memmm
FRESHMAN
EDITION
The Battalion
SECTION
IV
Number 12: Volume 55
COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS, THURSDAY, AUGUST 25, 1955
Price Five Cents
PAUL (REAR) RRYANT
Football Coach and Athletic Director
19th Coach
Bryant To Start
2nd Year Here
11 . v
I: Head football coach and athletic
director at A&M is Paul (Bear)
■Bryant, who came to the Aggies
i'rom Kentucky in 1954. The 19th
ilroach at Aggieland begins his sec-
>®>nd year with the 1955 season.
1 He was lauded nationally for his
1954 coaching job at A&M, his
rjput-rnanned cadets giving out a
heart-rending effort each Saturday,
idthough winning only one of 10
games.
One of the most successful
||coaches in the business, Bryant
fiserved eight years as Kentucky’s
||head coach and left with an im
pressive record of GO wins, 23 losses
and five ties. He built the Wild
cats into a major football power
after the war, coaching there from
1946 to 1954. His head coaching
career began in 1945 at Maryland,
where his team won six, lost two
and tied one.
The highlight of his career was
defeating the powerful University
of Oklahoma Sooners — national
champions of 1950—in the 1951 Su
gar Bowl game, ending the nation’s
longest winning streak. His de
fensive strategy is termed the best.
He also had Kentucky bowl teams
at the Orange and Cotton classics,
plus the Great Lakes Bowl in 1947.
An all-Southeastern conference
end at Alabama ip the mid-thirties,
Bryant played with such great
stars as Don Hutson and Dixie
Howell on the Rose Bowl team and
had the advantage of the late
Frank Thomas’ tutoring.
A native of Fordyce, Arkansas,
Bryant remained at Alabama as
Thomas’ assistant from 1936-39,
then was an assistant at Vander
bilt in 1940 and 1941 before enter
ing the ^avy in World War II.
Track Coach Has
Nine SWC Titles
Track Coach Frank G. Ander
son, or Col. Andy, as the Aggies
cal him, is entering his 35th year
at A&M. During this time, he has
been freshman football coach, com
mandant of cadets and track coach,
his present job.
During his 23 years as track
coach, the Aggies thinclads have
never placed below third in SWC
competition, and have captured the
crown nine times.
Col. Andy is noted for develop
ing unknowns into steady per
formers. He says his greatest
thrill was Walter (Buddy) Davis’
high jump and Darrow Hooper’s
shot put victories in the 1952
Olympic games.
After naval duty, he launched his
career at Maryland.
The Aggie coach, 41 years old,
is married to the former Mary
Harmon Follmar. The couple has
two children—Mae Martin, 19, and
Paul Jr., 10.
A&M Football Team To lie Better;
So Are Rest Of Conference Teams
Key Men Gone
Baseball
I [urt by
Catching and experienced pitch
ing will be the main problem for
Coach Beau Bell next spring when
he assembles his defending South
west conference baseball team for
the 1956 wars.
Bell lost seven lettermen from
the stellar crew that won 13 of 15
conference games and lost to Ari-
zone in a close NCAA district
playoff series. But the big loss
was catcher Jimmy Williams,
three-year letterman and twice an
all-conference performer. So close
ly has Williams guarded the plate
for the past three years that there
isn’t a top-ranking backstopper in
sight, not even off the freshman
squad.
Louis Nelson, who caught every
batting practice for the SWC titl-
ists last spring, is the current No.
1 man, but he never played an in
ning. He, along with pitchers Lynn
Monical and Doug Mullins, were
recommended for letters for their
steady and able batting practice
work all year.
In the throwing department. Bell
lost three other top hands who have
been around for three seasons—Joe
Hardgrove, Jerry Nelson and Tex
Vanzura. Wendell Baker and Dick
Munday, both righthanders who
pitched well last year, return for
their junior year, and a classy
southpaw, Toby Newton, up from
the Fish team, bolsters a fine
pitching corps that lacks only in
experience.
The infield retuims almost in
tact with only Joe Schero, all-SWC
thirdbaseman, gone. John Hoyle,
Squad
Losses
at first; Charlie Puls, second base;
Joe Boring and Dick Bleckner,
shortstops, are the returning reg
ulars, while Gordon Maxwell, up
from the frosh, can more than take
care of the hot corner.
John Stockton is the lone re
turning letterman outfielder. Re
serves Clyde Stinson and Billy
Ross, plus sophomores Ed Dudley
and John Cantrell, fill out the out
field candidates.
The 1955 team, in gaining the
school’s seventh baseball champion
ship, won 19 of 24 games during
the regular season before bowing
two of three games to Arizona.
The Aggies swept the SWC se
ries with SMU, TCU and Rice and
took two out of three from Texas
and Baylor.
Three of the Aggie aces—Nel
son, Hardgrove and Williams —
signed professional contracts at
the close of the NCAA playoffs.
Nelson signed in the Milwaukee
Braves system, Hardgrove with
the Giants and Williams with the
Cardinals.
Editor’s Note
This section is devoted to
sports at A&M. Much of the
material covered will be old stuff
to students who have been here.
