The Battalion
Volume 59
COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 1959
Number 2
Frosh Withdrawals Lower
Under New Corps System
Figures Illustrate
Decrease in Losses
From The Old ....
Sporting some of the last of the “old” furniture remaining
in a few of the A&M dormitories, Rafael Chagin jumps
back into the swing of things this fall by hitting the books
early.
Kent Keeps Active
In Astronony Study
(Editors Note: Today’s article
begins a series of articles on fac-
lilty and staff members at A&M.
The series will be run at least once
a week on Page 2 of The Battal
ion.)
By BILL BROUSSARD
Battalion Staff Writer
Among the more active pi’ofes-
sors on the A&M campus is Jack
Thurston Kent, an associate pro
fessor in the Department of Math-
' ematics, whose scope includes
everything from social activities
to furthering the study of astron
omy.
* After completing his work at
Lambuth College in Jackson, Tenn.,
in 1930, Kent entered the Univer
sity of Arkansas where he received
his M. A. degree in 1931. Two
years later, he received his Ph.D.
degree at Ohio State University.
Among the honors received by
Kent while attending college were
Omicron Phi Tau member (same
as Phi Beta Kappa) at Lambuth
College, and charter member of
Pi Mu Epsilon, a national mathe
matics society, at the University
of Arkansas.
Since his completion of studies,
Kent has been the author of many
publications dealing with math,
physics and astronomy. One of
the highlights of his writings was
the publication of a high school
mathematics book in 1934.
Kent's most recent publication
was an Astrophysical Journal Sup
plement entitled “Survey of As
teroids,” printed in 1958.
Kent has worked on numerous
research projects, among the more
recent being director of the A&M
Moonwatch Team in 1956, 1957,
1958 and 1959. The Moonwatch
Team was part of the International
Geophysical Year program.
Community service is an impor
tant part of Kent’s outside activi
ties. He has worked with numer-
o u s charitable organizations,
among them director of the March
of Dimes drive in 1953, Brazos
County Chapter of National Foun
dation for Infantile Paralysis,
1953-59, chairman of Brazos Coun
ty Chapter during 1954-56. Kent
was a member of the board of
deacons of the A&M Presbyterian
Church from 1943 until 1952. He
was church treasurer from 1944
until 1949. In 1958, Kent was nom
inated chairman of the Commission
on Education of the A&M Method
ist Church.
During his 29 years of teaching,
Kent has held many positions of
(See KENT on Page 4)
By JOHNNY JOHNSON
Battalion Editor
The new policy regarding treatment of freshmen in the
Corps of Cadets has already shown results as figures released
Tuesday by Bennie A. Zinn, director of the Department of
Student Affairs, show.
The number of freshmen who have dropped out of school
since the beginning of Freshmen Orientation Week through
the first day of classes this year is lower than the figure for
the same period last year.
Zinn’s figures show that a total of 12 freshmen either
resigned after enrolling or left school before registering this
year as compared with 35 who left last year.
The figures for both years include the number who left
after reporting for the orien
tation week but before regis
tering and those who resigned
between the time they regis
tered and the time the first
day of classes ended.
In 1958 thei’e were 35 freshmen
who had dropped out through the
first day of classes. And this year
only 12 have withdrawn, Zinn said.
Of the 35 who left in 1958, 25
left college before registering and
six left after registering before
completing the first day of classes.
Two civilians were included in the
35.
This year six left before regis
tration and six left after regis
tration. One civilian student was
included in the group leaving af
ter registration.
“These figures are a good indi
cation that people in the Corps of
Cadets are doing better than they
did before,” said Zinn.
President Earl Rudder, when in
formed of the figures, said, “We
are grateful to Bill Heye and his
fellow cadet officers for the work
they are doing toward making the
new Corps policies work.”
“These figures are proof of the
good work and this sort of thing
will lead A&M to the great heights
of which it is worthy,” President
Rudder went on to say.
Reports from the College Hos
pital Tuesday morning indicated
that for the first time in many
years, a large number of fresh
men did not report to the hospital
following All-College Night.
