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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 5, 1961)
' LIBRARY FB 12 COPIES ' V ' iiii* :; s mmem w igg- v Tfll mM. A »W4¥fB'! Morrill Act Paves The Way •/ ■ •- *fe '•'• ’^KsinSiwr h« vii s 5mP :V .U I • v.,, : A&M Campus—1894 'he A&M Campus ip 1894 was little more and the old Main Building are in the center, ^.han scattered buildings on a barren prairie, and Pfeiffer Hall is on the right. None of )n the far left is Austin Hall. Ross Hall the structures are now standing. Because of an act passed by an enemy congress during time of bitter war, Texas A&M Col lege stands today after 85 years of growth and progress. In July of 1862, President Abraham Lincoln authorized the Morrill Act permitting the fed eral government to offer each state a grant of public lands which could be used to raise funds for establishing colleges special izing in agriculture and the me chanical arts. The War Between the States was still raging, and it was four years later before a financially- void State of Texas Legislature could vote to accept the terms, under reconstruction xule. First step in setting up the college was a 180,000-acre land grant given the state by the fed eral government. The acres sold for 87 cents apiece, bringing in $174,000 which was invested in seven per cent frontier defense bonds. This was the college’s first en dowment, accompanied by a $75,000 appropriation for the first building. After the funds were obtained, next on the list was selecting a location for the college. One as near to the center of the state’s population mass was necessary, and a nearness of railroad service was also needed. Bryan was the place. But saloons and taverns on every corner of the frontier Texas town caused the location to be placed five miles south, in a spot thick with dewberries. A stake was driven in the ground, and the legislative committee sent to pick the spot declared: “Here we’ll build the college.” Land was donated by people of Brazos County, 2,416 acres, and building commenced. Unfortu nately, the colleg’e ran out of money with only the foundations for its two original buildings completed. More money was raised, and a main building, combination mess hall and dormitory, and five resi- (See FOUNDING on Page 3) nited Chest dopts Goal [A goal of $16,200 for support I fifteen agencies was formally afcopted last night by the College ^■ation United Chest Board of Directors. ■ This is an increase of $1,050 over Hat year’s campaign goal. Dr. ^■>hn C. Calhoun, general chair- Han, announced, ami reflects the H^owth of community services re- Biired of the Chest. [The budget will be allotted in general areas: youth, $6,400; Hctoation, $2,000; welfare, $4,800. H’d medical, $2,700. An allocation folklore Paper ins Penrod bird Place John Penrod, ’63 English major Horn San Antonio, has won third p i'c in the 1061 Student Paper Boniest sponsored by the Texas ■olklore Society. HHis paper, “Los Corridos de Bexico,” is a study of Mexican ^pllads which he collected from La- Bn American A&M students and I Bom visits to Mexico. ■ The paper was one- of four sub- But ted frhtn a class in folklore | taught by Dr. John Q. Anderson of llhe Department of English, a for- Ipier president of the Texas Folk- pore Society. I The student paper contest in j.yhich Penrod’s paper placed is con- Bucted annually by the Texas Folk- Ane Society and is open to all Btudents in senior colleges in Tex- |s. I In addition to a small money Brize for the first place winner, Bther papers are considered for Bmblication in the annual volume of Bolklore published by the society. I The volume of 1960, “Singers Bnd Storytellers,” includes a stu- Hent paper entiled “Ghost Stories Brom a Texas Ghost Town” by ■Tucker Sutherland, ’60 who wrote Bhe paper while he was a student ptinder Anderson. ■ Anderson will offer the course in ■folklore and folksongs again this ■spring. of $300 has been made for cam paign expenses. Agencies that will participate in the fund, and the amounts rec ommended for each by the Budget and Admissions Committee, are: American Red Cross, $2,000; Boys’* Clubs of America, $500; Boy Scouts, $2,000; Brazos Com mittee on Alcoholism, $300; Braz os valley Crippled Children’s Ther apy Center, $1,800. Brazos County Hospital Fund, $300; Brazos County Youth Coun seling Service, 1,400; Bryan-Col- lege Station Girl Scouts Area Council, $2,500; College Station Community House, Inc., $350; Col lege Station Recreational Council, $1,700; Salvation Army, $750. Texas Rehabilitation Center, $300; Texas United Fund, $750; College Station YMCA, $300; Col lege Station Local Chest Charity Fund, $950. The board set the dates of Nov. 1-15 for the campaign. Members of the Campaign Com mittee to be in charge of the drive for funds are Chairman K. A. Manning, Gus Watkins, Irwin Lloyd, Taylor Riedel, M. L. Cash- ion, and