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Che Battalion
Volume 61
COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS TUESDAY, MAY 3, 1966
Number 307
AAUP Objective:
To Insure True
Campus Freedom
By PAT PRITCHETT
Battalion Special Writer
Two Texas colleges — Texas Tech and Sam Houston State —
are presently blacklisted by the American Association of University
Professors because of violations of academic freedom.
The Texas Tech censuring nine years ago resulted from the
board’s firing of three tenured professors without stated reasons.
Sam Houston was censured for the same reason when Dr. Rupert
Koeninger, head of the Department of Sociology for 15 years, was
fired.
What is the AAUP ? What does the censuring do ? And
what is the academic freedom that was being violated ?
“It is not a labor union, but a professional group that has
taken the position that faculty members of colleges and univer
sities have professional rights and responsibilities toward the in
stitutions and also themselves,” said Dr. John Treacy, economics
professor.
THE AAUP has also tried to improve the economic status of the
profession and surveys almost 1,000 schools with regards to salary
and salary structure.
But the primary concern of the AAUP is in the area of
academic freedom.
“It believes that faculty members should be allowed to explore
any avenue and to speak out on what they consider to be the
truth, either in class or as a result of research findings,” Treacy
said in explaining the principle of academic freedom.
TENURE, or job security, is advocated by the AAUP, and
seven years is the accepted maximum for a trial period.
Texas A&M does not have tenure for faculty members.
The AAUP has a statement of principles by which the faculty
relations with any institution are judged.
“These principles are that all faculty members are to be
granted tenure, and that seven years is the maximum trial period
accepted by the AAUP,” Treacy explained.
“After this time they can only be removed by cause and due
procedure. A man is given a statement informing him of the
charges, and he has the right to counsel and the right to question
his accusers,” he continued.
One of the most publicized cases concerning tenure was at
Trouble over academic freedom in Texas has been mainly
centered around outside political activities of teachers. Both the
professors at Tech and at Sam Houston were apparently fired be
cause of their outside political activities.
“THE AAUP thinks a professor does not surrender his per
sonal citizenship just because he is a teacher,” Treacy said. “Part
of the problem in most Texas schools is that they view intellectuals
with a great deal of mistrust.”
The conservative J. Evetts Haley, who once offered a motion
deploring the “dishonest cloak of academic freedom” was a board
member at Tech when the faculty members were dismissed.
The censure is specifically against the Tech board and not the
administration, and the board has largely ignored it. In contrast, Dr.
Arleigh Templeton, president at Sam Houston, is anxious to have
that school removed from censure.
The only way this removal can be done is by rehiring of fired
professors or by retroactive pay. As a state school cannot do
the latter, professors must be rehired.
A censure hurts a school primarily because members of the
AAUP will not join a faculty at a censured school, Treacy noted.
There is no definite report of how many teachers have declined
to take positions at Tech because of the censure.
LOYALTY oaths required of faculty members at state schools
are opposed by the AAUP on the basis that they are ineffective and
meaningless.
Dr. W. J. Kilgore, president of the AAUP’s Texas State Con
ference, said the group’s attitude does not mean members are com
munist sympathizers, but rather refers to the principle that a case
is to be measured on the basis of free public discussion of ideas.
The A&M chapter of the AAUP is one of 900 in the country,
but it has a rather small enrollment of 130.
“There are changes at A&M, and more are coming. Part of
the problem in the past was that there was too much tenure,”
Treacy said, referring to an unofficial tenure.
GOVERNOR JOHN CONNALLY’s coordinating board for higher
education is expected to do much to influence the practice of
academic freedom in Texas.
One statute of the bill creating this board orders the board
to “develop and recommend minimum standards for academic freedom,
academic tenure and responsibility” to regents at state schools.
The state chapter of the AAUP favors this, in hopes that it
will help the principles of academic freedom.
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Haskell Woman Named
1966 Mother Of Year
MRS. GENE OVERTON
. Aggie mother of the year.
