Official Paper
Of Texas A&M College
And College Station
Number 37: Volume 52
The Battalion
PUBLISHED DAILY IN THE INTEREST OF A GREATER A&M COLLEGE
COLLEGE STATION (Aggieland), TEXAS TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 1951
Published by The Students
Of Texas A&M
For 73 Years
Price Five Cents
Cold Front
Blows In
Over State
Rain and icy winds made it
certain last night that winter
was here to stay.
College Station felt the bite
of Jack Frost late Monday
evening as he coasted in with a
sudden downpour which drenched
students as they marched to the
evening meal.
He pulled the thermometer
down to the freezing point and
whisked the wind across the cam
pus in gusts up to 50 miles-per-
hour. f
Rainfall recorded at the CAA
Communications Station at Easter-
wood Airport totaled 1.14 inches
for Monday.
The cold wind had slacked off to
a milder 20 mph last night, after
the original gusts of 50 mph when
the norther first hit at 6:30.
Weathermen at the airport said
the cold front, which moved across
Texas with a great amount of
speed, was due to last for 36 to 48
more hours.
The fast-moving cold front, said
the Associated Press, dropped tem-
peratures as much as 25 degrees,
across Texas Monday night.
The front had reached as far
south as San Antonio and College
Station, and was expected to
spread over the entire state by
early Tuesday.
At Amarillo the temperature
fell to 27 by 9:30 p. m. It was
29 ht Childress, 30 at Wichita Falls,
34 at Mineral Wells, 35 at Fort
Worth, 48 at Austin, and 28 at
Dalhart.
The cold front blanketed the
Panhandle with snow Monday.
Snow was reported as far south as
Plainview. Fog and freezing driz
zle were reported at points along
the Oklahoma border in the Texas
Panhandle.
Livestock warnings were issued
for the northern part of the 1 Pan
handle. The weather bureau there
said at least,thi'ee inches of snow
and lower temperatures were due.
The weather bureau also warned
persons in the North Central por
tion of the state to protect cars,
water pipes and plants.
It was cloudy over all the state
excepting the western tip of Texas
and the Big Bend country. South
of the cold front line, there was a
brisk southeast wind and occas
ional drizzles.
Small craft warnings were hoist
ed along the coast from Browns
ville to Morgan City, La., because
of 20-to 30-mile southerly winds
which the weather bureau said
would become northerly and pick
up Monday night.
Records Go Up In Smoke At Pipe Contest
Tli Students Protest
Thanksgiving Holidays
By JOEL AUSTIN
Battalion Managing Editor
Maj. C. L. Thomas, judge for the Battalion-MSC Pipe Smoking
Contest last night, had to don a gas mask to insure “breathable”
air while keeping an eye on his contestants. At his left is Gene
Sutphen of the Photo and Visual Aids Department who placed
second in the prof’s division of pipe smoking. Winner in this con
test was William LeRroy of the Geology Department.
Plenty of time for a game of dominoes while waiting for those
stogies to burn down. These contestants in the student’s cigar
division of (he Battalion-MSC Pipe Smoking contest had two con
tests going at the same lime. Loft to right are E. P. Schmidt.
L. L. Gay, R. Ik. Robin and I). E. Rust. Schmidt won the contest
by puffing for one hour and 39 minutes on his cigar.
Many Valuable Prizes Awarded
“The OU game is the game of the year
now ... at least half the school/will cut
then. Probably fewer would cut to see the
A&M game,” said a Texas University student
in The Daily Texan, TU’s student newspaper.
Angered by the University’s “late”
Thanksgiving holidays, the student gave that
answer to a query from a Texan reporter.
The University students were protesting
the Nov. 29-Dec. 3 Thanksgiving holidays set
for their school this year.
The Texan article accused A&M exes for
placing pressure on officials who decided the
date.
Students Comment
On Nov. 29Holiday
J. M. Mathis Receives Top Honors
At Battalion-MSC Smoking Contest
By ALLEN K. PENGELLY
Battalion City Editor
As the smoke finally cleared the
MSG Ballroom last night, J. M.
Mathis was officially declared the
grand champion of the fifth annual
Battalion-MSC sponsored pipe
smoking contest.
But the petroleum engineering
major from Orange, did not win
without keen competition front a
husband-wife team of Mermod and
Marilyn Jaccard of Houston. This
pair all but deefated Mathis by
winning three first place prices
only to have Mathis burn back four
first places and a second.
