Cfoc Battalion
Texas
A&M
University
Volume 61
COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 1965
Aggie Opinion
Election Slated
On Exes’ Plan
By GERALD GARCIA
The Student Senate voted
Thursday night to hold a stu
dent opinion election concerning
non-compulsory military train
ing and coeducation.
They also criticized the A&M
Executive Council for not allow
ing dates to stay in campus
dorms.
“The Senate Executive Com
mittee expressed the desire to
take an opinion of students con
cerning the Exes’ proposal so
WASHINGTON UP)—Secretary
of Defense Robert S. McNamara
described the Viet Nam crisis as
“grave but by no means hope
less,” and expressed doubt the Red
Chinese would step in with a
major attack.
Despite Peking’s militancy, Mc
Namara said in a report Thurs
day to the House Armed Services
Committee, the Red Chinese “have
shown great caution when con
fronted with a determined display
of military power.”
Both Peking and Moscow, he
added, can be expected to stir up
as much trouble as they can
“whenever and wherever they can
do so safely, without a ‘head-on’
collision with U. S. military
power.”
And he made clear that he saw
no alternative than for the United
States to remain in South Viet
Nam, supporting the government
against Communist guerrillas. He
described the war as a key to
stemming Communist expansion
not only in Asia but in other de
veloping nations.
A Red victory in South Viet
Nam, he said, would greatly in
crease Peking’s prestige, would
be claimed as proof of the success
of its hard-line policy and would
strengthen Red China’s hand in
its leadership battle with the
Soviet Union.
Leaving the committee room,
McNamara told newsmen that
greater efforts will be required
of South Viet Nam in the coming
year, including a boost in its mili
tary force. This may require a
small increase in the number of
Americans sent there to help with
training, as well as more combat
equipment, he said.
it could be presented to the board
at their spring meeting later this
month,” said Frank Muller, Stu
dent Body President.
Jay Jaynes offered a motion
“that we have a student opinion
poll on the resolution passed by
the Former Students Association
concerning the idea of a non-
compulsory Corps and improving
or expanding the existing co
educational facilities.”
“I suggest two possible ques
tions: (1) Do you favor a non-
Looking into the future, Mc
Namara saw a most disturbing
prospect in Peking’s determina
tion to produce modern nuclear
armaments.
Although it may be a slow road
for the Red Chinese, McNamara
said, “There is no reason to sup
pose that the Chinese cannot in
time produce medium-range and
even long-range ballistic missile
systems and arm them with
thermonuclear warheads.
“Given the hostility the regime
has shown, this is a most disturb
ing long-range prospect,’ he said.
A&M Freshman
Named To Finals
For State Honor
A Texas A&M freshman, Gary
G. Kemph of San Antonio, has
been named one of 12 finalists for
“Young Texan of the Year.”
Kemph, a liberal arts major, is
in the H-13 unit of the Corps of
Cadets at A&M. A graduate of
Robert E. Lee High School in San
Antonio, he is the son of Mr.
and Mrs. Gordon G. Kemph, San
Antonio.
Winner of the title “Young Tex
an of the Year” will be announced
at a dinner Feb. 27 in Austin.
The Troy V. Post awards of $4,000
in college scholarships will be re
vealed at the dinner.
Recognition of the “Young Tex
an of the Year” is a youth appreci
ation program co-sponsored by
Post, a Dallas banker-insurance
man, and more than 200 Optimist
Clubs throughout the state.
compulsory Corps? (2) Do you
favor unlimiting coeds?
The second question was a-
mended and will be presented in
this way at the Thursday elec
tion: To what degree do you favor
co-education (1) no coeds, (2)
limited, or (3) unlimited?
The election will be held in
the Memorial Student Center in
front of the Coffee Shop from
8 a.m. to noon and from 1-6 p.m.
“In order that we get a better
balance of the student reaction
in the election, the Election Com
mission will have different vot
ing machines for the Corps and
Civilians,” said Charles Wallace,
commission chairman.