Hospital officials said that no
freshmen came to the hospital for
treatment of mental or physical
exhaustion following All-College
Night as has happened in the past.
Congressional Record
Winning A&M Essay
\
Acclaimed in Congress
“Texas A&M—What It Means
To Me,” the essay written by Tom
my Keith which won the C. L.
Babcock Essay Award held last
spring appears in the current
United States Congressional Rec
ord.
Keith, a 1959 graduate from
Cleveland, Texas, was awarded
$200 for his winning essay. Some
^ 70 essays were entered.
The essay was brought before
members of the United States
House of Representatives by Texas
..Representative Jack Brooks, Fri
day, Sept. 11.
Congressman Brooks’ talk on
Keith’s essay, as it appears in the
Congressional Record, is as fol
lows:
“Mr. Speaker, one of the the
most important factors in our
democracy which has made our
country great is our splendid col
leges and universities. Of these
schools none has made a greater
contribution to our democratic way
of life than Texas A&M College
.»at College Station,
Although we have other out
standing colleges in Texas—among
them Lamar State College of Tech
nology, which I attended before it
became a four year college, and
the University of Texas, where I
received my work in journalism
and law—there is no Texan who
is not proud of the splendid acad
emic record of Texas A&M. I
know each member of the Texas
delegation shares with dur col
league, Congressman Olin Teague,
who represents the district which
includes College Station, the justi
fiable pride he feels for his own
alma mater.
This pride we all feel for Texas
A&M reaches beyond its high ac
ademic standards to include the
remarkable esprit de corps of
Texas Aggies and the guidance
this spirit gives to its graduates
throughout their lives. Loyalty is
a most commendable attribute in
any man and loyalty to the worth
while traditions of Aggieland is
particularly commendable.
A devoted alumnus of Texas
A&M and my good friend, Mr. C.
L. Babcock of Beaumont, this year
sponsored a campuswide essay con
test Avith entries to be Avritten on
the subject: “What Does Texas
A&M Mean to the Average Stu
dent?” The winner of this contest
was a senior student from my con
gressional district—Mr. Tommy
Keith of Cleveland.
Mr. Keith has written in a feAV
hundred words the experiences and
challenges at Texas A&M that
have helped him, as he puts it, in
the long climb from boyhood to
manhood. Few things are more
important to either men or boys.
Mr. Speaker, I believe Charlie
Babcock should be commended for
making it possible for such an es
say to be written, and after hav
ing read Tommy Keith’s account
of his nearly four years as a Tex
as Aggie, I feel sure each of our
colleagues in the House will join
me in congratulating this fine
young man for a job well done.
I ask unanimous consent that
Mr. Keith’s essay be included in
the RECORD at this point.”
Dames’ Club
Social Honors
New Members
The A&M Chapter of the Uni-
A^ersity Dames’ Club held a tea in
honor of its new members in the
South Solarium of the YMCA last
night.
The club, which is affiliated with
a national organization, is made up
of all the Aggie wives. Their mot
to is “Once a Dame, Always a
Dame.”
Officers for this year are Doris
Evans, president; Judy Chapman,
vice-president; Kay' Bennett, so
cial chairman; Rae I^eurifoy, Ag
gie Wives’ Council Representative;
Verla Spaw, reporter; Glenda Pow
ell, corresponding secretary; Libby
Davis, Recording Secretary; Mary
Bryant, Treasurer; Kathy Robert
son, parliamentarian.
The club holds regular meetings
the second and fourth Tuesday
nights of each month in the YMCA
at 8 p.m. The first is a business
meeting, and the second is a social
gathering of the club.
The first activity of the club for
this year will be a style show to
be held Oct. 25 in the Memorial
Student Center, entitled “An Af
fair with Fashions.” Other activi
ties for the year include a Christ
mas party, a Valentine’s Day din
ner-dance, and the annual spring
picnic.
The club’s faculty sponsors for
the current year are Mrs. Glen
Halmark and Mrs. Don Young.
