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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (March 24, 1966)
Thursday, March 24, 1966 Former Student Group Serves College Well By KITT POHORELSKY Battalion Special Writer Who is responsible for the Memorial Student Center, the All Faiths Chapel, class reunions and the senior class barbecue? The Association of Former Students, that’s who. The Association of Former Students is a non-profit organi zation chartered by the State of Texas. It was organized as a unified force to serve Texas A&M and its students, and to maintain and nurture the lifelong friend ships made on the campus. All students who have enrolled in a regular course offered by the University and who have gradu ated or otherwise left school are automatically members of the Association, regardless of their length of study. At the present time, approxi mately 43,000 are members of the Association and about 1,200 new members are added to the rolls each year. They live in all states and in many foreign countries. They represent all age groups, religious, and political beliefs, and economic levels. THE ASSOCIATION has grown from a small organization cre ated in 1879 named “The Associ ation of Ex-Cadets'” through a series of reorganizations to its present stage of development. The Association Council is the top governing body of the group. It meets semiannually on the campus, usually in May and September. The Council is made up of senatorial representatives, at - large representatives, class agents, A&M Club representa tives, past presidents, Executive Board members and officers of the senior class and the president of the junior class. The Executive Board is elected by the Council to look after de tailed affairs of the Association’s program. It usually meets five times a year and constitutes officers, including the president, vice-president, secretary - treas urer, past president, six members, and district vice-presidents. The nerve center of this world wide organization, the head quarters office, is located on campus. A staff of three men including the Executive Secre tary, Assistant Secretary, editor of the Texas Aggie and seven ladies perform all record keeping, administrative, communications, and clerical functions of the or ganization. A MAJOR PART of the As sociation, the Development Fund, is the means thtrough which for mer students, through voluntary gifts, provide things for the Uni versity and its students which are needed yet cannot be pro vided from state funds. There are no dues for member ship, so members make a gift each year to the Development Fund. Donors receive the official Association publication, the Texas Aggie, which is published monthly. The first major accomplish ment of the fund was the initia tion of a fund for the construc tion of the Memorial Student Center. The establishment of the Opportunity Award Scholarship Program in 1946 was the first major scholarship program of its type undertaken in the South west. One hundred awards a year are provided from gifts of for mer students. Another achievement of the Development Fund is the All- Faiths Chapel given to the Uni versity by the Association. The Faculty Achievement Award Pro gram was begun in 1955 to honor, recognize and reward the class room teacher for outstanding service to the students. The Association also supported con struction of the campus swim ming pool. Texas A&M Clubs are a major part of the Association program. Of 180 clubs in operation, 130 are located in Texas, 40 in other states, and 10 in foreign coun tries. The clubs interpret the mission and purposes of A&M to the general citizenship of the city or county in which they operate. They also encourage students to enroll and provide information for summer jobs for students and for permanent jobs for graduates. FOOTBALL FILMS are made available to clubs through another Association program. Clubs may subscribe to all games or they may select as few as they desire for any season. Because of its character and time-honored traditions, Texas A&M has developed a strong class program in its student life. It follows naturally that this strong class affiliation should carry on after graduation even into the later years of its members. Usually, the officers of the class^elected in the senior year while on campus carry on as permanent officers. The class agents are elected by the general election in the spring before the class graduates. He remains in office for 10 years. The Class Reunion Program generally operates on a five-year plan, with the first reunion sched uled 10 years after graduation followed by a reunion every five years thereafter. Reunions are held in the fall—both on campus during football games and in other cities where the Aggies are playing. THE CLASSES which have been graduated from the Uni versity 50 years or more have formed the Sul Ross group with its own officers and bylaws. This group was originally made up of the classes graduated or in school when Lawrence Sullivan Ross was president of A&M from 1892-1902. In order to perpetuate the group, they elected to take in the fifty-year class each year as an honor class. The Sul Ross group holds a reunion annually on the campus, usually in May. The official publication of the Association of Former Students is the Texas Aggie, a monthly newspaper. Its purposes are to enrich and enlighten a construc tive interest in the University among former students. It is sent to all former students who con tinue to contribute to the De velopment Fund. STUDENT LOANS are avail able to aid students in obtaining education at A&M through the student loan fund of the Associa tion. The Aggie Club and the Fed eration of Texas A&M Mothers’ Clubs are other aspects of the Association. The Aggie Club is a nonprofit corporation chartered by the state of Texas. Its prin cipal purpose is to seek, encour age, and promote support for the athletic program. The Mothers’ Clubs contribute to the comfort and welfare of the students, and cooperate with the University faculty in main taining a high standard of moral conduct and intellectual attain ment. THE BATTALION College Station, Texas Page 7 Read Battalion Classifieds B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. Graduates at 77?Whelp man to... build computer highways to the moon R. J. GERBRACHT Ph.D. Physics ’65 California Institute of Technology advance scientific knowledge by chemiluminescent research and development JAMES L. DYER Ph.D. Chemical Engineering ’65 University of California at Los Angeles find the best paths to the outer planets THOMAS J. MUCHA Ph.D. Aeronautical Engineering ’65 Purdue University build nuclear power systems for deep space exploration KWAN-LOK SO M.S. Mechanical Engineering ’64 Massachusetts Institute of Technologv Discuss opportunities with members of TRW’s technical staff on campus MARCH 24th If you are receiving- your degree during 1966, we invite you to join this select group. At TRW you will work on major projects such as Pioneer interplanetary spacecraft, OGO satellites, Mars mis sion studies, Apollo/LEM descent engine, LEM inertial guidance system, underwater defense systems, communications satellites for military and commercial use, advanced ballistic missile studies, Vela nuclear detection satellites, advanced space probes, and Apollo mis sion planning and analysis. TRW will assist you in your career planning by encouraging you to continue your development through the many educational oppor tunities offered by major colleges and universities in the Los Angeles area. You may participate in TRW’s Development Programs as you assume greater responsibilities. Please make arrangements with your Placement Office for an inter view; or you may write College Relations at the address below. TRW is an equal opportunity employer, male and female. SYSTEMS Formerly TRW Space Technology Laboratories ONE SPACE PARK * REDONDO BEACH. CALIFORNIA SPRING CARNIVAL OF VALUES The Exchange Store Is Now Carrying Sport Coats Reg $21.95 to $22.95 NOW $14.95 to $16.95 VAN HEUSEN SHIRTS The Madras Look “shows off!” in the “417 V-Taper” Collection from Van Heusen. Younger by design. It’s all here. Everything you’d expect in a traditional “417” shirt. Classic long- point button down collar. Placket front. Back box pleat. V-Taper for a slimmer, trimmer fit. Luxurious all-cotton fabric. Yours in a wide variety of patterns and muted colors. Just $5.00. FROM $4.00 to $6.95 College Seal Gifts Vn Price • ASH TRAYS • GLASSES • CHARMS • BRACELETS • NECKLACES • TIE CLASPS 1 AGGIES Tailored for lightweight comfort TROPICAL WEIGHT . . . 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