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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (March 25, 1960)
THE BATTALION Friday, March 25, 1960 College Station, Texas Page 5 A&M’s President Upholds Aggie Traditions Of Soldier, Statesman, Knightly Gentleman Army General? Land Commissioner Presidency Make Full Life for Rudd The College President President Earl Rudder is congratulated here by Chancellor M. T. Harrington following his promotion to president of A&M effective June 1, 1959, by the A&M College System Board of Directors. A graduate of A&M, President Rud der returned to his alma mater in February, 1958, to be come vice president, a post he held until his promotion to president. Prior to World War II he held a position in the A&M College System when he was football coach at Tarleton State College from 1938 to 1941. James Earl Rudder, born May 6, 1910, in Eden, Concho County, Tex., will be inaugurated the 14th president of A&M tomorrow morn ing at ceremonies in G. Rollie White Coliseum. The appointment to the presi dency of A&M is the culmination of a full and varied career. Pres ident Rudder has been teacher, rancher and football coach. He has been successful in civilian as well as military life. In the field of politics, President Rudder has also excelled. One of Six Sons President Rudder was one of six sons of Dee Forest Rudder and Ann Powell Rudder. His father farmed and operated a livestock commission business in Eden. His early education was in the public schools of Eden. Upon graduation from Eden High School in the spring of 1927, he entered John Tarleton Agricultural College (now Tarleton State College). President Rudder entered A&M in 1930 where he majored in in- The Family Man President Earl Rudder has more pride in his family than his other honors and ac complishments and rightly so. President Rudder is shown here with his family in a portrait shot taken shortly before he was named vice president of A&M in February, 1958. In the picture, left to right on back row, are James Earl (B»d) Rudder Jr., Mrs. Earl Rudder, Robert Rudder, Presi dent Rudder and Margaret Ann Rudder and kneeling are, left to right, Jane Rudder and Linda Rudder. dustrial education and lettered in football. He graduated from A&M in 1932 with a B.S. degree in in dustrial education and a reserve commission as a* second lieutenant of infantry. Immediately after graduation from A&M in 1932, President Rud der began working for the State Highway Department. In Sep tember of 1933 he began coaching football and teaching at Brady High School. 1 Met Wife It was while teaching at Brady that President Rudder met his fu ture wife, Miss Margaret William son of Menard, another Brady teacher. They were married June 12, 1937. Mrs. Rudder is a 1936 graduate of the University of Texas. President Rudder returned to John Tarleton Agricultural Col lege in 1938, this time as football coach and teacher. He remained at Tarleton until 1941 when he was called to active duty in the Army as a first lieutenant. Upon call to active duty, Pres ident Rudder was assigned as Company Commander, Company B, 38th Infantry, 2nd Division, Fort Sam Houston, Tex. Attended Staff School President Rudder attended Com mand General Staff School in the fall of 1942 and winter of 1943. After attending the school he re turned to the 83rd Infantry Divi sion and was named Assistant G-3 of the division. In July of 1943, President Rud der was asked to organize and train the 2nd Ranger Battalion. The training took place at Camp Forrest, Tenn. The Rangers were sent to Eng land in December, 1943. The fol lowing month his command was assigned its D-Day mission, scal ing 100-foot cliffs at Pointe du Hoe on the Normandy beach. ‘more difficult task. . .’ “No soldier in my command has ever been wished a more difficult task than that which befell the 34-year-old commander of this provisional Ranger Force,” said Gen. Omar Bradley, commander of the U. S. Ground Forces in Europe at the time. Following victory in Europe, President Rudder spent eight months on special War Department missions. He was released from active duty with the rank of col onel in April of 1946. Military Decorations Among the military decorations and awards President Rudder has won are the Distinguished Service Cross, Legion of Merit, Silver Star, Bronze Star with Oak Clus ter, Purple Heart with Oak Leaf Clusters, French Legion of Honor with Croix de Guerre and Palm and Belgian Order of Leopold with Croix de Guerre and Palm. President Rudder returned to Brady after the war and, among varied interests, served