Grant
Space
A $150,000 supplemental NASA
grant for an inter - disciplinary
space oriented research program
has been announced by A&M
President Earl Rudder.
Rudder said the grant is to sup
port a broad integrated program
of space-related scientific and en
gineering basic resources activi
ties.
Harry E. Whitmore, A&M
Space Technology head, said the
grant is a $50,000 increase over
last year. A&M received $50,000
in 1964, when the program was
launched by the Engineering Ex
periment Station.
Largest single award is $50,-
000 to Dr. Richard E. Wainerdi to
continue studies in remote activa
tion analysis. The “Moon Bug” is
designed to analyze the surface of
the Moon or Mars.
Other awards vary from $2,000
up, Whitmore said. All are for
one year.
Individual projects and princi
pal investigators include:
Contract Renews
Activation Study
Activation analysis research at
Texas A&M will be continued
under a $198,711 contract signed
with the U. S. Air Force.
Dr. Richard E. Weinerdi and
Dr. W. W. Meinke are principal
investigators for the study.
Wainerdi is director of the
Activation Analysis Research
Laboratory. Meinke heads the
Chemurgic Research Lab.
The new grant extends work
begun last year to explore meth
ods to determine the composition
of materials by radioactivity.
To Boost
Research
“Gas Dynamic Studies in an
Arc - Driven Shock Tube,” Dr.
Richard E. Thomas.
“Fracture Mechanics of Visco
elastic Composite Materials,” Dr.
William B. Ledbetter.
“Aerodynamics of Hyperveloci
ty Vehicles,” Charles A. Roden-
berger.
“Studies in Low Altitude Flight
Mechanics,” Dr. Richard E.
Thomas.
“The Effect of Porosity on
Shearing Resistance and Thermal
Conductivity for Amorphous Soils
in Vacuum,” Spencer J. Buchan
an.
“Radial Heat Transfer from a
Plasma Stream,” Dr. P. T. Eu
bank.
“Digital Computer Solution of
Two Dimensional Plane Stress
Problems,” Dr. J. George H.
Thompson.
“Search for Anistropies in Cos
mic Ray Muon Intensities at High
Energies,” Dr. N. M. Duller.
“Rheological Properties of Sol
id Rocket Propellant Slurries,”
Dr. P. T. Eubank.
“Studies on Magnetic Proper
ties of Defects in Alkali Halides,”
Dr. Charles F. Squire.
“Conductive Sheet Electrical
Analogy Procedure for Determin
ing Stress Trajectories,” Dr. J.
George H. Thompson.
Research is being conducted on
the A&M campus and at the Re
search Annex west of Bryan. Part
of Buchanan’s research is being
done in NASA’s vacuum cham
bers at the Manned Spacecraft
Center near Houston.
First Bank & Trust now pays
4%% per annum on savings cer
tificates. —Adv.
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By JOHN FULLER
Mrs. Gene Overton of Haskell
has been named Aggie Mother of
the year for 1966, Student Life
Committee Chairman Dick
Franklin has announced.
Mrs. Overton will be recogniz
ed Sunday during Parents Day
ceremonies at Kyle Field.
The Student Life Committee
made the decision on the basis of
a picture and a nominating letter
written by her son, Michael
Overton, a senior on First Bat
talion staff.
The letter gives a biography of
Mrs. Overton, describing in par
ticular her many activities in the
community. She is a substitute
teacher in the Paint Creek School
and Haskell School Systems, Tu
berculosis Community Drive
chairman, school census worker,
newswriter for the Haskell Free
Press and president of the Has
kell Pink Ladies, a hospital aux
iliary group.
In addition, Overton said, she
has served as a Den Mother and
Scoutmaster’s wife with the Boy
Scouts of America, is a leader in
her church’s musical activities, a
member of the Church Board and
a Sunday School teacher, presi
dent of the Haskell Garden Club
and chairman of the March of
Dimes drive.
“Ever since I first learned that
one did not have to have ever at
tended A&M University to be
come an Aggie, I have known
that my mother is an Aggie,”
writes Overton.
