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By Glenn Dromgoole
Student unrest: Part 8.
Texas A&M is crawling out of its shell.
The university’s administration, in its attempts to
establish “academic excellence” here, may be faced with
problems of student unrest as their goals are reached.
Elimination of a compulsory Corps of Cadets and an
ever-present swing toward full coeducation is likely to
enhance the school’s academic stature, but with it A&M
will come of age in areas of academic freedom, student de
mands and administration-faculty-student relations.
An ever-increasing percentage of civilian and graduate
students is likely to grow even larger as the anti-coed
feeling diminishes, and the Corps of Cadets will claim a
smaller percentage of A&M’s student body in its ranks.
These changes could likely destroy the small-college,
conservative atmosphere that has prevailed on the A&M
campus since the school opened its doors in 1876.
Administrative ability to pass all orders through Corps
channels is quickly vanishing, and the university’s military-
type policy of handling students will not hold water in a
predominantly civilian population.
Texas A&M has made an all-out effort to reverse sag
ging enrollment figures, with this year's 16 per cent in
crease the best in nearly 20 years. Elimination of the all
male, military atmosphere here, coupled with a broad GI
Bill, could bring additional thousands into A&M's folds.
Such a surge would open new areas for student protest
and administrative concern. Unless additional dormitories
are provided, students will have to turn to off-campus hous
ing, already prevalent at many bulging universities. Ad
ministrators would face the entirely new concept of con
trolling off-campus activities and liberalizing the present
strict off-campus housing policy.
Student government problems are likely to be multipiled.
No longer can the Student Senate operate on the philosophy:
“What the Corps wants, the students want.” Already out
numbered more than 2-1 by the civilian segment, cadets con
tinue to control nearly all student government on campus.
An attempt was made last spring by 1964-65 senate
president Frank Muller to reorganize all campus govern
ment. That attempt, unfortunately, died on the vine as
this year’s Senate failed to carry it through.
Student opinion about government^ b^re is negative.
Senators and Battalion staffers have deplored the general
apathy that exists between constituents and representatives.
Small voter turnouts have insured Corps victories: civilians
cannot be rallied around without issues as easily as the
Cadet Corps.
Campus government could be a significant influence in
determining student opinion and taking action in the stu
dents’ best interests. Right now it lacks any influence
and has very little prestige and respect among the students.
The fault doesn’t lie primarily with student apathy.
Government here has not given anyone real cause in recent
years to rush to the polls. About the only significant
action taken by the body this year has been reinstating
political clubs on campus. Vital current issues such as the
cancellation of Johnny Cash’s Bonfire Night appearance
have failed to receive unanimous consent necessary for
the Senate to take action on matters not on the agenda.
Civilians have inadequate government in the Civilian
Student Council, whose activity this year could be recorded
on a pin head. Representing about two-thirds of the A&M
enrollment, the council should be one of the strongest organ
izations on campus.
Consolidation of all student government, including the
Memorial Student Center Council (presently the only govern
ing body exercising any power), is necessary if students are
to have a voice in the administration of their university.
Besides unsatisfaction with student government, there
are other signs of student unrest here. The two most promin
ent during recent years occurred in the autums of 1964
and 1965. A demonstration for political clubs was held in
front of the Academic Building in October, 1964. Although
considered unsuccessful at the time, the rally reopened
an issue which eventually brought about campus acceptance
of Young Democrat and Young Republican organizations.
The second individual action which indicates the con
servative shell might be crumbling was the Students for
Johnny Cash organization which was formed after the Bon
fire show cancellation last November. The group brought
Cash to town for an off-campus performance, then took
the name Committee for Student Opinion. However, noth
ing has been heard from the group since the Bonfire per
formance.
Administration cancellation of Cash’s campus perform
ance because of narcotics smuggling charges resulted in a
policy change added to the university code, indicating the
prevailing conservatism:
“Guest speakers, lecturers and entertainers invited to
the campus shall be of good moral character, reputation and
of such calibre as to reflect credit upon Texas A&M Univer
sity, thereby contributing to our program of excellence at
every level of operation. In view of this, no speaker, lec
turer or performer shall be invited or allowed to appear at
Texas A&M who has criminal proceedings pending against
him.”
Of course, the most permanent issues of student con
cern and unrest here are coeducation and military training.
These, however, are gradually being dissolved by policy
changes from the Board of Directors.
The topic most likely to replace them is academic
freedom.
Already a hot campus topic throughout the nation,
this issue has been raised here by local members of the
American Association of University Professors. Tight
administrative reins upon action of professors and students
are questioned and deplored by the group. As the univer
sity grows away from its military control, students are
likely to begin resenting the grip, and counter with such
action as opinion forums (one of which is in the planning
stages for this spring), course critiques of professors and
more freedom for student organizations.
Press freedom could also be questioned. Although the
university has been, on the whole, lenient with student pub
lications, there has been a growing tendency to exercise
more control of the student writers.
These are among the problems and possible areas of
student unrest that face a changing Texas A&M. There
are more, such as campus impersonality, the mass exodus
of students on weekends, and outmoded University Rules
and Regulations and a possible trend toward speaker bans.
