singing Cadets were selec
ted to do all the choral music under
the direction of Ken Darby, leader
of radio’s King’s Men. The group
not only received valuable exper
ience, but contributed greatly to
the film itself.
While on a tour to Houston
and Camp Wallace in 1943 the
Singing Cadets were invited to
appear with the Houston Sym
phony Orchestra in one of its
concerts.
It was spring of 1944 before the
Cadets hit the road again, this
time headed for Dallas and Den
ton. Jenkins resigned shortly af
terward and was succeeded by
Euell Porter who held the reins un
til Bill Turner took over the direc
tion the next Fall.
In the Spring of 1945 the Sing
ing Cadets were invited to perform
at the Billion Gallon Celebration
of the Humble Oil and Refining
Company. The event marked the
production of one billion gallons
of aviation gasoline at the Beau
mont refinery.
In 1946, after 40 years of dis
tinguished service, the Singing
Cadets were given a permanent
home on the campus. The old
A&M Consolidated School build
ing was remodeled and turned
over to the singers by the col
lege.
The building, now the Music
Hall, included an up-to-date studio
which could be used for broadcast
ing and recording purposes and
rooms which were accoustically
treated and equipped with pianos
and other musical instruments.
Through the 1948-49 school year
the Cadets were constantly on the
move touring San Antonio, Denton,
Coni’oe, Texarkana, Wharton,
Wichita Falls, Fort Worth, Cor
pus Christi, and Austin.
The Battalion
Aired First Sportscast. . .
4 Voice of the Texas Aggies’
Is Pioneer of Texas Radio
By JOE GREY
On October 7, 1922 radio activi
ties began at Aggieland with the
installation of a broadcasting sta
tion for experimental purposes. The
station was maintained by ten
electrical engineering professors
and their student followers who
transmitted Morse code messages.
WTAW, which were the call let
ters of the station, had the honor
of being the first radio station to
broadcast an athletic event when
they sent in code a play by play
description of a football game be
ing played at College Station. The
code was received in Waco where
the newspapers based their late
sports stories on the message.
In 1923 WTAW employed the
use of radio telephone and in 1925
the power of the station was in
creased from 250 watts to 500
watts.
its present location of the top floor
in the Administratin Building,
where its facilities could be en
larged and its technical equipment
brought up to date. The station’s
power output was enlarged two
fold by the installation of a 1000-
watt Collins commercial broadcast
transmitter.
In 1944 WTAW became affiliated
with the Blue Network which was
a national broadcasting organiza
tion. Thus the station was able
to receive and transmit popular
programs and to receive the bene
fits of a coast-to-coast hook-up.
In 1949 the station severed rela
tions with the American Broad
casting Company, which had grown
out of the Blue Network, and be
came an independent station, al
though during the past summer it
affiliated with the Liberty Broad
casting System for the purpose of
bringing Major League Baseball
to Aggieland.
WTAW has one of the most com
plete record libraries in this area
and cooperates with the Archives
Department in preserving voices
and special program activities for
that department’s files.
At the present time WTAW is
staffed by Richard Webb, station
manager; John Scoggin, program
director; Anne Wilson, secretary;
and four student announcers, Al
lan Waldie, George Gray Jr., Don
Mai'shall and Bill Simms. Ruben
Cook is the sportscaster and J. A.
Dodd, James Birdwell, George Aso-
ro, and John Webb are engineers.
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We carry everything you need
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LONDON’S PAINT STORE
2201 College Rd.
Above price to users of our materials
Two years later the station mov
ed to new quarters in the YMCA
from which it went on the air reg
ularly twice a week and broadcast
chapel services and athletic events.
The Extension Service had already
taken over management of the sta
tion and remained in this capacity
until 1939 when the Publicity De
partment assumed control of the
station.
Credit for the development and
maintenance of WTAW rests large
ly with Dr. F. C. Bolton, now Pres
ident Emeritus of the college, who
at the time of the establishment
of the station was Dean of the
School of Engineering.
Since the inauguration of a radio
broadcasting station on the cam
pus Dr. Bolton has devoted much
of his time to the furtherance of
radio at Aggieland.
During the past 28 years the sta
tion has had a variety of broadcast
ing periods. At present the station
is what is known as a “daytime
only station” and broadcasts from
sun-up until sun-down.
Shortly after the first of the
year in 1943 the station moved to
For the BEST IN MUSIC *
DELECTABLE FOOD ^ ^
ATTRACTIVE SURROUNDINGS
Friday, Nov. 10 —Art Mooney’s Orchestra
Phone EMerson 2688 for Reservations NOW
Anything from
Buffet Dinners to
Top Grade Steaks!
LOUANN’S
Greenville Ave. at Lovers Lane
Lawrence Sullivan Ross, Founder of Aggie Traditions
"Soldier, Statesman, Knightly Gentleman"
The Battalion, official newspaper of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, is published
five times a week during the regular school year. During the summer terms, The Battalion is published
four times a week, and during examination and vacation periods, twice a week. Days of publication are
Monday through Friday for the regular school year, Tuesday through Friday during the summer terms,
and Tuesday and Thursday during vacation and examination periods. Subscription rates $6.00 per year
»r $.50 ..pen month. Advertising rates furnished on request.
News contributions may be made by telephone (4-5444) or at the editorial office, Room 201, Goodwin
Hall. Classified ads may be placed by telephone (4-5324) or at the Student Activities Office, Room 209,
Goodwin Hall.
The Associated Press is entitled exclusively to the use for republication of all news dispatches cred
ited to it or not otherwise credited in the paper and local news of spontaneous origin published herein.
Rights of republication of all other matter herein are also reserved.