—Battalion Staff Photo
Dames’ Club Hold Tea
The A&M Chapter of the University Dames’
Club held a tea in honor of its new members
last night in the South Solarium of the
YMCA. Enjoying the tea are, left to right,
Mrs. Glen Hallmark, Mrs. Don Young, Mrs.
Kay Peurifoy, Mrs. Doris Evans, Mrs. Eve
lyn Gerber and Mrs. Margie Williams. The,
club, affiliated with a national organization,
is made up of Aggie wives.
Pacific Northwest
Accidents, Thefts
Reported Tuesday
Two Aggies, Fredrick Lee Rig-
gle, junior from Houston, and Gary
K. Voss, sophomore from Gates-
ville, were involved in an automo
bile accident yesterday at Throck
morton St. and Joe Routt Blvd.
on the campus.
Riggle, driving a 1951 Mercury
was heading north on Throckmor
ton and Voss, driving a 1953 Ford,
Avas heading east on Joe Routt.
According to investigating Cam
pus Security Patrolmen Olan Arm
strong and T. H. MaxAvell, Voss
ran a stop sign and was given a
ticket for failure to yield right
of way resulting in the accident.
Damage to Riggle’s auto was
estimated at $475. Damage to
Voss’ auto was astimated at $450.
Elsewhere on the campus yes
terday thefts of approximately $30
from four soft drink vending ma
chines on the campus were report
ed when a soft drink distributor
made his morning rounds.
The machines were located in
the System Administration Build
ing, the Business Administration
Building the neAV Science Build
ing and the Academic Building.
Chief of Campus Security Fred
Hickman said the boxes were not
damaged in any way and appar
ently the thief or thieves possess
ed a key to the machines.
Richardson Relates 7,000
Mile Tour to Kiwanis Club
Members and guests of the Col
lege Station Kiwanis Club heard
Charles Richardson, employe of
the A&M biology department, re
late stories using color slides of his
recent vacation trip Avith his fam
ily to the Pacific NorthAvest and
Canada at the club luncheon held
in the Memorial Student Center
Ballroom Tuesday noon.
Richardson told of the 7,605
mile trip which included scenic
tours through Victoria, Canada;
the Grand Canyon; Washington
state; Glacier National Park; Salt
Lake City, Utah; and a visit to
Yellowstone National Park to see
Old Faithful.
The most interesting tour Rich
ardson related was a visit to the
Highland Games in Victoria. Track
meets, folk dance contests and
enumerable other events high
lighted the games.
Preceding Richardson’s talk,
new club officers who will take
office next January were con
firmed. These included K. A.
Manning, president; Loyd Keel,
first vice-president; and Bill Krue
ger, second vice-president. Mem
bers of the club board will be
Dave Franklin, Maurice Futrell,
Doyle Letbetter and Harrison
Hierth.
Charles LaMotte was unanimous
ly endorsed by the club as candi
date for Lt. Governor for District
Nine.
Another important announce
ment concerning the discussion of
the petition to ban leud literature
within this area was made by Tom
Prather, chairman of the club’s
church support committee. The
subject will be discussed at the
city council meeting Thursday
night.
Roy Wingren, present president
of the club, urged all officers aaJio
will assume their posts in January
to attend the club’s board of di
rectors meeting to be held Thurs
day at 7:30 p.m. in the Mechanical
EngineeA'ing Shop Building.
Present officers of the club are
Wingren; John Longley, immediate
past president; Manning, first
vice-president; Keel, second vice-
president; Murray Brown, secre
tary; Ed Packenham, treasurer;
and Hierth, editor of KI-NOWA.
The luncheon song session was
led by Tony Sorenson and accom
panied by Brown.
Approximately 70 members at
tended the regular Tuesday meet
ing.
... To The New
Bob Gawers, engineering student from Waco, studies com
fortably with the aid of “new” furniture now found in
most of the A&M dormitories. The furniture was first
put into the dorms two years ago and eventually all dorms
on the campus are expected to be equipped with it.