Mrs. C. W. Pewther. AggiePlayersOffer Shaw’s ‘Candida’ As 2nd Production “Candida,” a production revolv ing around an 1895 London setting and written by George Bernard Shaw, will be the Aggie Players’ second feature of the fall season according to Vic Weining, director of the play. With a cast of six, the sophisti cated comedy will be presented Dec. 4-9 “in the round” on the stage of Guion Hall. Memebrs of the cast are John Donald Deliz, as Marchbanks; Sharon Prisk, Candida; Ruth Ann Simmons, Prossy; Sam Cely, Bur gess; Dave Lee, Lexy, and John Paxson, as Rev. Morrell. Dr. E. E. Stokes of the Depart ment of English will speak to the cast next Oct. 12, on interpreta tion of the play. A&M Cadet—1891 Version Cadet Pvt. Walter D. Adams, ’92, of Forney, is shown as he appeared at the installation of Lawrence Sullivan Ross as A&M president in 1891. 85TH ANNIVERSARY ISSUE The Battalion Volume 60 COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS THURSDAY, OCTOBER 5, 1961 Number 13 Band Gets Lubbock Trip; Special Train Scheduled ‘Fish’ Of 1889 Had His Troubles By GERRY BROWN Battalion Staff Writer “A prolonged shrill whistle—the train stops. ‘College Station’ sounds in the ear of the young man who is seated in one of the coaches and looking out the win dow, eager to catch a glimpse of his destination, the A&M Cbllege of Texas, of which he intends to become a fish.” This was the setting in 1889 when Charles Prokisch, a newly arrived freshman, first came to A&M. We know of his story be cause in the December 1889 issue of the College Journal, forerunner of The Battalion, Prokisch publish ed his personal story called “Ex periences Of A Fish”. After leaving the station house he was questioned by the sur rounding cadets as to his name, hometown and other important things. Upon arriving at his dor mitory the new “fish” was wel comed by other cadets already pre sent and shown to a room 'by the quartermaster. Deciding that he could use a short nap the “fish” climbed into his bunk only to be interrupted by loud murmers in the hall. Sudden ly the door flew open and our “fish” found himself confronted by “a motley crowd who are ap parently as blood thirsty as tigers.” Before he could utter a word he found himself thrown on his bed, back upwards, and a good deal of “strap oil” applied to the poster ior part of his body. After each member of the worthy assembly had had their turns, our “fish” mentions that they withdrew leav ing him contemplating on what he has g’otten himself into. Within the first few days our “fish” became so khy as to scent danger at every sftep and “wished that he had never seen- this place.” Soon, however, with his enrollment in a company and the commencing of his military exercises he found that he had forgotten the troubles of everyday life. And, Prokisch re called, after “several years of hard work and the victory is won, he looks back upon this initial period with a proud feeling and when the moment of parting comes, with a sigh of regret he bids his com panions farewell.” So ended the story of a “fish” who in 1889 came to face the same problems that face the pre sent “fish” who is a member of the class of ’65, or the future “fish” who will represent the class of ’86. Seniors Eligible For Fellowships In Theology The Rockefeller Foundation is awarding a one-year fellowship to graduating seniors who may be interested in attending graduate theological school. Fellowships are awarded to those who are not now planning to at tend graduate theological school but who would be willing, if award ed a fellowship, to attend such a school for one year in order to copsider the ordained ministry. The program is not designed for those who have definitely made up their minds to go into the ministry. The fellowship for unmarried and married men without children provides for room, board, tuition, fees, and $500 for books and mis cellaneous personal expenses. Mar ried men with children are granted the same plus $1,000 dependency allowance for their wives and a $300 allowance for each child. If, at the end of his first year of theological school, the holder of the fellowship decides the ministry is not his calling, he will be free to withdraw without repayment of the fees. Nominees must be male, no old er than 30, and citizens of the U. S. or Canada. Lubbock Aggies Host Bands/men Leaving Caldwell at 7 a.m. Saturday, members of the Ag gie Band will embark to West Texas as special guests of the Lubbock A&M Club, with enticing weekend scheduled for all members. Special transportation arrangements have been made with the Santa Fe Railroad, and the Band, 277 strong, will be traveling in a new, split-level touristjcoach train designed for the scenic run between Chicago and California. Personal automobiles will be used to transport Band members fropi A&M to Caldwell, and the cars will be parked at the depot and guarded