as mayor of Brady from 1946 to 1952. He was employed by the Brady Aviation Co. in 1953 as public and labor relations counselor. During this time President Rud der also served as a member on the State Board of Public Welfare. On Jan. 4, 1955, President Rud der was appointed Commissioner of the General Land Office of the State of Texas. He stepped into an office shaken by scandals in the Veterans’ Land Program. In time, suspicion surrounding the program dissolved and the office was returned to a place of integ rity and respect in Texas govern ment. During these post-war years, President Rudder remained active in the Army’s Reserve program. As commanding general of the 90th Infantry Division, he was first promoted to brigadier gen eral and now holds the rank of major general. On Feb. 1, 1958, the A&M Board of Directors appointed President Rudder vice president of the col lege. He was promoted to the presidency on July 1, 1959, in which capacity he presently serves. Returned to France President Rudder returned to France as a member of the presi dential party to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the libera tion of France. Beside his various military hon ors, President Rudder has been the recipient of several other awards and commendations. In 1956 Pres ident Rudder received the McCul loch County Distinguished Service Award. He was presented the Veterans of Foreign Wars Silver Citizenship Award in 1958. All-American In 1956 Sports Illustrated named President Rudder to its Silver An niversary All-American football team. President Rudder lives with his family in the President’s Home, 100 Jones Street, <fn the campus. The Rudders have five children, James Earl Jr., (Bud) 20; Mar garet Anne, 18; Linda, 13; Jane, 12; and Bob, 6. The Rudders are members of the A&M Methodist Church. Member of Board Since 1956, President Rudder has been a member of the Department of the Army General Staff Com mittee on National Guard and Army Reserve Policy. In Novem ber of 1959 he became a member of the Reserve Forces Policy Board. Pie was appointed to the National Sponsoring Committee, Army Dis taff Hall Sponsoring Committee, in February. The Army Reservist ^ This picture was taken shortly after President Earl Rud der was promoted to major general in the United States Army Reserve. President Rudder was active in the Army Reserve program following his graduation from A&M in 1932 until he was called to active duty in 1941. Following his separation from active duty he remained active in Army Reserve and was named 'commander of the 90th Infantry Division USAR, with , the rank of brig adier general and was subsequently^,promote^ to major general, his present rank. The Fohtieai Figure On Jan. 5, 1955, President Earl Rudder was sworn in Commissioner of the General Land Office of the State of Texas. He stepped into an office shaken by scandals in the Veterans’ Land Program. His prior po litical experience was when he served as mayor of Brady, Tex., from 1946-52. Dur ing his time as Land Commissioner, Presi dent Rudder brought the office from the depths of scandal back to a respected place in Texas government. This picture shows President Rudder, center, being sworn in as Land Commissioner by then Texas Supreme Court Justice Will Wilson, left, while then Gov. Allan Shivers looks on. . * 7 Kiciffy The World War II Hero French General de Lattre Tassigny is shown in this picture pinning the Croix de Guerre on the chest of President Earl Rudder, then a lieutenant colonel and in command of the 109th Infantry Regiment. President Rudder entered active duty during World War II as a first lieutenant and rose to the rank of colonel when he was released from active duty in April,-1946. President Rudder’s military decorations include the Distinguished Service Cross, the Legion of Merit, the Silver Star', the Bronze Star with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Purple Heart with Oak Leaf Clusters, the French Legion of Honor with Croix de Guerre and Palm and the Belgian Order of Leopold with Croix de Guerre and Palm. iiipsfr v President Earl Rudder is shown of his sheep on land he owns in McCulloch County. President Rudder’s other business interests have included teaching and football coaching, both at Brady High School and Tarleton State College, wamB The Rancher and Businessman herewith some and vice president of Brady Aviation Corp. Pres ident Rudder presently owns more than 7,000 acres of land in Menard'and McCulloch counties and'raises cattle and sheep. He has also had other business interests in Brady since 1935.