Four First Places
Mathis won first prizes in the
Churchwarden, metal bowl, minia
ture bowl, and pipe collection divi
sions. He won second in the Cala
bash division behind the puffing of
D, B. Wheeler.
Tau Beta Pi Elects
22 Student Members
Twenty-two new members have
|>een elected to the Delta Chapter
if Tan Beta Pi, honorary engineer
ing fraternity, announced Teddy J.
ITirsch, president.
Students are chosen by the
members of the student chapter on
the basis of leadership, character,
and scholarship, Hirsch said. Only
juniors and seniors are eligible
for election.
Students Notified
Letters of notification have been
sent to all newly elected students,
although acceptances have not
been received from all those chos
en, he said.
A grade point ratio of 2.26 is
required for membership as a Sen-
Corps to Form
Traditional T
At $MU Game
The A&M Cadet Corps will
form the traditional Aggie
“T” at halftime Saturday dur
ing the A&M-SMU game, an
nounced Lew Jobe, head yell
leader.
As an added attraction this year
students will cany and use red and
white handkerchiefs to make the
yells nwe colorful, he said.
A firm in Houston has been en
gaged to supply the red cloth for
students to carry, Jobe indicated.
Military units will be called on to
give a certain fee to pay for costs
of the material.
“T” practice will be held Wed
nesday afternoon for all students
not engaged in intramural activ
ities, Jobe informed. A general
“T” practice is planned Thursday,
with no intramural games sche
duled that evening, he added.
Jobe asked students to bring
white handkerchiefs to the prac
tice on Kyle Field.
ior. The prospective member must
also rank in the top fifth of his
vclass. A 2.75 ratio is necessary
for first semester Juniors, while
second semester Juniors must
have a 2.26 to be eligible. No
transfer work is used in figuring
these ratios.
Members Elected
Newly elected members include:
James ' B. Kyser, Glen A.
Breaux, Thomas K. Perkins, J. E.
Curtis, James J. Jordan, Dick M.
Jennison, Jim Bradford Russell III.
John C. Burke, W. B. Kruger,
James Lewis Fenley, Richard
Frank Dolan, Joe B. Mattei, R. M.
Zeek, Hugh C. Tucker.
Donald B. Hall, Amos J. Shiv
er, Daniel B. Clinton Jr., James P.
Van Way, David J. Engel, Robert
F. Brown, Robert B. Killian, and
John L. Park.
An initiation has been scheduled
for Dec. 14. No speaker has as yet
been announced, the president add
ed.
The rewards for his efforts to
set the world on fire were a Kay-
woodie meerschaum pipe, two hick
ory pipes, a corncob pipe, and 13
pounds of smoking tobacco.
The second place Jaccards won
firsts in the medium bowl divi
sion, the small bowl division, and
women’s pipe division. The upset
of the contest was Mrs. Jaccard’s
last minute decision to enter the
ladies division after Mrs. E. C.
Smith was almost declared winner
by default.
Couples Winning
The combined winnings of the
pair amounted to a Tawn deluxe
shaving kit, a sepra-bowl pipe, the
“lazy susan” award of four briar
pipes and several cartons of blend
ed tobacco, a corncob pipe, and
four pounds of pipe tobacco.
Best sportsmanship during the
four and a half hour smoke-eater’s
convention was B. E. Hagee’s gift
of one of the seven matched grain
ed pipes to Tom Miessler.
Hagee won the seven pipes for
keeping a measured amount of to
bacco lit the longest in his corn
cob pipe. However, during the
match, Miessler’s tobacco supply
was consumed and the fire began
eating away at the stem, with Ha
gee leading by some 11 minutes.
When the bowl finally fell off
the stem, Hagee was named win
ner by Judge Pete Hardesty. Mies
sler’s second place award was a
pound of tobacco and a corn-cob
pipe. But thinking this award in
adequate, Hagee broke his matched
set to give one of the briars to
Miessler.
Prof’s Smoker
Taking time out from making up
quizzes, the local profs had a
field day in two events—pipe smok
ing and cigar smoking. William
H. LeRoy of the Geology depart
ment won both events by out puff
ing Gene Sutphen of the Photo
graphic and Visual Aids depart
ment and Jack Steele of the Busi
ness department.
Both wins netted him one box
of Roi Tan Perfectos, one Stan
hope briar pipe, a hickory pipe, and
four pounds of tobacco.