all weekend while the unit is in Lubbock. “The Santa Fe Railroad 4 : really went all-out this time providing us luxury coaches; we’ve used them on several trips, including one to Cali fornia, Oklahoma and to Lub bock,” said Col. E. V. Adams, band director. Brownwood will be the first stop on the trip, with a Coke break sponsored by the Brownwood A&M Mother’s Club, who will furnish drinks for the band members dur ing lunch time on the train. The break is at 10:45 a.m., followed by lunch at 11:15. Because of facilities on the train, w'hich is designed wuth two levels, the top for sitting and seeing and the bottom for baggage and toilet facilities, members will be able to shave and clean up before arrival (See BAND on Page 4) TWU Graduate Is Addition To Ag Info Staff Mary Grace Wilhelm, former ad vertising manager for Haltom’s, Fort Worth, recently joined the staff of the A&M Agricultural Information Office. Miss Wilhelm’s job will be to assist in the editing, layout planning and publishing of publications issued by the Agri cultural Experiment Station and the Agricultural Extension Service. Previous experience includes that of reporter for the Daily Texan, Edinburg, and copywriter for Stripling’s, Fort Worth. ACCOMPLISHMENT REVIEWED ON BIRTHDAY A&M Seeks Bigger Things In Next 85 Years By ALAN PAYNE Battalion News Editor A&M quietly celebrated its 85th birthday yesterday and immediately began looking forward to even bigger and better things in the future. Fifteen years remain before the first centennial celebra tion, but these years promise great things—mainly through the efforts of the Century Council. From an enrollment of 40 in the fall of 1876, the school has grown to 7,694 students and over 50 academic depart ments and divisions. In the first year of its existance, A&M’s enrollment jumped from 40 on Oct. 4, to 100 in January and 331 in the spring. In these first early years, accomodations were insuffi cient for anything like this number. The second and third floors of Gathright Hall and the second, third and part of the fourth floor of the Main Building were used for barracks. During cold winter months, students kept these rooms warm with fire wood. Each student had his owit axe, cut his own wood at the common wood pile and carried it to his room in his arms. Wood piles were kept outside each building with the owner’s name above each, roughly on this order, “This is John Jones’ wood pile. Keep your hands off it!” The first floor of Gathright Hall was used as a dining hall, with classes held on the first floor of the Main Building. As for the actual campus in these early days, one profes sor said: “The campus was such a wild waste that it was not con sidered safe for children to be out at night. The howling of wolves provided nightly seranades. On one occasion, a wild animal wandering over the campus threw the whole com munity in a frenzy of excitement. An alarm was given and the whole battalion of students and some professors turned out to kill it, but in the high weeds of the campus, it easily escaped.” Even though uniforms were worn that first year, dis cipline appears to have been lax. Exercises were held San Jacinto day, but the corps broke ranks at the conclusion, ran furiously for the nearest woods and found a swimming hole. The conduct of professors also left room for improvement during the memorial ’76. Following complaints from through out the state, the Board of Directors fired the entire faculty. A mathematics professor showed his concern at being fired by going fishing. “I can’t be bothered,” he said. In the late ’70’s and mid ’80’s, Garland James succeeded Thomas Gathright as president, four buildings were con structed and the entire curriculum was revised. The school slumped badly in the ’80’s until Lawrence Sullivan Ross was named president in 1890. Once the state legislature even considered abandoning the college, with the buildings to be used as a Negro insane asylum. Ross literally saved the college from destruction. During his eight-year reign enrollment increased tremendously, the first Corps Trip was held in Houston, property value reached $389,502.64 and, most of all, the college for the first time acquired a good name among citizens of the state. Intercollegiate football first served to unite the student body in 1892, with the first clash with Texas University in 1894. In 1902, the Aggie gridders were named “Champions of the South” after beating Tulane. First football games were played at the Bryan Fair Grounds, with bleachers accomodating 500. These bleachers were later moved to the campus, and Kyle Field came into being. During the first years of the century such events as a cane rush between freshmen and sophomores caused quite a stir. One morning, mysterious notices had been tacked up at various places forbidding any freshmen to carry a cane past (See COLLEGE SEEKS on Page 3)