THE BATTALION
Page 2 College Station, Texas Tuesday, March 14, 1967
D eFrank’s Grudge
Hurts Only Aggies
There are some people who just simply refuse to
accept the facts of life.
Ever since Tommy DeFrank was fired as editor of the
Battalion last October he has been running - Texas A&M
into the ground at every opportunity.
His caustic statements have not only hurt the Jour
nalism Department at Texas A&M, an innocent bystander
since the department has no jurisdiction over student
publications, but they have hurt the University and the
student body as well.
DeFrank has let his personal grudge against the ad
ministration interfere with logical thinking. He is an
excellent student academically and has won many awards
in the field of Journalism, but his actions ever since his
dismissal by the publications board have at the least been
irresponsible and vengeful.
DeFrank fails to understand that every time he knocks
Texas A&M, he is only hurting the prestige of the school
and lessening the value of his diploma, for himself and
for those who go to school here. He calls himself an
Aggie, yet he stands ready to deliberately tear down our
school. He has presented his one-sided case before groups
in Houston, Pittsburgh, Fort Worth, and Huntsville. Until
now, no one has challenged his constant and persistent
flow of degrading remarks about Texas A&M.
DeFrank claims that he was censored by the adminis
tration. The one thing he fails to bring up is that it was
not a student newspaper that was censored, but rather it
it was a small clique of six people — six people who did not
have the support of the student body or the majority of
journalism students in DeFrank’s manner of running the
Battalion.
For a period of several years, there had been a self
perpetuating clique — a dynasty — in control of the Bat
talion. The clique made sure that only people to its liking
worked on the Battalion. It also made sure that one of its
members was named editor the following year. The clique
of which DeFrank was a member excluded any student who
showed more potential than members of the clique.
Last year, the Battalion clique caused two freshmen
journalism scholarships winners to resign from school.
They were Larry Upshaw and Joe Lemming. One went
to the University of Texas and the other to North Texas
State. They both stated, and their reasons are on file
in the Journalism Department, that they were resigning
because the Battalion clique had excluded them from work
ing on the “student” newspaper. They felt that it was
essential for a journalism student to be allowed to work
on a student publication.
The present Battalion staff has 12 people, more than
any other Battalion staff in the last three years, and gladly
welcomes anyone who has a newsworthy contribution.
In short, we believe that the firing of Tommy DeFrank
was necessary in order to end the self-perpetuating dynasty.
It was a group which spoke only for itself and which did
not have the best interests of the school and of the student
body at heart. Their dismissal has opened new avenues
of experience for A&M journalists and has helped to
strengthen the unity and harmony of the student body.
* * * *
CADET SLOUCH
by Jim Earle
/y*
“I stepped that off! You threw that golf cart far enough
to break Randy’s shotput record but I don’t think it’ll
count, because it weighs more than a regulation shot!”
Ex-Editor DeFrank
A&M Could Be A
Ed—The following article is
taken from the Feb. 24 issue of
“The Houstonian," student news
paper of Sam Houston State Col
lege. It reports on a speech made
there by Aggie senior Tommy
DeFrank. It is only one of the
many speeches given by DeFrank
since being fired as Battalion
editor that, while containing
many obvious errors, has done
much harm to our school, our
student newspaper, our journal
ism department and our student
body.
By BOB GILMORE
Houstonian Staff Writer
“If someone at Texas A&M
doesn’t wake up, they’re going to
have another Berkeley on their
hands,” Tommy DeFrank, an
A&M senior who was fired as
editor of the student newspaper
last fall, told the Sam Houston
Forum Tuesday night.
“General Rudder (Maj. Gen.
Earl Rudder, president of Texas
A&M) seems to think the whole
world is one, big infantry divi
sion and he’s the commander,”
DeFrank said.
because I violated any ethics of
journalism. I got fired because
I crossed Earl Rudder.”
DeFrank was dismissed along
with two other student editors
Oct. 10 after an editorial hassle
with A&M Student Publications
Board Chairman Jim Lindsey.
Lindsey refused to allow the
publication of a story concerning
progress in organizing political
clubs on campus in the A&M
newspaper. The Battalion, De-
Frank said.
When DeFrank protested, he
was demoted from editor to stu
dent editor and Lindsey assumed
the editor’s title. On Oct. 10, the
Student Publications Board voted
to fire DeFrank and two other
Battalion editors, touching off a
storm in Texas and national
newspaper circles.
“A good journalist has got to
be allowed to think for himself,”
DeFrank said. “My firing was
not to punish me, but to get me
out of his (Rudder’s) hair.”
