Che Battalion
Final Exam Schedule Set
Date and Hour Series
Aug 21, Friday, 7 a. m Classes Meeting 7-8:30
Friday, 10 a. m Classes Meeting 9-10:30
Friday, 2 p. m Classes Meeting 11-12:30
Volume 61
COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS THURSDAY, AUGUST 20, 1964
Number 63
T Soviet Scientists Tour
Plant Science F acility
SOVIET SCIENTISTS STUDY LAB TECHNIQUE
Left to right Yu T. Khutornoy, A. A. Vasi- kisson, and lab technicians Marianne Peter-
lev, I. P. Lupashko—Stalskiy, Dr. Perry Ad- son and Jacqueline O’Hara.
Governor Selects A&M
University To Receive Funds
To Start Research Institute
A&M University will receive
federal funds to establish a water
resources research institute, Uni
versity officials learned recently.
Gov. John Connally notified
Senator Bill Moore and State Rep.
David Haines, both of Bryan that
lie had designated A&M for the
institute.
Legislation recently signed into
law by President Johnson author-
lies funds to establish a water
resources research institute in each
state. A&M will receive $75,000 the
first year for the institute, $87,500
the second and third years, and
5100,000 annually thereafter, Rep.
Haines said.
The institutes are to stimulate,
sponsor, provide for and supple
ment present programs of water
resources research and training of
scientists.
Lr. Ernest T. Smerdon, who
came to Texas in 1959 from the
University of Missouri, will head
the institute.
Smerdon emphasized that in con
ducting research all existing Uni
versity facilities will be utilized
to the fullest.
Only i n such cases where spe-
mal facilities are not available at
University will there be any
Jeed to use additional equipment,
Smerdon said.
The federal bill is designed to
enlist the competence of university
facilities in needed water research
work, and, at the same time, to
develop and train additional scien
tists and engineers,” Smerdon
added.
Smerdon went on to say that it
was important that adequate re
search be initiated as soon as
possible if the population of Texas
is to be assured of adequate knowl
edge to deal with the ever decreas
ing resources of fresh water.
“By training engineers and scien
tists we hope to increase the ef
ficiency of water utilization by
industrial, private and agricultural
consumers,” Smerdon said.
Faculty, Staff
Awarded Grants
A&M University faculty-staff
members have been awarded $31,-
500 worth of grants from the Na
tional Science Foundation, Cole
man Loyd, NSF coordinator at
A&M, announced.
The funds will be used to sup
port undergraduate research pro
grams involving departments of
physics, chemistry, oceanography-
meteorology and biochemistry-nu
trition.
A $10,500 grant has been ap
proved for the 1964-65 year for the
Physics Department. Prof. Joe
S. Ham will direct the research
studies, involving nine students.
Richard M. Adams, administra
tive scientist for oceanography
and meteorology, will head re
search projects involving six stu
dents next summer. The work is
supported by an $8,400 NSF grant.
House Passes Bill Blocking
Apportionment For States
WASHINGTON — (A*) — The | is rural vs. urban control of the
House passed Wednesday night a legislatures.
far-reaching bill that would strip
the federal courts of jurisdiction
over apportionment of state legis
latures. The vote was 218 to 175.
The legislation—aimed at block
ing redistribution of seats in both
houses of state legislatures ordered
by the Supreme Court on an equal
population basis—now goes to the
Senate.
A filibuster is already underway
there against a milder proposal
originated by Sen. Everett Dirksen
of Illinois, the Republican leader,
on the same subject. But the Sen
ate bill would only delay the court-
ordered reapportionment.
An underlying issue in the fight
In a series of rulings, the
Supreme Court has held that fed
eral courts have the authority to
step in and direct the reapportion
ment of the legislatures where
necessary and that the upper as
well as the lower chambers of these
bodies must provide representation
on the basis of population.
Most of the upper chambers
have given rural areas equal
representation with more populous
areas.
The house bill was introduced by
Rep. William M. Tuck, D.-Va., and
was rushed to the floor in an im
pressive power display by Rep.
Howard W. Smith, D.-Va., chair-
Three Russian scientists are currently touring A&M +
plant sciences facilities under a program jointly sponsored
by the U. S. Department of Agriculture and the Soviet Em
bassy.
A&M President Earl Rudder, when asked to comment
upon the presence of the Russian visitors, expressed surprise
and said that he had not been aware of their being on campus.
He further stated that Chancellor Harrington had not in
formed him of their visit.
Chancellor Harrington was not available for comment.