Regarding dates on campus,
the Senate received a list from
the Executive Council why their
proposal was turned down.
The list read in part: Dorms
are not attracted for female use;
it would cost the school; Bryan-
College Station has plenty of faci
lities to handle the girls; trouble
in finding housemothers, and
Denton closed theirs — the little
house they used to have.
The Senate had worked almost
tree months to have dates stay on
campus during special weekends.
The student solons unanimously
adopted a resolution voicing, their
disapproval of the Committee’s
decision.
The resolution read: “The Sen
ate expresses its complete dis
approval of the uncooperative
and untimely action taken by the
Executive Council in ruling that
student dates cannot be housed
in the University dormitories and
furthermore we ask that the Ex
ecutive Council reconsider its pre-'
vious decision.”
Muller said 33 students had al
ready signed a list in the MSC
Student Programs Office wish
ing to keep their dates on cam
pus during a big weekend.
In other business, Don Warren
asked that the civilians be al
lowed to elect a yell leader be
cause Jim Benson was graduated
in January.
He proposed that Darrell Smith,
the runner-up in last year’s elec
tion, fill the position and that
this procedure be followed when
future Yell Leaders graduate in
January. Warren’s motion was
defeated because Smith would
only be able to serve in two more
games this year.
The Senate also appointed a
committee to study all the educa
tion bills in the Texas legisla
ture and to report at the next
meeting.
McNamara Says Chinese
Not Expected To Attack
Or Enter Viet Nam Crisis
BROTHER, SISTER CHAT
. . . Mrs. Betty Lord consults brother at trial recess.
Jury Deliberating
In Coffey Murder
By GLENN DROMGOOLE
and TOMMY DeFRANK
BRYAN — An all-male jury
began deliberating the fate of
accused murderer Rudolph G. Cof
fey Jr. late Friday morning fol
lowing final summaries from
state and defense attorneys.
The state is seeking the death
penalty for Coffey, 21-year old
Florida youth charged with the
shooting death of Elgin Police
Chief J. M. Mumford, Nov. 15,
1963.
State attorney D. N. Vance
charged Thursday in 85th Dis
trict Court that Coffey was guil
ty of murder with malice and
should be punished accordingly.
“If there was ever a case of
malice aforethought in the Unit
ed States, this is it,” Vance as
serted.
“There is only one proper pun
ishment in this case — because
Rudolph Grady Coffey Jr. killed
the police chief ... in Elgin —
death,” he concluded.
Defense counsel A. W. Davis
made no attempt to justify the
shooting but based his summa
tion on the premise that no per
son has the right to pass judge
ment on the youthful defendant.
“It is not our place to take
the life of any man, woman or
child on the face of this earth.
Twelve men good and true . . .
can in no way have the right to
do this,” Davis said.
“A tremendous tragedy took
place in Elgin, Texas, Nov. 15,
1963. Do not compound that
tragedy with an action which
solves nothing,” he appealed.
Prior to the summations Cof
fey’s sister, Mrs. Margaret Vaug
han of Orlando, Fla., had painted
a bleak picture of Coffey’s home
life and Davis used her testi
mony as a basis for much of his
Students Must Get
New Voting Cards
Students, both Civilians and
Corps, will need a voting registra
tion card before being allowed to
vote in future student elections,
announced Charles Wallace, Chair
man of the Election Commission.
The cards will be handed out to
all students starting Monday and
running through Friday at all
hours except noon in the phone
section by the Student Programs
Office of the Memorial Student
Center.
Students will need to show their
ID cards before receiving regis
tration cards.
Number 138
SOLEMN DEFENDANT
. . . Coffey keeps head bowed during proceedings.
Ex-Con Returns
To Penitentiary
After 29 Years
Verdict
Trial
argument.
“While not excusing him or his
act . . . unless you’ve been there
. . . in a broken home abundant
of alcohol consumed by a mother
and father who never said a kind
word ... I doubt that it’s poss
ible for you or me to know what
we’d do under similar circum
stances,” he claimed.