After his dismissal, DeFrank
prepared “a detailed study” of
Sound Off
Editor
“Battalion”
Texas A&M University
Dear Sir:
Tuesday morning I looked up
at Old Glory soaring and snap
ping in a very fine spring breeze.
Indeed, she looked old. . She
looked as if she might have been
in another battle at Old Fort Hen
ry. The outer edge of the flag
of our country was ripped and tat
tered and frayed. The bottom
red stripe was snapping in a com
pletely different cadence to the
other stripes, owing to its’ al
most complete separation from
them. The center white stripe
had a very obvious, large, gaping
hole in it. . . . Perhaps it was
caused by a stray RV bullet? The
present flag in the Sbisa area
should be exchanged for a new
one, or at least one in better con
dition.
We owe it to the Corps and
Non-Regs — to A&M, and to our
Country. Surely one could not
think otherwise.
Thank you. I remain
Sincerely yours,
Robert S. Logan
Walton 1-16
Claims
Berkeley
freedom of the press in more
than 80 daily college newspapers.
The editors and advisors of each
newspaper were questioned as to
policy and possible interference
by university administrators.
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A list of 15 controversial edi
torials was presented to each
paper with DeFrank specifically
asking how many could not be
run because of editorial policy.
Texas A&M’s Battalion report
ed it would not run 14 of the edi
torials.
“The Battalion is not a news
paper,” DeFrank said. “It’s a
publicity sheet for the college.”
DeFrank told the Forum mem
bers that Gen. Rudder refuses to
“take ’no’ for an answer.”
There is no protest, he said,
because the majority of the uni
versity’s personnel is military or
formerly military.
As civilian enrollment increas
es, however, dissatisfaction will
increase, he said. “When protest
increases, and it is increasing,
A&M could become another
Berkeley.
IN ©©[UML PHOENIX-
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THE ENGINEERING TRAINING PROGRAM ° r h
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We feel that DeFrank and every school in the South
west Journalism Congress which voted for the unjustifi
able censure of Texas A&M University owes the A&M
student body,as well as this staff, a written apology.
“He’s unpopular with the stu
dents, he’s unpopular with the
faculty and he’s unpopular with
the townspeople. I didn’t get fired
THE BATTALION
Opinions expressed in The Battalion
are those of the student writers only. The
Battalion is a non tax-supported non
profit, self-supporting educational enter
prise edited and operated by students as
a university and community newspaper.
The Associated Press is entitled exclusivelr to the use tom
republieation of all news dispatches credited to it or not
otherwise credited in the paper and local news of spontaneous
origin published herein. Rights of republication of all other
matter herein are also reserved.
Second-Class postage paid at College Station, Texas.
News contributions may be made by telephoning 846-6618
or 846-4910 or at the editorial office. Room 4, YMCA Building.
For advertising or delivery call 846-6416.
Members of the Student Publications Board are: Jim
Lindsey, chairman ; Dr. David Bowers, College of Liberal
Arts ; John D. Cochrane, College of Geosciences; Dr. Frank
A McDonald. College of Science; Charles A. Rodenberger,
College of Engineering; Dr. Robert S. Titus, College of Vet
erinary Medicine ; and Dr. Page W. Morgan, College of Agricul
ture.
student newspaper at Texas A&M Is
Station, Texas daily except Saturda
The Battalion, a
published in Collegi
Sunday, and Monday, and holiday periods, Sep
May, and once a week during summer school.
on, Texas daily except Saturday,
nd holiday periods, September through
MEMBER
The Associated Press, Texas Press Association
Represented nationally by National Educational Advertising
Services, Inc., New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles and San
Francisco.
Mail subscriptions are 83.60 per semester; 86 per school
year; $6.50 per full year. All subscriptions subject to 2%
sales tax. Advertising rate furnished on request. Address:
The Battalion, Room 4, YMCA Building, College Station, Texas
77843.
Publisher
Editor
Managing Editor
News Editor
Reporters
Sports Editor
Sports Writer
Staff Photographer
Texas A&M University
Winston Green Jr.
Lee Moreno
Bob Borders
Pat Hill, Bill Aldrich, Randy
Plummer, Bob Galbraith
Gary Sherer
Jerry Grisham
Russell Autrey
MSC Committee Sponsors Benefit
The Memorial Student Center
Travel Committee is sponsoring a
benefit presentation of “We’ve
Never Been Licked” in Guion Hall
Friday night, at 7:30.
This film depicts life at A&M
during the days of the real ‘Old
Army.’
Proceeds will go to the Travel
Committee’s Overseas Scholar
ship and Loan Program which is
open to all A&M students.
If you are unavailable for an interview at this
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Motorola Inc., Semiconductor Products Division,
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