But it is hoped that much of
what is covered will be of in
terest to both old and new stu
dents. These are the sports and
the teams that will be making
the headlines in The Battalion
during the coming school year.. t
Intramurals Give Everyone
Chance To Engage in Sports
Not everybody can go out for
football, baseball, or track, but at
A&M everybody can play intra
murals — and almost everybody
does.
A&M’s intramural program is
called one of the largest in the
country, with about 80 teams com
peting in 13 sports. Teams are
from the dormitories for civilian
students, and the military units
for corps students.
Yearly team and individual
awards are given to the intramural
champions.
Over-all championships are bas
ed on a scoring system which al
lows each team a certain number
of points for entering a sport and
another number for winning the
league championship, runner up or
other honors.
The intramural program is open
to every student in A&M, and is on
a purely voluntary basis. No credit
is given for participation so far as
scholastic work is concerned.
Competition Is Stiff
Even in this program without
any credit, the competition is stiff
between units, and the honor of
being top intramural outfit is
keenly sought.
Among the sports offered are
basketball, tennis, flag football
(each player carries a flag in his
shorts and when the flag is jerked
out by the opponent the runner is
down), horseshoes, cross country,
6 Men, 1 Woman
On Athletic Staff
Six men and one woman make up
the Athletic Staff of A&M. They
are Paul Bryant, director of ath
letics; Barlow (Bones) Irvin, ad
ministrative assistant; Pat Dial,
business manager; Mrs. Mary Ruth
Wilson, ticket manager; Charles
E. (Smokey) Harper, trainer; W.
F. Fitts, superintendent of
grounds; and Jones W. Ranjsey,
publicity director.
bowling, ping-pong, softball, golf,
volleyball, badminton, swimming
and track.
Intramural athletics, which is
directed by Barney Welch, fur
nishes all playing equipment ex
cept individual equipment such as
tennis rackets, tennis balls, shoes
and other personal equipment.
Welch also is in charge of fur
nishing officials for all the games,
scheduling events and maintaining
the courts and fields in top condi
tion.
Intramural athletics receives
money each year from the Ex
change Store for the purchase of
game equipment such as football,
horseshoes, softballs and bats.
These items are issued to the out
fits to use whenever and wherever
the athletic officers in the outfits
want to.
Equipment of this type is issued
in the Office of Student Activities,
second floor of Goodwin Hall, at
the beginning of each year.
The intramural program is plan
ned and directed through the Stu
dent Activities Office. The intra
mural office is in the southwest
corner of DeWare Field House and
is open daily from I p.m. until 5
p.m.
Any questions pertaining to in
tramurals may be brought to
Welch in his office in Goodwin
Hall.
“Intramurals play an important
part in the life of students at Ag
gieland for various reasons,” says
Welch. “Most boys/are athletically
All A&M Coaches
Work With Fish
The entire football staff will
coach the Aggie Fish, and there
will be no coach named “frosh
coach.” “The freshmen deserve the
best,” Bryant says. “We will all
coach them. They will receive the
benefit of our entire staff’s foot
ball training.”
inclined, and although they are not
proficient enough or lack time to
participate in intercollegiate
sports, they still can enjoy their
favorite sport through intramurals.
No Great Favorite
Picked by Writers
Compared to last season, the Texas Aggie football team
will be improved, but a look around the Southwest Confer
ence quickly dispels any optimistic outlook. All the other
teams have improved too.
In fact, the writers who make the picks each year are
baffled over the question of which teams will emerge on
top. There’s certinly no stick-out, and any of five teams will
be in the thick of the running when the polls are completed
this September.
Coach Bear Bryant’s second Aggie team will have a
greatly improved running offense, but the passing attack is
doubtful, and the team is weak defensively. Although Bry-
+ant was pleased generally af
ter the completion of spring
practice, there are enough
question marks to cause con-
Team to Use
Split-T
Formation
The offense to be used
again by the Aggies this year
is popularly known as the
Split-T. There are many var
iations to this style of of
fense, first developed by Don Faur-
ot, and undoubtedly Paul Bryant
will have a few of his own to keep
the opposition off balance.
Basically the line will be bal
anced with splits or gaps between
each lineman. These splits will
vary in size according to the play
and defense. The other basic man
euver which distinguishes the
Split-T from the regular T comes
from the quarterback. His ball
handling and faking will take place
as close to the line of scrimmage
as possible. The quarterback will
also carry the ball as much as any
other member of the backfield.
The passing attack is designed
to coordinate with the running at
tack as to backfield maneuvers and
faking by the quarterback. The
Split-T is not conducive to a wide-
open passing attack, but it does
afford ample opportunity to utilize
this phase of the game. In fact,
Bryant’s 1953 club was among the
top teams in the country in passes
thrown for touchdowns.
ATHLETIC COUNCIL
A&M sports are ruled over by
an athletic council composed of
five faculty and staff members.
They are Chris H. Groneman,
chairman, Fred Benson, P. B.
Goode, J. C. Miller, and J. J.
Woolket.
siderable worry.
Among the problems will be to
field an aggressive defensive club.
The explosive power of the line,
the running and blocking of the
backs, and the overall running
game showed considerable im
provement, but the passing at
tack and defense were disappoint
ing.