The Russians, A. A. Vasilev and Yu. T. Khutornoy,
agronomists, and I. P. Lupashko—Stalskiy, interpreter and
^agricultural economist, arriv
ed at A&M from a tour of
other land-grant colleges and
universities in the U. S.
The scientists confered with
Dr. L. S. Bird and Dr. D. W.
Rosenburg, head of the A&M De
partment of Plant Sciences, regard
ing techniques for evaluating cot
ton varieties for resistence for
combinations of disease including
wilts and to observe laboratory
and field research activities.
Until their scheduled departure
on Saturday, the Russians will con
tinue touring various A&M facili
ties. On Wednesday the group con
ferred with entomologists Dr. Per
ry Adkissin and Dr. Knox Walker.
“The Russians appear to be
greatly interested in the organi
zational structure of the extension
service,” said Walker. “It seems
that they are mildly surprised
that the American farmer cooper
ates with governmental agencies
at all on a voluntary basis.”
“We explained to them that the
American farmer knows he can
trust the various agencies through
past experience. Consequently they
readily accept our recommendations
concerning crop treatment,” con
tinued Walker.
Entomology, a division of plant
sciences dealing with methods of
treatment of insects by insecticide
and related research, appeared to
greatly interest the Russian visi
tors, and they frequently asked
questions.
The language barrier was ef
ficiently hurdled by interpreter
Lupashko—Stalskiy. However, mi
nor difficulties did arise when dis
cussing temperatures. The Rus
sians use the centigrade scale and
a conversion table was hurriedly
consulted.
Weirus Appointed
Exec. Secretary
Richard (Buck) Weirus, who 22
years ago worked his way through
college here, has been named ex
ecutive secretary of the 40,000-
member Association of Former
Students at A&M University.
Weirus, director of the associa
tion’s fund-raising program for
three years, will take over the key
position Sept. 1 as a result of
action by the Association of Former
Student’s 20 - member executive
board.
The board, headed by John
Lindsey of Houston, had accepted
the resignation of J. B. (Dick)
Hervey as executive secretary. He
was named vice-president of Col-
‘BUCK’ WEIRUS
lege Station’s University National
Bank last week.
Active in the association for
years, Weirus received his bach
elor’s degree from A&M in 1942
after earning college expense
money as a student janitor, waiter
and Aggieland orchestra drummer.
He also taught at A&M Consoli
dated School in College Station
while attending A&M as an under
graduate. Weirus completed his
bachelor’s degree in industrial
education.
A colonel in the U.S. Army Re
serves, Weirus served as an adver
tising executive for an Austin
publishing firm until his appoint
ment to the association in 1961 as
director of the development fund.
The 44-year-old Aggie earlier
received extensive experience with
the state adjutant general’s office
as a staff assistant, organizing
national guard units and directing
a training program for state em
ployees.
Weirus, a graduate of San An
tonio’s Central Catholic High, serv
ed as an army artillery captain in
Europe during World War II for
four years.
During his college days, Weirus
also found time to compete as a
member of A&M’s swimming team,
and participated in the Singing
Cadets and Aggieland Orchestra.
He is a past president of the
San Antonio A&M Club and served
as vice-president of the association,
representing District 8.
‘Ranger’ Indignant; Writes
Classic Letter To Soundoff
. •—Usually letters to Sound- |
a re published on the edi- !
" na l P a Se. We think this letter
such importance, however,
o* are Putting it on page
&ear Sir:
Most of the time, which is 99.9
tlie Aggies treat me
d ecently. I have no com-
othp S ^Uhout a doubt, the only
°f th ^ eo *d e w ^° have as free run
_ ampus and its buildings as
I are the janitorial staff. i came of the idea of renting my
Old Aggieland wouldn’t be the sides for advertising spafce. The
same without my familiar stocky Battalion even ran a cartoon pie
man of the Rules Committee. Smith
invoked a little-used House rule to
snatch it away from the House
Judiciary Committee.
The House voted 242-148 to take
up the measure, foreshadowing its
passage.
Much of the debate dealt with
the rules committee’s unorthodox
procedure. Rep. Emanuel Celler,
D.-N.Y., chairman of the judiciary
committee, said it made the Rules
Committee “the poohbah or panjan
drum of House proceedings.”
Smith, in a fiery speech that
brought him a standing ovation
from most members, told the
House:
“If we don’t have the intestinal
fortitude to stand up and say to
the court ‘thus far, and no farther,’
this country is in a bad way.”