At 8:02 p.m. E. P. Schmidt, jun
ior civil engineering student from
San Antonio, lit his cigar and at
9:41 p.m. the last fragment of to
bacco leaf was buraed to ashes.
99 Minutes on One Cigar
This hour and thirty-nine min
ute exhibition' by Schmidt was the
best time submitted in this largest
event of the evening and won for
him one box of Roi Tan perfectos,
and two pounds of pipe tobacco. A
total of 26 contestants registered
for this contest.
John Gibson won the large bowl
event and was given one Arlen
“Bulldog” style pipe, a cob pipe,
and a pound and a half of pipe
mixture. Gibson is a senior en
tomology student from Oklahoma
City.
Gibson also won the successive
smoke ring event by blowing a
British-Egyptians
Invited to Campus
A committee of students has
invited the Ambassador of Egypt
to come to the campus in Decem
ber to address members of the
student body on the Egyptian-
Britain question.
This invitation came on the
heels of an acceptance to talk by
the British Military Attache, Col
onel Gordan-Watson. Colonel Gor-
Fletcher Wins QB Contest;
McKnight Speaks Thursday
Bobby Fletcher, petroleum engineering student from
Houston, won last week’s QB Club contest. None of the 1168
entries picked all five winners and the LSU-Mississippi tie.
Fletcher edged his nearest competitor by more accurately
predicting the scores.
Runners-up in their order of finish were Bob Myers,
R. E. Strother, Melvin Work, Frank Thurmond, A. D. Win
ston, Jennie E. Spray, R. W. Rowe, and C. V. Wootan.
Fletcher will be awarded two tickets to the SMU-A&M clash
at the Thursday night meeting of the club.
Felix McKnight, managing editor of The Dallas News,
will address the QB Club Thursday night. McKnight was a
member of the class of ’32 at A&M. He was a Battalion
Sportswriter and a member of A Troop Cavalry. Mc
Knight will remain in College Station after the meet to
give The News sports coverage on the SMU-A&M battle.
Films of the A&M-Arkansas game will be unreeled at
the Thursday meet which gets underway at 7:45 p. m. in
the Assembly Hall.
don Watson has tentatively set his
talk for Dec. 13 or 17.
Both men were invited to visit
A&M and express their countries
views on the question by President
M. T. Harrington, the United Na
tions Club, The Battalion, the his
tory department, and the MSC Di
rectorate. ■
Tom H. Rountree, Battalion edi
torialist, is serving as coordinating
chairman for the group.
The British Embassy’s sending
of their military attache came
about after an exchange of letters
between The Battalion and the Em
bassy. The Battalion began the
letter series by asking for informa
tion on the Egyptian crisis.
After the British offer, several
of the Arab students on the campus
suggested a group contact the
Egyptian Embassy and invite him
to A&M.
Dates Suggested
In the invitation, the Egyptian
ambassador was inrited to the
campus any time prior to Dec. 13
or any time after Jan. 2, 1952.
During the past several months,
both the English and Egyptian
ambassadors, or their representa
tives, have made talks in American
colleges and universities on the
Egyptian crisis.
If the ambassador from Egypt
accepts the two talks will be a two
part series, with the men giving
the views of their nations on the
complaints lodged by and against
the English and Egyptians.
total of 93 rings with only one
“drag” on his cigarette. His clos
est Competitor for the lung capa
city crown was R. L. Jones with
63 rings.
A Smoke Ring?
A six foot seven inch smoke ring
was proclaimed the winner of the
large smoke ring contest by Mrs.
John Arhopulos, contest judge and
proprietress of the Twelfth Man
Inn. Owner of this prize circle
of smoke was Bill Longserre, jun
ior animal husbandry major from
Houston.
He was awarded a carton of Old
Gold cigarettes, two hickory pipes,
and a pound and a half of pipe
tobacco.
Two separate events were held
in the cigarette rolling contest.
The first was the amateur’s event,
where the contestant used a fine
cut of tobacco, and second was the
professional class, where the con
testant used a heavier, rougher cut
(See PIPE CONTEST, Page 4)
By BERT WELLER
Battalion Staff Writer
Since the opening of school,
many students have been wonder
ing why the Thanksgiving holi
days have been set for the fifth
Thursday of November.
A&M and Texas University are
the only major Texas schools ob
serving Nov. 29 as a holiday. The
rest of the schools and most of
the state’s towns and cities will
observe the Nov. 22 date.