A weeping Mrs. Vaughan re
vealed that her parents were both
alcoholics and that her father
“never said a kind word to us.”
She further testified that her
mother left home and the child
ren, were sent to Arkansas to
live with relatives.
A legal battle erupted Thurs
day morning when prosecuting
attorneys attempted to submit
a confession made by Coffey
in Austin the day following the
alleged shooting. After nearly
three hours of testimony Judge
John M. Barron ruled that the
confession was admissible as evi
dence and could be considered by
the jury, which had been removed
from the courtroom during the
hassle.
t
The defendant took the stand
for the first time Thursday and
testified that he was roughed
up and struck on the head during
his interrogation.
JACKSON, Mich. UP) — James
R. Jones, who spent 29 years as
a free man after escaping from
a southern Michigan prison farm,
received a word Thursday that his
half brother will “do anything I
can” for Jones.
Jones is in southern Michigan
prison. He was returned from
Texas recently when his wife turn
ed him in after an argument.
The state parole board is ex
pected to take up his case shortly.
Wednesday night a man named
Robert Calfee at Sand Tanks,
Ariz., called the prison inquiring
whether Jones, 49, might be his
half brother.
He said his half brother would
have two abdominal scars from
gunshot wounds and the letters
JRJ on one arm.
A prison official questioned
Jones Thursday and he said he
did have a half brother and
showed the scars and initials.
Jones said he had divorced
himself completely from his family
in 1931 “so as not to cause them
any embarrassment.”
A prison official called Calfee
Thursday and Calfee said he
would do anything he could for
his half brother. He said he
might fly to Jackson to visit
him. Calfee operates a motel, gas
station and restaurant.
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Students Voice Approval Of Religious Emphasis Program
Question: Should the University continue to sponsor Religious Emphasis Week?
DAVID KINARD
Sophomore, Reagan
I believe that Religious Emphasis
Week is a fine thing and the
student body should support it
more enthusiastically. In some
way the university should bring
the services back again next
year. There should be more
publicity for it and students
should know more about what
the speakers will talk about. I
really didn’t know what they
were going to say just from the
title of the talks.
LEROY SHAFER
Sophomore, Trent
Religious Emphasis Week is a
good function—a function that
should be supported by the Uni
versity. However, I believe that
there should be much more stu
dent participation. The program
should be brought down to the
level of the students instead of
being something that is pushed
down on us from above. Many
students still don’t know the pur
pose of the week.
MIKE JACKSON
Junior, Houston
I believe the university should
continue the Religious Emphasis
program. I further think that
the student body should support
it more. There is a lot of good
to be had from it. I attended
two myself and I was very
pleased with them. There is
much to be gained and we need
a program of this type for our
students.
, TOM HARGROVE
Junior, Rotan
Religious Emphasis Week is a
good thing but it doesn’t have
enough support. It should be
continued for those who want to
go should be able to and it cer
tainly doesn’t hurt those who
don’t. The faculty cannot push
this down the students’ throats;
the interest has to come from
the students themselves. That’s
the main problem—lack of stu
dent participation.
FREDDIE ENGELBRECHT
Sophomore, Harlingen
I think that we ought to continue
RE Week. I know last year I
didn’t attend it but this year I
went one night and I’m sorry
that I didn’t go to any of the
other services because I really
gained something from that one
night. We should find a way to
get more people to go than have
been because the services are
really worthwhile.
BOB BENSON
Sophomore, Merkel
I definitely feel the Religious
Emphasis Week should be con
tinued, but the University par
ticipation should be a lot greater
than it is. If everyone would
strive to attend these services
at least once they would go back
again throughout the week and
in this way participation would
grow each year. The program is
bound to die from lack of interest
if the crowds don’t start getting
larger.
ham McQueen
Senior, Longview
Religious Emphasis Week is a
good thing. I’d like to see a re
turn to the day sessions which
we had before RE Week was dis
continued several years ago.
Even though many students
spent this time in the coffee
shop, student attendance was
much greater than it is today and
I feel day programs would in
crease the presently poor atten
dance at the services.