The Aggie team will be com
posed mostly of sophomores. A
total of 38 first-year men are list
ed on the 56-man roster. Eleven
juniors and only seven seniors
complete the list. Sophomores are
going to make mistakes, but the
team could “jell” by November.
At center Bryant has lettermen
Lloyd Hale and Herb Wolf back
from the 1954 “thin thirty,” but
both are handicapped by their size.
Statistics-wise the Aggies re
turn 11 lettermen and lose 15, but
many of the lettermen will give
way to sophomores, who compose
the entire quarterback crop. All
three prospects — Bobby Conrad,
Jim Wright and Donnie Grant—
have the potential, but they have
not yet “arrived.” It’s a big step
from high school and freshman
ball to Southwest Conference com
petition.
The deep backs are mostly soph
omores too. There is great poten
tial in such men as Kenneth Hall,
John Crow, Ed Dudley and Loyd
Taylor, but they do not have much
experience. Jack Pardee at full
back and halfbacks Don Watson
and Billy Huddleston are the only
backfield lettermen.
The line has some good pros
pects, but also has many holes to
plug. Every position in the line
is under-manned and inexper
ienced. There’s a letterman at
each spot but only sophomores to
fill in with.
Tackle is the strongest position
with Jack Powell, back in action
after lettering in 1953 and being
ineligible last fall; Darrell Brown,
a junior; two promising sophs in
Jim Stanley and Charles Krueger;
and a sound squadman, Henry
Clark, who may have earned a
starting berth on his fine play in
the spring drills.
Eugene Stallings is the only ex
perienced end, and he’s a good one.
But beyond him are sophomores
and a converted halfback, Bobby
Keith.
Another major problem con
fronting Bryant and his staff is
the opener with the national cham
pions from UCLA. Should he de
vote his early practice days to the
single-wing of UCLA ? Or should
he try to get ready for the con
ference action down the road ? He
can’t do both at once.
It’ll be an interesting season, at
any rate. And what Southwest
Conference season isn’t ?
LOUISIANA FLASH—John Crow, another of the bright
stars up from last year’s freshman team, may be a starter
at left halfback because of his defensive ability. He is
19, 6-2, and weighs in at 195. He’ll play safety, is a good
shifty runner, and picks blockers well. Crow led frosh
runners last year with an 8.3 yards average per carry.
12th Man Bowl
Aids Students
During the fall semester, shortly
before the college dismisses for the
Christmas vacation, teams from the
Air Force ROTC and Army ROTC
lock horns in a football game on
Kyle Field.
This game is the annual 12th
Man Bowl, and all proceeds go to
the student aid fund and for the
12th Man scholarship. The student
aid fund makes available non-in
terest loans to students and the
scholarship is awarded to a student
who otherwise might not have an
onuortunity to attend college.
KEN LOEFFLER
Basketball Coach
Ken Loeffler
To Coach
Aggie Cagers
The 1955-56 basketball sea
son should prove to be one of
the most exciting in recent
years, for the Aggies have as
a new coach one of the finest
mentors in the country.
He is Ken Loeffler, former
coach at LaSalle College in Phila
delphia, where he compiled an im
pressive record of 177 wins against
only 26 losses. For six straight
years his teams have been repre
sented in national tournaments.
Loeffler replaced as Aggie bas
ketball coach John Floyd, who re
signed to accept a position with a
firm in Houston.
Under Loeffler the Aggies face
a 24-game schedule that includes
the usual 12 Southwest Conference
games and a new series with Van
derbilt and Memphis State.
The complete schedule is as fol
lows:
Dec. 1—Tulsa at Tulsa.
Dec. 3—Vanderbilt at Nashville.
Dec. 5—Memphis State at Mem
phis.
Dec. 10—LSU at College Sta
tion
Dec. 12—Tulane at College Sta
tion.
Dec. 14—Houston at College Sta
tion.
Dec. 28-30—SWC tournament at
Houston.
Jan. 4—Baylor at College Sta
tion.
Jan. 7—Rice at Houston.
Jan. 10—SMU at Dallas
Jan. 13—Texas at College Sta
tion.
Jan. 16—Arkansas at Fayette
ville.
Jan. 19—Sam Houston at Col
lege Station.
(See BASKETBALL, Page 4)
Conference Began
History in 1914
On Dec. 8, 1914, Texas A&M,
Baylor University, Oklahoma A&M,
Rice Intsitute, Southwestern Uni
versity, the University of Arkan
sas, the University of Oklahoma
and the University of Texas be
came charter members of the
Southwest Intercollegiate Athletic
Conference.
In 1916 the word “Intercolle
giate” was dropped from the char
tered name of tke organization, and
“Southwest Athletic Conference"
became the official name. In this
same year. Southwestern Univer
sity withdrew from the conference,
and in 1918 Southern Methodist
University was admitted.
Phillips University was admitted
in 1919 but dropped out in 1921.
The University of Oklahoma with
drew from membership in 1920.
Texas Christian was elected to
membership in 1922, and Oklahoma
\&M withdrew in May °f 1 “ »
leaving the conference with its