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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