* * * *
This concludes an eight-part series on student unrest.
We have tried to gain a little insight as to why this unrest
exists, if it is beneficial or harmful, if it is as wide-sweep
ing as is claimed, what some effects might be and if Texas
A&M is affected.
Student unrest, we hope to have pointed out, is not a
bad word. It has been distorted by bearded beatniks, but
they compose a very small minority of the students who are
— in one degree or another — rebeling against society and
self.
The revolution is occurring where it rightly should: in
centers of learning and thought.
€bt Battalion
Volume 61 COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 1966 217 3
Fish Choose Sweetheart Saturday
CONNIE WHALEY
LINDA DEAN
Ring Spokesman
To Hear Gripes
Martin Hamilton of Hous
ton, representative of L. G.
Balfour Company, will dis
cuss complaints about recent
ly-delivered senior rings with
Texas A&M officials and
seniors.
He will be in Room 7 of the
Coke Building from 8 a.m.-
5 p.m.. Registrar H. L. Heat
on announced.
Dissatisfaction has been
voiced with rings delivered
this month. Based on mid
semester grades, 326 rings
were ordered in November.
New RE Program Flops;
16 Attend First Lecture
By ROBERT SOLOVEY
Battalion Staff Writer
Don’t believe all those stories
about Religious Emphasis Week
dying.
It’s dead.
Sixteen people witnessed the
final rites Thursday night.
Reagan V. Brown, speaker for
the first of a series of lectures,
attributed the poor turnout to an
increasing loss of values and a
decreasing interest in religious
emphasis.
The extension sociologist, who
has spoken in several states and
cities in Texas, who has degrees
from Texas A&M, who has built
million dollar businesses and aid
ed over 9000 communities to help
themselves—had hoped to inspire
his audience to do and to live
better—which he did.
Brown said religion is like
jujitsu, which gives a soldier an
advantage over his opponent.
People today are searching for
the answer of how to live, a
philosophy that will guide them
through a fast, changing world,
he noted.
honest motives and trust in heav
en and God.
Brown said it is a difficult
thing to think clearly in the face
of vast contradictions which on
one side say “look before you
leap,” and on the other side
say “those who hesitate are lost.”
Profs To Address
Ag Instructors
Two Texas A&M agriculturists
will speak to Area 7 high school
vocational agriculture teachers
next week in San Antonio and
Bastrop.
Price Hobgood, head of the De
partment of Agricultural Engi
neering, will talk Wednesday on
economical use of electric power.
Program time is 4 p.m. in San
Antonio’s East Central High
School.
The other speaker is Dr. James
B. Storey of the A&M Horticul
ture Section who will discuss
steps in developing a native
pecan grove. His talk is at 3:30
p.m. Thursday in Bastrop.
He noted friendship is one of
the most important values to
which man should cling. He re
lated the story of a soldier, who,
under heavy enemy fire, went to
help a wounded buddy, only to
have him die during the attempt.
When he returned to his own
lines a lieutenant asked him
whether or not he though his
actions were foolish. The soldier
replied it was worth it just to
get there in time to hear the
dying man say, “I knew you
would come.”
“Love a man not because he is
white or black, Catholic or Jew,
but because he is a human being,”
Brown said. The one who profits
most is the one who does the best
he can and the one who helps
others, he added.
He said today’s world needs
men who are productive, make
an effort, make the best day-to-
day choices and who value their
soul as well as their wealth.
“Don’t just profess Christianity,
practice it,” he admonished.
But only 16 people heard the
message.
Middle East Expert
Great Issues
F eatures Linde
The Great Issues Committee’s World Around Us Series
will present Richard Linde, noted lecturer and world traveler,
at 8 p. m. Tuesday in the Memorial Student Center Ballroom.
Linde’s program, “Middle East Tinderbox,” will com
bine a documentary color film with commentary upon the
historical background and political development of the Mid
dle East.
Linde describes the Middle East as “a highly inflam
mable area of incomparable beauty, timeless treasures, vil
lages of historical antiquity ^—
and cities as modem as
tomorrow. It is a molten
land where tempers and
temperatures spar. It is the
crossroads of the world, birth
place of western civilization,
cradle of three great religions
and a land of Arab color and
contemporary vigor.”
The film program will present
glimpses of Egypt, Lebanon,
Syria, Jordan, Israel and Turkey.
Admission for students with
activity cards will be 50 cents
while cost to the general public
will be $1. Students and faculty
wives, public school students and
University students without activ
ity cards will be charged 75
cents.
Linde, who served with the U.S.
submarine fleet in the Pacific
and later in China during World
War II, has received degrees from
Drew University and Asbury Col
lege and a graduate degree from
Harvard Business School.
He has received an award for
meritorious service from the Ar
my-Navy Commission on Chap
lains and the Distinguished Serv
ice Award from the United States
Election Set Tuesday
An election to fill five vacated
positions on the Student Senate
is scheduled for 8 a. m. - 5 p. m.
Tuesday in the Memorial Student
Center, Election Commission Har
ris Pappas has announced.
Committee for the United Na
tions.
Linde is listed in Who’s Who
in the East, Who’s Who in the
Midwest and the Dictionary of
International Biograhphy. He
has also written several maga
zine articles.
