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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 23, 1966)
Page 4 College Station, Texas Wednesday, February 23, 1966 HUMPTY DUMPTY CHILDREN CENTER Our New Facility Now Open Monday Through Saturday. NIGHTS BY APPOINTMENT. Bryan-C.S. Oldest State Licensed Child Care Center 823-8626 3406 So. College Mrs. Larry Jones Registered Nurse SALESMEN Part or full time needed by Central Texas fastest grow ing Home Meats & Freezer Service. We have the leads. If you can sell—Your earn ings will be unlimited. Ex perience not necessary — If you have ability — We’ll help you learn our business—Call Mr. Jim Headly — Hanson Meats. 822-1316 - 822-1317. 1 \ DON’T DON’T DON’T MIND MIND MIND EITHER JtJt J meeting of the don’t minds If you don’t mind having all the details of planning a banquet or convention taken care of for you, call Ramada Inn. We’ll make sure your meeting is trduble-frge . . . no matter what size your group! Try our fast, friendly breakfast and luncheon service. RAMADA INN Bryan-College Station 846-8811 THE BATTALION PALACE Brunn Z-SUl** STARTS TODAY Rock Hudson In “VERY SPECIAL FAVOR” NOW SHOWING Elke Sommers In “ART OF LOVE” CIRCLE TONIGHT 6:40 P. M. Cary Grant In “FATHER GOOSE” 2nd Show 9:00 p. m. Mickey Rooney In “SECRET INVASION ^ rill QP! N UNOm? Yf ACS- fRtt TONIGHT 6:35 P. M. Frankie Huolon In “SGT. DEADHEAD” & Burt Lancaster In “UNFORGIVEN” COMING'TO CAMPUS — Made in ’43...Discovered in ’65! — THE GREATEST SERIAL EVER FILMED! AU.1S EPISODES COKPLETE! ALL LIVE- ACTION! m Directors Break All-Male Tradition With 1963 Limited Coeducation Ruling (Continued from Page 1) wanted A&M all-male, and pro gressives, who supported coedu cation, finally seemed to be lean ing toward the progressive view point in the early 1950’s. And two months after the Board decision the Former Stu dents Council endorsed the policy of limited coeducation. The 1962 Faculty-Staff Stu dent Study on Aspirations car ried faculty recommendation that coeds be admitted since refusal to enroll them caused loss of ap peal and support for the college. “The faculty is overwhelmingly in favor of coeducation. Their training has led them to the phil osophy of equal academic stand ards and rights for all students, and they believe the present neg ative policy toward coeducation constitutes a major obstacle to academic excellence and institu tional stature,” the report said. DESPITE THE APPROVAL of these two prestigious groups, there was still an abundance of diehard anti-coed fighters willing to contest the issue. And the fireworks, both be fore and after the Board decision, were more than enough to make newsmen drool. T. L. Smith Jr. of Houston, member of the class of 1898, be gan circulating a letter to former students urging them into action against the admission of females. Smith said if women were per mitted to enroll the additional cost required to duplicate facili ties for them would cost from $5 million to $20 million. He also laid the blame for attempts at coeducation to Bryan business interests. SMITH’S LETTER was an swered with a sharply-worded telegram from Sen. Moore, who declared the fundamental pur pose of the college was “to give our youth, regardless of sex, the best educational opportunities possible.” “Legend, tradition and selfish pride cannot be served where such would impair fulfillment of that purpose,” Moore added. “Hundreds of families who do not have the means to send their daughters off to school have asked why their children should be deprived of educational oppor tunities at nearby A&M,” he con tinued. “I feel these young wom en, as well as young men, are deserving.” Moore also harshly condemned Smith’s reference to integration at the Universities of Mississippi and Alabama. “It is regrettable that the thoughts of any graduate of Tex as A&M should become so twisted that he Could selfishly attempt to draw a parallel between coeduca tion at A&M and the racial diffi culty experienced in Mississippi and Alabama,” Moore noted. “It is beneath true dignity to infer that the citizens of Bryan have anything less than the best inter est of A&M at heart. “I submit that Bryan citizens long have been the staunchest supporters of A&M. They have readily made sacrifices for its advancement and, I am confident, will continue to give A&M . . . and its students a responsive and responsible atmosphere.” ALL WAS NOT calm on cam pus, either, as juniors in the Corps of Cadets began preparing a questionnaire-petition on co education for possible presenta tion to the Board. Thus were the battle lines drawn as the Board assembled for its regular meeting April 26- 27, 1963. The Battalion had contacted all nine Board members in March and each said no vote on coedu cation was being planned for the April meeting. The coed question was not list ed on the official agenda of the meeting, but