Most A&M students realize the
date has been set and very little
can be done about changing it
this year. Opinion was unanimous
that holiday dates should be co
ordinated next year.
Pat Kerr, Junior wildlife man
agement major from Brownsville,
commented, “I’m all in favor of
the holidays as they have been
set up. The bonfire must be built
and (hat will take lots of time.
“If the holidays were scheduled
for Nov. 22, the bonfire' could not
be built large enough in the short
period before the game,” he added.
Another Brownsville boy, Jipv
my Burns, sophomore floriculture
major, voiced an often heard coin-
plaint. “Lots of my friends’who,go
to other schools get off the week
before we do. I would like to be
able to. visit with them and take
part in some of the holiday social
events.”
When asked about the bon
fire, Burns replied, “There are
enough Fish and Sophomores on
the campus Ibis year to build it
in shorter length of time.”
Disagreeing with Bums was
Keith Patton, Senior B. A. major
from Agua Dulce. “Considering the
bonfire and the enormous amount
of work involved, 1 do hot see how
we can do without the extra week
end. The holidays will have to be
set to allow this time next year,
although some coordination on hol
iday dates would be nice,” the Sen
ior said.
Troy Whitehurst commented that
“We are observing an A&M-TU
holiday instead of the national hol
iday. If our girl friends go to
schools observing theo early date,
we may not be able to see them at
all.” Whitehurst is a Junior M, E.
major from Houston.
Voicing a comment that most
of those interviewed agreed with
was Gene Sparks. “We want to
beat the hell out’a TU regardless
of when we gel our holidays.”
Sparks is from San Antonio
and is a CE major.
Because Bryan and Brazos Coun
ty will observe the later Thanks
giving date, Frank Neill believes
the school’s holidays have been
correctly set. “My wife works'in
town and will be off the 29th. If
A&M changed the date we would
not be able to spend our holiday
together.” Neill is a fifth year at-
chitecture major living in Vet Vil
lage.
At the same time, Dr. C. C. French, chair
man of the executive committee and dean of
the college, said his committee had originally
considered Nov. 22 for .A&M’s Thanksgiving
day when the Texas University game had
been scheduled for Dec. 1. But when the
change was made to Nov. 29, the fifth Thurs
day, holidays were moved up to that date,
after requests from athletic officials of both
schools for such a change, Dr. French said.
Said Texan writer Flo Cox, “Why are the
holidays set for the 29th instead of the 22nd,
as was originally scheduled on the Univer
sity calendar? The answer was obtained
only after investigations of several changes
■fin the date of both the holiday and
1 the Turkey Day game. S o m e
I pressure by the A&M exes to
schedule the game for the. 29th was
certainly a deciding factor.”
The Texan said that although no
definite reason had been given for
changing the date of the A&M-TU
grid contest, a high official of the
University said the new date was
demanded by A&M officials as a
result of “ex-Aggies” seeking, to
uphold the traditional Thanksgiv
ing Day meeting of both teams.
The Associated Press inform
ed this writer last night that on
Aug. 28 Gov. Allan Shivers offi
cially proclaimed Nov. 22 as
Thanksgiving Day in Texas to
conform to the US holiday.
Shivers Urges Texans’ Votes
On Constitution Amendments
Austin, Tex., Nov. 6—IdP)—Gov.
Allan Shivers urged Texas voters
to “take the time to vote” on five
proposed changes in the State Con
stitution a week from today.
“The records show that Tex
ans habitually don’t vote as heav
ily on constitutional amendments
as they do in political races,” the
Governor observed. “That is un
fortunate, for a change in our
fundamental law may prove to be
much more important in the long
run than the outcome of a political
race.”
Shivers said the proposed amend
ments to the Constitution will af
fect the personal welfare and the
pocketbooks of nearly all Texans.
In view of that, he said, “the
Constitution ought not to be chang
ed without the consent of a major
ity of the people—but that is just
what can happen if we fail to go
out and vote. On the other hand,
it isn’t right for a worthwhile
amendment to fail merely because
an organized minority opposed it.”
Special elections to fill vacancies
in the Texas House of Representa
tives will encourage the turnout
of voters in a dozen communities.
Last is Hottest
Politically hottest amendment
being submitted is one to let the
state increase public welfare spend
ing from 35 to 42 million dollars
per year. It’s the last proposal on
the ballot.
