FR1SHMAM
EDITION
The Battalion
SECTION
Volume 59
COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS THURSDAY, AUGUST 25, 1960
Number 132
‘Welcome’ Greets Visitors
One of the first parts of the A&M campus visible to persons
approaching the college is the elevated water storage tank.
On the sides of the tank are writte “Welcome to Aggier
land”. Also on the tank are the insignia of the various
branches of the U. S. Army.
Good Note-Taking Insures
Grades in College Courses
Don’t drop your pencil while a
lecture is in process. This is one
of the first things you as a fresh
man will need to know at A&M.
Good note-taking is very im
portant if you expect your col
lege days to be successful ones.
It is a smart freshman who will
listen in class and take notes of
“everything” the professor says.
College professors move their
lectures at a rapid pace and you
must be alert in order to keep up
with their pace.
Keep your notes where they are
easy to find and read them over
every chance you get. With a
good set of notes and a good in
terpretation of the text book, that
first quiz, one of your biggest
mountains to climb, will seem
easy.
Freshman Wins Essay Contest
On Advantages Fonnd at A&M
(Editor’s Note: For the past
two years, C. L. Babcock, ’20,
Beaumont insuranceman and
former editor of The Battalion,
has sponsored essay contests on
the good of A&M to its students.
The first contest was on “Texas
A&M—What It Means To Me.”
The contest conducted last spring
by Babcock through The Bat
talion was on “The Advantages
I Find at Texas A&M” and was
won by Harry Pendery, a fresh
man preparatory-dental major
from Fort Worth. The award
carries with it a $2;)0 award for
first prize. The essay is being
republished in this Freshman
Edition of The Battalion in order
that incoming students may get
a picture of A&M through the
eyes of a student.
By HARRY PENDERY
“I believe the advantages of
A&M lie in its ability to provide
for the scholastic as well as social
needs of its students.
“Like many other recent grad
uates from high school, I was
faced with the immediate decision
of choosing a college to continue
my education. Another problem
which caused me concern was that
of choosing a major course of
study. I avoided making these de
cisions for fear of making the
wrong one.
“After consulting many college
bulletins and talking with many
people who are enrolled in dif
ferent colleges, I began to take
special notice of Texas A&M. The
young men I talked to from A&M
seemed to have something extra
when they talked about the school.
They seemed to take special pride
in being called “Aggies,” and
seemed to be more than anxious
for me to choose A&M.
“When seeking further informa
tion, I found most people to have
great respect for “Aggies” and
for the school. This, in addition
to that “something extra” found
in A&M students, turned my at
tention more than ever to A&M,
and I felt that I should consider
it seriously before I would be able
to choose the right college.
“Having reached a tentative de
cision to attend A&M, I wrote the
registrar for further information
and for entry application blanks.
I received a prompt r'eply in the
form of a personal letter of en
couragement, accompanied by
other information about curricula
and by application blanks. I was
impressed by the different^ courses
of study offered by the school.
A part of the material sent to me
told about the Basic Division at
A&M. This was the answer to
one of my problems-^—that of
choosing a major course of study.
“The Basic Division offered spe
cial guidance and training by com
petent instructors for the purpose
of helping young men choose a
vocation, based on their aptitudes.
In addition, I found A&M to be
rated very high scholastically.
Combined, these reasons seemed
to offer what I wanted to get out
of college.
“I found the answer to another
pressing problem that most stu
dents face, that of having enough
money for a college education.
A&M being a state supported
school, I found the cost of tuition,
as well as room and board, to be
very reasonable and within the
range of my finances.
“My first dealings with the staff
at A&M came during the late sum
mer when I had to report to take
a series of tests. I was greatly
impressed with my first view of
the beautiful, famous A&M cam
pus; however, my best impression
of A&M came from the friendly
manner of the staff members who
extended a helping hand to all
the students taking the tests.
Their warm attitude, combined
with the friendliness of the stu
dents, further revealed to me the
qualities of “Aggieland.”
“As the day of departure from
home and old friends neared, I
felt depressed, but confident I had
chosen the right school. Upon
arrival at» “Aggieland” I immed
iately became lost in the mass of
strange people from different
walks of life, further complicated
by the upperclassmen, who in
formed us of the traditions of
“Aggieland.” Through the process
of “whipping out” (introducing
oneself to strangers) these new
faces became those of friends, and
my shyness in meeting new pfeople
was soon a thiqg of the past.
“Immediately I seemed to be
lost in my studies, with no hope
of ever getting out of the “failure”
Since 1876 when A&M first
opened its doors with six students
it has had a military school.
The college has shouldered
wholeheartedly its responsibilities
for teaching military training un
der the National Land-Grant Edu
cation System.
For many years A&M has had
the largest military school in the
United States.
It is now one of six military col
leges.
. At least two years of military
training are required of all stu
dents, except veterans, physically
handicapped, foreign nationals,
men over 21 years of age and
transfer students with more than
30 credit hours.
Organized by military units and
living under military supervision,
the cadets wear their uniforms
category. However, after special
interviews with the helpful pro
fessors and counselors of the Basic
Division, I gradually learned what
was expected of me. I found
studying to be like a job, involving
hard work and much effort on my
part. „
throughout the school year.
In World War I 52 former stu
dents died in military service.
Following the war the New York
Sun, in an analysis of war partici
pation by American colleges and
universities, declared that A&M
had furnished a greater proportion
of its alumni as commissioned of
ficers than any other school.
The Reserve Officers Training
Corps was inaugurated at A&M in
1920. Since that year basic mili
tary training and understanding
has been given to more than 41,000
young men.
At this time training is offered
in both the Army and Air Force.
Advanced ROTC training, lead
ing to commissions in the Officers
Reserve Corps, was given to ap
proximately 7,000 men before the
program was discontinued under
“The Corps of Cadets I found
at this point, played a very im
portant role. In each “outfit”
there is a scholastic officer who
has the special job of checking
progress in grades. I found in
the Corps attitudes favorable to
(See FRESHMAN on Page 8)
the emergencies of World War II.
By December 7, 1941, some 5,000
reserve officers, trained at A&M
were already on active duty help
ing to weld the army that was to
win World War II.
An outstanding illustration of
that group were the 46 young Tex
ans, A&M-trained reserve offi
cers on duty at Corregidor and
Bataan. Their epic of fighting
ability in the face of insurmount
able odds is military history.
In addition to some 7,000 reserve
officers trained and commissioned
at A&M, the college takes pride
in at least another 7,000 officers
of World War II. They received
from the college varying degrees
of military training that enabled
them to quickly enter officer can
didate school and to better play
(See A&M on Page 3)
A&M Boasts Proud History
Of Military School Tradition
Welcome Freshmen to
Shoe Headquarters for TEXAS AGGIES
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