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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 15, 1960)
Back to School Edition The Battalion Volume 59 COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 1960 Number 135 Rising Costs Present Problems (Editor’s Note: This is a story taken from the Aug. 4 edition of The Battalion, and written by Kenneth Towery of The Austin American Statesman. The Bat talion believes the question asked in the story is one worthy of dis cussion and worthy of reprinting before the students of A&M Col lege.) By KENNETH TOWERY The Austin American Statesman Special to The Battalion AUSTIN—Is the state of Texas perpetuating mediocrity in higher education while attempting to de velop a few “outstanding” educa tional institutions? Vernon McGee, executive director of the powerful Legislative Budget Board, posed the question Tuesday A&M Graduate Gets Promotion Special to The Battalion BEAUMONT —Eber H. Peters, ’40, has been named manager of basic petroleum chemical opera tions in the Southwest for the newly formed Mobil Chemical Co., a division of Socony Mobil Oil Co., Inc., at Beaumont. Peters, who received a B. S. in petroleum production engineering from A&M in 1940, will be re sponsible for not only coordinat ing contacts with customers’ plants in the Southwest but will also di rect chemical manufacturing op erations. He began work for Mobil after graduation and except for mili tary duty during World War II has been with them since. Prior to his promotion, Peters was southwest manager for the Petroleum Chemicals Department for Mobil Oil Co. in Beaumont. during budget hearings with offi cials of A&M. He was exploring a “new approach” to the biennial problem of confronting tbe legis lature with the never-ending in crease in the cost of education. A&M asked the legislature Tues day, through the legislature’s budget board, for $17,905,700 to operate the college during 1962 and 1963. This would include $13,- 802,877 from the state’s General Revenue Fund. It compares with an operating appropriation of $13,624,203 for the current bien nium, including $9,600,523 from General Revenue. Ask Salary Increase Within the overall budget there is a request for enough money to provide an average salary increase at A&M of five per cent for fac ulty members. But not all mem bers of the faculty will receive the salary boost. The money would be used to provide selective merit raises for outstanding teachers. It was at this point that McGee posed his question. Was there not a better way to approach the sub ject of merit raises for faculty members, he asked, than to ask the legislature for enough money to provide an “average” increase. The net effect of this approach, McGee reasoned, is to insure matching budgetary requests from other schools. Thus if a five or ten per cent increase is granted the University of Texas, or A&M, the legislature is apt to grant a similar increase to all other col leges and universities in the state. Quality Education Dying With the state’s colleges and universities now numbering 19, and with more institutions knocking on the door for state support, the tax dollar is in danger of being spread so thin that the proposition of “quality education” in Texas may die aborning. “I’m afraid I see the same thing happening in education that has happened in our state parks. We have no state parks that are ade quately developed, because when one park asks for more money all the rest ask for a similar increase. Since the Legislature can’t afford to put them all in top shape at once the net result is that all of them are underdeveloped,” McGee said. Lump Sum Grants Dr. M. T. Harrington, chancellor of the A&M College System, re plied that he thought the political realities of legislative appropria tions make it easier to obtain lump sum appropriations for “average” increases than to obtain money for higher salary increases for se lected personnel. Thus the uni versity may obtain a lump sum appropriation representing a five per cent average increase and use that money to grant 15 per cent salary increases for selected teachers. But H. B. Zachary, chairman of the A&M College System Board of Directors, indicated that he thought the proposition of merit raises for college faculty members would meet with favor among the legis lators, providing a set of standards could be worked out that would be applicable to all institutions. Leaders Show Need Both Harrington and A&M President Earl Rudder emphasized the need for higher salaries for “key” teachers if the state is to build toward “quality education.” Harrington said the state has “almost been just a training ground for out-of-state institutions in the west and middle-west. “They (the out-of-state colleges and universities) just come along and take the teachers they want,” he said, by offering higher salar ies than Texas can pay. This Section Gives Summer Run-Down This section of the Back to School Edition of The Bat talion is given to the summer activities that took place on the campus and concerning A&M events. Many students returning to A&M, particularly those who have been here before, may be wondering what has taken place while they were absent during the summer months. The Battalion has decided for the first time to give a comprehensive run-down in the Back to School Edition of the events that occured during the three summer months. Numerous changes will be noted in the administrative factions of the college, along with a recent announcement of the desired budget needs for the College. Kenneth Towery, noted reporter for The Austin Ameri can Statesman, has given an inside report on the budget re quested by the College for 1962-63. Also, there is a review of the campus social activities during the summer sessions and other events of importance that will be of interest to returning students and also the newcomers. Two Posts, Ag Dean Changes Announced Best “Beatlliks’ , Miss Mary Anne Franklin of College Station and James Tucker, senior business administration major, were selected best “beatniks” at a Memorial Student Center Summer En tertainment Series dance, which featured a “Beatnik” theme. The pair were awarded two tickets to another Series dance which had a “Roaring Twenties” theme. Two new administrative posts were filled and a new dean of the School of Agriculture were an nounced, effective July 1, in a memorandum from President Earl Rudder’s office. The changes were made neces sary when the Board of Directors meeting here in June placed the two extension services, the two experiment stations, and the Texas Transportation Institute under Rudder. Formerly in System The four organizations had for merly been a part of the A&M College System, under Chancellor M. T. Harrington. Dr. R. E. Patterson, former vice chancellor of agriculture for the A&M College System, was ap pointed dean of the School of Agri culture with the responsibility for total agricultural activities of the college, reporting directly to Rudder. Dr. G. M. Watkins, former dean of the School of Agriculture, was named to the newly-created post of director of Agricultural Instruc tion. Watkins will be responsible for on-campus agricultural instruc tion, reporting directly to Patter son. Dr. John C. Calhoun, formerly vice chancellor of the A&M College System for engineering, was named to the position of vice chancellor for development. Remaining in Office Director of the Texas Agricul tural Experiment Station Dr. R. D. Lewis will still be responsible for agricultural research, reporting to Patterson. John E. Hutchison, director of the Texas Agricultural Extension Service, will continue to be respon sible for agricultural extension and will also report to Patterson. Fred J. Benson, dean of the School of Engineering, has the re sponsibility for the total engineer ing activities of the college. Rose Resigns The director of the Texas Engi neering Experiment Station, a post held by Dr. Aaron Rose who has announced his resignation effective in late August to take a job with an aircraft corporation in Cali fornia, will be responsible for en gineering research and will report to Benson. H. D. Bearden, director of the Texas Engineering Extension Serv ice, is responsible for engineering extension and also reports to Benson. k jfU Collision Kills Houston Aggie Dennis Julian, 19-year-old junior mechanical engineering major at A&M, was killed July 28 at 1:08 p.m. in a collision between a Sears, Roebuck & Co. van and a Rock Island Lines freight engine on West Little York Road in Houston. Julian, who lived at 1011 Claxton St. in Houston was a member of Cadet Company E-l, was thrown 132 feet from the Sears truck when the train hit it. Funeral services were held Mon day morning at the St. Andrew’s Methodist Church in Houston. Pall bearers included Jack Jennings, junior engineering major from Sherman; Bobby Gilpih, junior electrical engineering major from Fairfield; and Brad Dolbey, junior chemical engineering major from Houston; all members of Cadet Company E-l. 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