New Ad Building
The new College Administration Building receives finishing
touches on the interior as workmen hurry to insure occupancy by
the first of the year. The new building will house the Registrar’s
Office, Fiscal Office, as well as offices of the president, dean of
the college and deans of the various schools.
Backers of the amendment say it
will help old age pensioners keep
the wolf from the door.
The proposal has been attacked
on the ground that it removes the
citizenship requirement from the
Constitution and might permit so
many people to receive state aid
that pension checks would be small
er instead of larger.
Proponents contend the legisla
ture will have authority to require
that pensioners be Texas citizens.
Pros-Cons
Other amendments, in order of
appearance on the ballot, and ar
guments which have been voiced
for and against them:
1— to authorize a statewide sys
tem of retirement and disability
pensions for county appointive of
ficers and employees. Proponents
claim the system would be optional
for any county, and each county
would have to hold a separate
election to inaugurate the system.
Opponents assert counties already
have authority to set up •their own
system or go under Federal Social
Security.
2— To permit investment of the
permanent University, of Texas
fund in securities other than fed
eral, state and some municipal
bonds. Backers say this amendment
would
because high grade stocks haVe
been yielding 4 to 6 per cent inter
est for other schools while the
University of Texas has been re
stricted to 2Va per cent the past
year. Foes fear that abuses .could
develop in stock purchases that are
unlikely under present restrictiohs.
They also argue that a swing to
ward deflation of the nation’s eco
nomy could lead to a smaller re
turn from stocks than from bonds.
Rural Fire Protection
3— To authorize a maximum tax
of 50 cents per $100 valuation on
property in rural fire prevention
districts to pay for fire fighting
equipment and personnel. Friends
say the tax cannot be levied unless
voted by the people in the district.
(See AMENDMENTS, Page 4)
When questioned about plans for
Thanksgiving holidays next year,
Dr. French said only four Thurs
days are on the Calendar for 1952,
so the football game and the be
ginning of holidays will he on Nov.
27.
For the second consecutive year,
1951 has had five Thursdays in
November. Last year the Univer
sity allowed students to celebrate
Thanksgiving on the fourth Thurs
day and also allowed an additional
holiday on the fifth Thursday for
the football game with A&M —
which was played in Austin.
Students at A&M showed no
particular discontent about the hol
iday on Nov. 29. Few have com
mented they will not be able to
spend Thanksgiving holidays with
many friends who attend other col
leges. Last year A&M was the
only ma jor college in Texas to cel
ebrate Thanksgiving on the fifth
Thursday. This year only Lamar
College of Technology in Beaumont
joins TU and A&M on the date.
Another Texas University stu
dent commented, “What was good
enough for the Pilgrams is good
enough for us . . . by the time
we get home, everyone’ll be think
ing about Christmas.”
Won’t See Fiance
“We should be uniform and rec
ognize the same holiday that the
rest of the country does” said one
TU student; while another com
mented. “My fiance goes to TSCW
and will be home the 22nd. I won’t
even get to see her.”
As for the statement about the
OU-Texas game topping A&M-TU
at Thanksgiving time, ticket sales
show that the demand is still high
est for the Turkey Day meeting,
regardless of the size stadium you
have the teams meet in.
Jarvi, Hart
Head Brazos
Dimes Drive
Ray V. Jarvi of College Sta
tion and Charles D. Hart of
Bryan will serve as co-direct
ors for the 1952 March of
Dimes in Brazos County, it
was announced today in Houston
by Lloyd Gregory, Texas state
chairman for the March of Dimes.
Jarvi and Hart will take over as
county campaign co-directors for
the Brazos County Chapter of the
National Foundation for Infantile
Paralysis from Dr. H. T. Blaek-
atten the University juiid hurst of College Station, director
of the 1951 polio fund-raising ap
peal.
The Bryan Junior Chamber of
Commerce will sponsor the 1952
March of Dimes as their project
and are planning big things to
make the drive outstanding.
.land is Assistant Professor of
Mechanical Engineering at A&M,
while Hart is associated with the
American General Life Insurance
Company in Bryan.
Executive Committee members
of the Brazos County Chapter who
will work with Jarvi and Hart on
the January appeal are chapter
chairman W. H. Badgett of College
Station, and Mrs. Ara Harwell,
Miss Alma Ewing, Pat Newton,
Mrs. Ima Hardin and Dr. Paul
Woodward, all of Biyan.