He called the Supreme Court’s
reapportionment decision “the most
drastic assault on the constitution
that has happened in my time,” and
said Congress had a duty to save
the nation from becoming a dic
tatorship.
Dr, Dan Announces Retirement
Following 38 Years At A&M
body, my drooping jaws—and my
fierce look; the look which tells the
world, “I’m proud to be an Aggie!”
Yet Monday morning my ears
sagged, my legs faltered, and my
stub of a tail didn’t have enough
energy to even faintly wag. The
.1 per cent of the time that Aggies
don’t treat me decently came.
Recently much joking and fun
\ . v ft i ‘ R ANGER’ MEETS THE PRESS
a V erv U know w h° painted my hide and caused me to get
^ unnecessary bath, don’t you?”
turing this humorous idea.
Several fun-loving Aggies
couldn’t resist the temptation and
painted signs on my sides.
I love a good joke just as much
as the next Aggie, and I went
along with them.
But Monday morning I was
shamed beyond barks. A KK
arrested me as I was coming out
of the basement of a campus build
ing (where someone had dog-
napped me).
Think of the outrageous indig
nity suffered by me, the most im
portant canine on campus, (next
to my female friend, whose name
also begins with “R”). Arrested!
Like a common criminal!
Oh, the shame of it all! I howl
every time I think about it.
Humiliated by being taken in
police car to headquarters. They
gave me the third degree. But as
much as I growled the answers
they still couldn’t understand.
They couldn’t hear me trying to
tell them who painted the filthy,
obscene words on my doggy sides—
who disgraced the general’s dog
who caused me to get a very un
necesary bath—and who brought
dishonor to the name of A&M.
But you know who you are, don’t
you?
Sincerely,
Ranger.
Asst. Commandant
Ordered Viet Nam
Major John Vilas, Adjudant and
Assistant Commandant of the
Corps of Cadets at A&M has rec
eived orders to report for 12
months duty in South Viet Nam.
Vilas arrived at A&M in May
’62 and was assigned to advance
section of the Army ROTC In
structional Unit. Soon afterward,
he became adjudent and then As
sistant Commandant under Col.
Denzil Baker, Commandant.
Select Freshmen
To Benifit From
New A&M Syllabus
Perhaps 100 young men across
the state have tentatively passed
! first semester of freshman
English before they ever attend
a class at A&M University. Suc
cessful classwork in the second
half of the freshman course will
confirm the advantage.
The students benefit from a new
program at A&M, a program des
cribed as one of two in Texas.
Professor Lee J. Martin said
the new program involves stu
dents making a score of 500 or
higher on the English achieve
ment portion of the standard en
trance test and writing a satis
factory paper.
“Before this we allowed ad
vanced sUnding by examination,
but very few students took the
examination,” Martin said.
One of A&M University’s best
known professors, Dr. Daniel Rus
sell of the Agricultural Economics
and Sociology Department, will re
tire August 31.
Dr. Dan, as his many former
students and other friends call him,
has spent 38 years at A&M teach
ing and researching the often in
tangible complexities of sociology.
The portly, amiable educator has
been busy the past few weeks
bringing his office affairs to a
conclusion and sifting through a
mountain of notes, records, books
and mementoes which have accu
mulated over the years.
One of those mementoes is an
age-yellowed newspaper in which
an article describes the professor’s
major extra-curricular accomplish
ment A&M’s Project House sys
tem.
The system, a story in itself,
began during the blackest days of
the depression in the early 1930’s.
Enrollment at A&M and other
schools was falling drastically be
cause students couldn’t afford
much of the expense of attending
college.
Russell figured costs could be
cut by having student groups pool
their money and rent vacant houses
in the area, bring farm produce
from home, and buy groceries and
other supplies wholesale. “House
mothers” were hired to cook and
keep house. The plan enabled
many thousands of Aggies to finish
their education.
Soon an entire community of
cooperative housing sprang up.
The well known Project Houses on
the campus’ south side is an out
growth of Russell’s eforts. The
system was so successful that it
was copied by other colleges and
universities.
The student’s grade for Eng
lish 103 is determined by the
quality of the written paper as
marked by a member of the Eng
lish faculty. Grades of “A”, “B”
or “C” allow a student to skip
103 and register for 104.
'**
-X _ mmm -rm^ES
‘What’s It Like Down Under Sport?’
who has spent the first four Zoo, in Los Angeles—and draws an equally
months of his life riding about in his moth- inquisitive look from mama Mathilda. The
er s poueh, peeks out for his first good look pair are great Tasmanian gray kangaroos,
at the world about him—the Griffith Park