Entered as second-class matter at Post
Office at College Station, Texas, under
the Act of Congress of March 3,’ 1870.
Member of
The Associated Press
Represented nationally by National Ad
vertising Service Inc., at New York City,
Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.
DAVE COSLETT, CLAYTON L. SELPH Co-Editors
John Whitmore, L. O. Tiedt Managing Editors
Frank N. Manitzas Sports Editor
Jerry Zuber Campus Editor
Joel Austin i i City Editor
• «
T. M. Fontaine, Carter Phillips Editorialists
Ralph Gorman, Ray Holbrook, Harold Gann, Joe
Blanchette, Pat LeBlanc, Dale Dowell, Jimmy Curtis,
Chuck Neighbors, Fred Walker Sports Writers
Ray Williams, Roger Coslett Special Assignments
Autrey Frederick Advertising Manager
Russell Hagens, Frank Thurmond. .Advertising Representatives
9
Sid Abernathy Campus News Editor
Bob Hughson, George Charlton, Tom Rountree, Leon
McClellan, Raymond Rushing, Wayne Davis, Robert
Venable, Herb O’Connell, Norman Blahuta, John
Hildebrand, Jerry Fontaine, Jack Fontaine
News and Feature Writers
Rose Marie Zuber ; .Society Editor
Emmett Trant, Jerry Clement, Bob Hendry Cartoonists
DIAMOND
JUBILEE
Stop by our New Loca
tion today and see for
yourself. Our service is
especially for you.
WhCartt)
JEWELERS
Congratulations on 7 5
wonderful years as a
great College. W e e x-
tend our heartiest good
wishes for 75 more.
Now Located on Sulphur Springs Road
— — Next to Charlie’s Grocery
FRIDAY AND SATURDAY SPECIALS.. NOVEMBER 10-11
In Paper Sacks—Weigh About 21-22 Oz. Per Dozen.
Guaranteed
Mixed Eggs dozen 43c
Vacuum Tin Chase and Sanborn
Coffee lb. 79c
Costs Less than 1c Per Cup—Tepderleaf
Tea .' lb. 25c
No. (4 Tins Libby’s
Deviled Ham each 15c
No. 300 Cans Libby’s
Custard Pumpkin ... tin 10c
No. fi Cans Bits O’ Sea
Grated Tuna . . 1 . . . each 27c
Carton Mrs. Tucker’s
Shortening 3 lbs. 69c
Tide Large Box 27c
Popular Brands
Cigarettes Carton $1.85
Top Grade Colored—In Sticks
Dixie Oleo lb. 27c
No.^ 2 Cans Dole’s Half Slices—Ukelele Brand
Pineapple ...... 2 cans 55c
No. 2 Cans Libby’s
Crushed Pineapple . 2 cans 53c
14 Oz. Bottle Libby’s
Catsup 2 for 39c
COMPLETE STOCK OF
Fruit Cake Ingredients
\/i Oz. Tin Monarch’s Pure
Black Pepper each 29c
No. 211 Tins Libby’s
Pineapple Juice .... can 10c
By analysis the best buy for your money—PRINCE
Dog Food 5 cans 48c
CASE OF 48 CANS—$4.50
and Pard, 10.5%; of Ken-L-Ration, 10.0%; of
Vigo, 7.5%; of PRINCE 10.5%.
Vigo, 7.5%; of PRINCE, 10.5%.
• FRESH FRUITS AND •
VEGETABLES
Fresh
Blackeye Peas .... 2 lbs. 27c
Jumbo
Avocados
. . 2 for 25c
Mesh Bag No. 1 Idaho
Russett Potatoes .
10 lbs. 39c
Central American
Bananas
. . 2 lbs. 27c
No. 1 Yellow
Onions
. . 3 lbs. 11c
Fresh Cello Pack
Cranberries . . . .
. . 1 lb. 19c
Washington State Fancy
Delicious Apples .
. 2 lbs. 25c
Texas Mesh Bag
Oranges
. . 5 lbs. 31c
• FROZEN FOODS ®
12 Oz. Pkgs. Pictsweet
Green Peas . . .
. 2 pkgs. 49c
Snow Crop or Honor Brand
Orange Juice . .
. 2 cans 41c
© MARKET SPECIALS ®
Thanksgiving Turkeys
We suggest you consider Heart o’ Texas
broad breasted turkeys for Thanksgiving.
We have samples on hand for your inspec
tion. Currently they sell for 55c per lb.
for toms and 65c per lb. for hens, dressed.
Jasmine Brand All Meat-
Franks 1 lb. Cello 45c
Well Seasoned Home Made—Pure
Pork Pan Sausage .
. . lb. 49c
Heart O’ Texas
Fryers
. lb. 57c
End Cut
Pork Chops
. . lb. 53c
Swift’s Oriole
Bacon
. lb. 53c
Beef or Veal
Stew Meat
. . lb. 33c
Shoulder Roast . . .
. . lb. 65c
WE RECOMMEND YOU TRY OUR AA GRADE
ARMOUR’S HEAVY BEEF FOR A TASTE TREAT
IN STEAKS OR ROASTS. THE PRICE IS ONLY
APPROXIMATELY 5 CENTS PER LB. ABOVE A
GRADE VEAL
FRESH FISH - also Shrimp
and Oysters
PREMIUMS
There is still time to save our cash register
receipts for redemption — you can still save
enough before the end of the year to make it
worthwhile.
WARNING
rapidly, as stocks will be low r after Dec. 15th.
We urge you to spend premium allowances
We reserve the right to limit quantities
SOUTHSIDE FOOD MARKET
Save all our Cash Register Receipts. They may be exchanged for valuable premiums.