officials quickly pointed out omission of a topic from the agenda did not prohibit discussion or action on the sub ject. And Board President Sterling Evans had been quoted earlier in the week by a Houston newspa per as saying “Since the matter has received so much publicity, we will discuss it.” THE BOARD ADOPTED the resolution admitting women by unanimous vote, but one official source said the Board’s closed session the previous day had lasted long into the morning, with members bitterly divided over the issue. Evans said there were two basic reasons prompting the poli cy change. He pointed out that there were 1,800 married males enrolled at A&M. with 700 living in college housing. Many of these stu dents’ wives were having to drive 50 miles to Sam Houston State College each day to receive an education. The other reason was that some Texas girls were having to attend vet school in Oklahoma at an expense to the state of $1,500 per year, while there were suit able facilities to educate them at A&M instead. The decision delighted the pro- tired the dame old dinner at the dame odd place? TRY THE WONDERFULLY REFRESHING ATMOSPHERE OF THE NEW CEac roll's OPEN EVERY NIGHT UNTIL 11:30 SPECIAL! Between 8 & 9 p. m. Cup of Coffee 2nd Cup — 10£ 846-3663 coed backers, notably Barron, Moore and Haines. Most Bryan leaders also supported the new policy. Even T. L. Smith Jr., who had crusaded against coeducation and had spoken before the Board that morning, conceded that “We as good Aggies must follow the de cisions of constituted authority.” But a 1957 graduate, Bob Row land of Houston, promptly sur rendered his class ring in protest and vowed to continue the fight for an all-male school. THE STUDENT BODY, most of whom were away when the de cision was made public, were also unhappy. While feelings among civilian students were mixed, the Corps of Cadets was furious. More than 4,000 students booed President Earl Rudder Monday, April 29, when he told them there was no possibility of repealing the new policy. The meeting in G. Rollie White Coliseum was called by Corps leaders. Students chanted “We don’t want to integrate” and con tinually booed Rudder through out his talk. “The Board of Directors has absolute authority on this and other matters,” he said. “The U. S. Supreme Court has twice up held the board’s authority.” By noon of the next day 12 persons contacted the Registrar’s Office for information concern ing the admission of women for the fall term. Mrs. Lewis Haupt Jr., a Bryan school teacher, was the first woman to file for admission. Wife of a student from the class of 1927, she applied for admission to the Graduate School to study education. Even as her application was being processed Board President Evans agreed to meet with stu dent leaders Thursday, May 2. EVANS TOLD 400 students admission of coeds would not cause any danger to the future of the Corps. He also added that the Board did not think coeds would necessarily raise the stand ards of the school. “But the Board feels it is hand icapped in hiring professors,” he noted. “Many of the better pro fessors want a place for their wives and daughters to go to school.” Student Body President-elect Harlan Roberts presented Evans with a protest signed by 75 per cent of the members of the Corps. But Evans later said a student vote rejecting coeducation would not affect the Board ruling in the least. “You cannot run an institution such as A&M on the basis of stu dent polls,” he replied. SHAVED HEADS of a few freshmen were the only radical signs of the considerable stu dent opposition, but as the ten sion died on campus the Legisla ture rolled into action. Rep. Will Smith of Beaumont attempted to submit a resolution May 7 asking that the school re main all-male but was refused permission to introduce it for lack of a 4/5 vote. But a second resolution was later approved for introduction, and 500 Aggies plus other sup porters marched into the Capitol May 13 for a committee hearing on the resolution. It received subcommittee ap proval, was later endorsed by the full State Affairs Committee and sent to the floor for debate. And on May 17, over the vio lent objections of David Haines, the House passed by a 99-22 mar gin Smith’s resolution urging the A&M Board to reconsider its re cent action on coeducation. BUT SEN. BILL MOORE, who had pledged he would use every weapon available to block the bill, was successful in doing so in the Senate. He also rammed through a resolution commending the Board action. And in September, 1963, the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas started a new year with a new name — Texas A&M University — and 175 fe male students. (Next: 1965: Back to the Legislature.) m:'sm 1 FRANK J. BORISKIE Candidate For COUNTY CLERK BRAZOS COUNTY I Will Sincerely Appreciate Your Vote and Support. 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