He has traveled throughout
Europe, the Middle East, Russia
and the Orient.
Sophomore Ball
Slated March 12
The Jades will provide music
for the 1966 Sophomore Ball,
scheduled from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m.
March 12 in Sbisa Hall.
The ball will be patterned aft- *
er the Combat Ball, with uniform
for military students, fatigues
and combat boots. Civilians will
wear sport shirt and slacks.
Selection of the Sophomore
Sweetheart will highlight the
dance. She will be chosen from
seven finalists who will be named
next week.
Sophomores desiring to enter
girls in competition for Sopho
more Sweetheart should turn in
a 3x5 or larger picture to the
Student Programs Office in the
Memorial Student Center before
March 4.
Tickets on sale at the Student
Programs Office cost $3.50 per
couple.
He said that through his ex
perience of fighting and dying
alongside many men he has
learned “life is so important that
people will cling to it with the
last fiber of their ability.”
He said if he were asked how
a man could become success in
his field, he would only have to
remember four things: to think
without confusion clearly, love
one’s fellow man, act from truly
Physicist Sees
Short Work Week
Men of the future may go to
work at 8 a.m. Monday and quit
an hour later for the weekend,
a thermonuclear physicist told a
physics colloquium Thursday.
J. E. Hammel of the Los Alamos
Scientific Laboratory. New Mexi
co, spoke at a weekly depart
mental meeting.
"Tremendous masses of energy
may be released from thermo
nuclear materials,” Hammel said.
Such energy is on the other end
of the mass spectrum from the
atomic bomb, and may be more
rigidly controlled.
With practically unlimited
sources of such energy avail
able, man will only have to start
machines going, then twiddle a
few knobs and check meters to
keep forces in line, he added.
History Of Coeducation 8
x*
| The Future: An Analysis
By TOMMY DeFRANK
Battalion Managing Editor
(Editor’s Note: Today’s in
stallment concludes the history
of coeducation at Texas A&M.)
Most recent additions to the
long trail of past coeducation
difficulties intermingled in the
development of Texas A&M
seem to indicate the final chap
ters in the long and bitter feud
are not far from being written.
The 1963 Board decision estab
lishing limited coeducation has
since been expanded with the in
jection of a new consideration:
federal legislation prohibiting
discrimination.
Last summer a Fort Worth
newsman discovered the Board
of Directors had requested Texas
Attorney General Waggoner Carr
to detennine if federal statutes
on discrimination clashed with
the existing coeducation policy.
Board President H. C Helden-
fels said the matter had arisen
because some Board members
feared the school might lose mil
lions of dollars in federal grants
if the enrollment policy were
ruled unconstitutional.
Carr ruled Oct. 15 that the
limited coeducation policy was
discriminatory.
“There is a serious legal ques
tion as to whether, in a trial in
court, we could successfully de
fend an attack upon the present
classification established by the
Board of Directors for admission
of female students as being a
reasonable classification,” Carr
said.
Heldenfels immediately ap
pointed a four-man committee to
study the problem and deliver a
report at the Nov. 24 Board meet
ing.
No report on the matter was
made public after that meeting,
but five days later a Dallas news
paperwoman charged the Board
had secretly agreed to adopt a
policy of unlimited coeducation in
the near future.
But while vehemently denying
the accusation, Heldenfels re
vealed to another reporter that
the Board had given A&M Presi
dent Earl Rudder authority to
personally scrutinize female ap
plications for admission and use
his discretion in determining if
they should be allowed to enroll.
Since that time a number of
women ineligible under the 1963
policy have applied for admission
and been accepted, although the
Registrar’s Office has not re
leased any figures.
So with another breakthrough
of the all-male status that has
been prevalent for most of the
college’s 90 years, it appears
complete coeducation is but a
matter of time.
Although attempts supporting
both coeducation and the all-male
status have been carried through
the state’s judicial and legisla
tive bodies, the ultimate authori
ty for the final decision rests
with the executive branch — the
A&M Board.
The Supreme Court of the
United States has twice upheld
the right of the Board to sole
authority in the matter, a privi
lege reemphasized by Waggoner
Carr in his October ruling.
And the increasing support for
coeducation from all areas of the
A&M campus in the past 15 years
also seems to have permeated
the Board.
Champion of the all-male p&ii-:
tion is Board President Helden
fels, who has said publicly he
opposes any change from the
limited coeducation setup but
privately has professed an in
tense desire for A&M to remain
free of women.
Heldenfels can count on two
backers at most, with the remain
ing six members favoring coedu
cation in some form.
Complete coeducation forces
»re led by Sterling Evans, presi
dent when the limited coed policy
was approved in 1963.
Carr ruled the Board can either
return the school to a male-only
status or effect complete coedu
cation, and it seems doubtful the
Board will choose to ban women
when they have been attending
classes regularly for two years.
If the Board selects the full
coed route it will be damned by
thousands of former students
who still clamor for the “old”
A&M, but such a move would
raise few eyebrows as it once
would have.
The back of the all-male A&M
has been broken in the last few
and injury is likely
SKEaaent.