“She was born into an Aggie
family on January 27, 1913, mar
ried an Aggie in 1936 and has
raised three Aggie sons,” he goes
on. “Her father, a member of
the class of 1911, was the first
Aggie in her life although he
never received his degree from
the college. As you recall, his
was the class that protested the
dismissal of 22 Aggies and boy
cotted the college.”
Her husband, who took his de
gree in agronomy, is a farmer
and rancher. The Overtons’ twin
sons, William and Wallar, enter
ed A&M in 1957. William later
graduated from North Texas
State University with honors,
and Wallar graduated from A&M
as a second lieutenant.
“Today, we can boast that our
family has had an Aggie in the
Corps for the past eight years,”
Overton remarked, “and Mother
never fails to attend home foot
ball games and major reviews to
keep up with their programs.
“She must have been the typi
cal Tessie,” Overton went on,
“because she wrote her Aggie
box number each year and al
though she never met any of
these Aggies, she can still recall
their names.’
Mrs. Overton worked her way
through two years of college be
fore she began her teaching ca
reer in the elementary school at
Paint Creek. She continued her
education in the summer months
and graduated in 1936. That
September she married Gene
Overton. In 1939 the twins were
born.
Overton’s letter also tells about
the family’s years on the farm
during the Depression. His fa
ther, a reserve infantry officer,
was called to active duty in 1942,
and Overton wrote that “Mother
spent the next four years tending
the twins, following Dad when
ever she possibly could, and try
ing to keep the home fires burn
ing.”
After the war, the family was
reunited at the rock house which
Mr. Overton had built shortly
after their marriage. They have
remained at Haskell ever since.
“We are . . . very selfish with
her,” Overton’s letter ends, “but
we do know that Mother has al
ways admired and loved the A&M
Corps of Cadets. As a result of
this love for you, we are proud
to share our Mom with the Corps
as their Mother of the Year be
cause, as you can see, you are
already her Sons of the Year.”
Franklin, commenting on the
committee’s choice, said they
were particularly impressed by
“the fact that she has done so
much for her sons and has been
so active.”
“I feel that Mrs. Overton is a
very deserving person, and I
don’t think we could have made a
better choice,” he said.
Comical Crisis Confronted
By Felon-Foilers In Follies
ZAM!! POW!! ZOWIE!!
A national crisis confronts us,
Aggies.
The evil One-Eyed Jack, alias
R. A. Palmgranite, and Ima
Godiva have gotten Rapunzell
von Sweetcherry and Gladiola
Flower in their evil clutches!
ZOUNDS! !
Is there no one in Groad’em
City who can rescue these fair
damsels in distress?
It’s definitely a job for that
reporter-about-town, Clyde Homer
Grape, alias the 12th Fairy, and
his super sidekick, Marion Straw
berry, alias Marvel Boy!!
But can they arrive in time?
Or will they themselves fall into
the hands of the evil One-Eyed
Jack??
For the cheap price of $1 you
can see for yourself this Thurs
day, Friday or Saturday night in
Guion Hall as the Aggie Follies
present “Winners and Losers,” or:
“How The 12th Fairy and Maiwel
Boy Foiled the Evil One-Eyed
Jack and Rescued the Fair
Rapunzell von Sweetcherry of
Groad’em City!!”
Penned and directed by A&M
students Kirk Stewart and Cyn
thia Smith, this melodrama of
America’s dynamic duo stars Bud
Franks, Randy Davis, Roger
Williams, Jean Reyna, Frances
Flynn and Jan Gannaway.
Ably assisting this sinking sex
tet are Lin Fisk, Marie Cook, Tim
E. Lane, Shirley Whatley, John
Gannaway and Kathie Wolcott.
Tessies To Give
Last Manners Talk
Speaking on “Romance to Mar
riage,” Tessies will present the
last of their “Man Your Manners”
programs tomorrow night at 7:30
p.m. in the YMCA.
Aggies can find out the proper
steps to take before the marriage
ceremony from the No! 3 panel:
seniors Judy Jones, 1966 SCSA
president, and Whitney Vickers,
Combat Cutie and Cotton Ball
Queen finalist; and sophomores
Pat Bone, class officer, and Pat
Harris, 1966 Aggie Sweetheart
finalist.
The four Tessies will discuss
factors pertaining to the engage
ment—how long, conference with
father and broken engagement.
In addition, they will speak on
the formal vs. the civil wedding,
emphasizing the responsibility of
the bride and groom and whether
there should be a reception after
the ceremony.
NASA Recovery Director
To Address Sigma Xi Fete
The chief of the Recovery
Operations Branch of NASA’s
Manned Spacecraft Center in
Houston will be the main speaker
Wednesday at the Initiation and
Awards Banquet of the Texas
Battalion and wing commanders for 1966-67 were announced Monday
by Col. D. L. Baker, Corps Commandant. Army commanders from left
are John L. Willingham, First Battalion; Melvin W. Cockrell, Second Bat
talion; C. Mark Berry Jr., Third Battalion, and Forbes L. Wallace Jr.,
NEW BATTALION, WING COMMANDERS ANNOUNCED
Fourth Battalion. At right are Air Force commanders Michael M.
Tower, First Wing; William C. Haseloff, Second Wing, and Gene N. Pat
ton, Third Wing.
A&M chapter of the Society of
the Sigma Xi.
He is Dr. Donald E. Stullken,
who has participated in all recov
eries to date of manned space
flight operations including Pro
ject Mercury and the Gemini and
Apollo programs.
The speaker will discuss “Man
ned Space Flight Recovery Oper
ation,” a topic which he will sup
plement with a color sound moive
of the most recent GT-8 flight or
the previous GT-7/6 flight. Pro
gram activities begin at 6:30 p.m.
in the Memorial Student Center
Ballroom.
Dr. Carl Vanderzant of the
Department of Animal Science,,
program chairman and chapter
vice president, said Sigma Xi is
an honor society for researchers
which encourages original investi
gation in the pure and applied sci
ences.
He said Sigma Xi Graduate
Awards will go to two A&M re
searchers, to be announced at the
ceremony. Also, 13 persons will
be advanced from associate mem
ber to full member status, 15 new
members will be initiated and 55
will advance to new associate
member status.
Dr. George M. Krise of the
Department of Biology, chapter
president, will conduct the initia
tion and award ceremonies. About
400 persons are expected to
attend.
Stullken was born in Illinois in
1920 and was graduated with
a BA degree in 1941 from DePauw
University. His master’s and
doctorate in physiology came in
1942 and 1950 at Purdue Univer
sity.
From 1954-62, the scientist was
aviation physiologist with the
U. S. Naval School of Aviation
Medicine at Pensacola, Fla. He
was responsible for all aviation
physiology, survival, escape and
evasion and physical fitness
training. He has been NASA’s
Recovery Operations Branch chief
since 1962.
Stullken was a member of the
team that developed the biocap
sule for first animal ballistic
space flights in 1958 and 1959;
participated in design and de
velopment of life suppoi't systems,
animal restraint, monkey train
ing and recovery procedures; and
recovered “Able” and “Baker”
monkeys from the nose cone of
the Jupiter rocket in May, 1959.
He helped develop medical re
quirements of the Project Mer
cury recovery program in 1959-60.
As a result of this study, he con
ceived and developed the auxilli-
ary flotation collar for Project
Mercury spacecraft. The techni
que was adopted by NASA and
is still the basic recovery proce
dure of all manned space flight
missions.
Reservations Open
For Civilian Rooms
Rooms in civilian dormitories
are being reserved on a first-
come, first-served ba^is, accord
ing to housing manager Allan
Madeley.
Army Corps units should re
port this week to Room 108 of
the Military Science Building.
Students desiring a dormitory
room for the fall semester are
urged to reserve rooms as soon
as possible.