A Backward Glance At A Summer
| Back-to-School Edition |
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The Battalion
Of Change
| Section Two |
COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 1969
Following Cooper’s Resignation
Perry Named Director
Of Civilian Activities
Howard Perry was named civilian
student activities director Sept. 1,
heading a series of personnel
changes due to the resignation of
Edwin H. Cooper.
Dean of Students James P.
Hannigan announced Perry will
succeed Cooper and Eugene C.
Oates, student affairs counselor,
will become residence halls pro
gram advisor. Perry is the cur
rent advisor.
Cooper had been civilian stu
dent activities director since the
post was created in 1967. He was
formerly assistant to President
Earl Rudder for four years and
earlier was wildlife conservation
specialist of the Texas Agricul
tural Extension Service.
His resignation became effec
tive Aug. 31. The 1953 A&M grad
uate said he was resigning to
enter a local business enterprise
with Kelly Broach.
Cooper said his family will re
main here and he hopes to main
tain a close relationship with the
university.
“Ed has accomplished wonders
through the civilian student ac
tivities program s,” Hannigan
said. “We are very appreciative
of his work and accomplishments
and wish him the best."
The dean noted that personnel
changes will not affect civilian
student programs, including the
residence halls program which
will expand to include seven halls
during 1969-70.
Four other appointments are
also involved in the realignment,
not including the recent appoint
ment of Don Stafford as associate
dean, replacing the retiring Ben
nie A. Zinn. Residence halls coun
selors Robert Chapman and Kirby
Blevins will be joined by Jack
Thomas, Don Williams and Larry
Rice. Rice previously was civilian
counselor to the Corps of Cadets.
Corps counselors J. Malon
Southerland and Mike Bozardt
will be joined by Larry Pollock.
Hannigan noted both Perry and
Oates were in on the Student-
staff conference at Lake Buch
anan where the residence halls
program was born.
“They played significant roles
in its development, to the point
we feel we’re on the right track,”
the dean said. “We expect to
see within a year 100 per cent
participation in the program.”
A 1944 A&M graduate who has
been on the university staff nine
years, Perry will have responsi
bility for overall activities of
more than 9,000 civilian students.
He noted halls other than the
three in the pilot program last
year have already begun adopt
ing some of its elements.
Perry said about 1,500 civilian
students will be directly involved
this year.
He praised the concept as the
main factor behind “a terrific
change among A&M civilian stu
dents during the last two years.
It is building cohesiveness within
all civilian student elements. The
change is apparent in attitudes
and interest in student govern
ment, activities and traditions.”
Oates, a Trinity native who
came to A&M in 1964 following
23 years Army service, indicated
that the residence halls program
strives for balanced academic
achievement and extra-curricular
activities involvement.
“Scholastically, all 17 halls were
above average last year,” the 1941
A&M graduate observed. “Halls
in the program were even higher
scholastically and, from this, some
good competition developed.”
He noted two innovations are
due this year. On Friday before
the start of fall semester classes,
residence hall councils will con
duct freshman “ice breakers” at
which new civilian students will
have opportunity to get ac
quainted.
Distinctive wearing apparel de
noting hall membership also is in
the mill, Oates added.
Perry and Oates have offices
on the first floor of the renovated
YMCA.
Mills Sprints 440
For World Mark
EDWIN COOPER
“Keep the faith, baby!”
That’s what everyone in the
sports world should have done
that June afternoon when Texas
A&M’s supreme sophomore Curtis
Mills defeated the toughest NC
AA track competition imaginable.
It was like a fairy tale come
true as the former Lufkin Dunbar
schoolboy track star broke the
existing world’s record in the 440
yard dash with a 44.7 and whip
ping Olympic champion Lee Evans
in the process. Evans was quoted
as saying that he had never even
heard of Mills until he won his
semi-final heat Friday.
The only one to keep his “cool”
throughout the whole meet was
Mills himself. He had expressed
supreme confidence even before
he scorched the University of
Tennessee Tartan Turf.
He predicted to several Texas
writers that he would beat both
Evans, who was clocked in 45.2,
and highly regarded Larry James
of Villanova, who eventually fin
ished fifth.
“There’s no pressure on me.
I’m in a better position than they
are. You wait and see. My name
will be in the headlines tomor
row,” he said. And sure enough
they were.
“It’s still hard for me to be
lieve what has happened,” Mills
said right after the race. “Coach
(Charlie) Thomas grabbed me and
was hollering, ‘look at the clock!’
“I saw the 44.7 but I was so
happy that I won that I didn’t
think about a world record. Then
it hit me . . . what a feeling it
was.”
Running by far his best race
of the year, Mills coasted into
the final 100 yards expecting to
finish “either third or fourth.”
But he felt so good coming out
of the last turn that he decided
to go ahead and try to win it.
Still eligible to run the remain
ing summer months in the Na
tional AAU championships in
Miami and perhaps ear a trip
to Europe, Mills instead decided
to enroll at A&M for summer
school.
Coach Thomas believes that
Tennessee’s Tartan synthetic run
ning track was a factor in Mills’
44.7.
“Tartan Turf is a soft surface
with a lot of bounce. There’s no
doubt that it’s the best running
surface made because it isn’t hard
on a runner’s legs.”
Later in July, Mills was an
instant star at Camp JeGalHa
near Huntsville and gave 100 boys
and girls from the metropolitan
poverty holes someone to remem
ber as a friend.
Mills ran, sang songs, signed
autographs, ate, played and an
swered questions during his four-
hour visit.
He was asked how he set the
world record.
“I just try to win, not set a
record,” the Lufkin native told
the youths. “If it takes a world
record, then that’s what I did.”
Mills explained he didn’t “smoke
or drink and I want a good educa
tion. My school, Texas A&M, is
the greatest in the world.”
He noted he was about the age
of most of the children in the
camp when he started his track
career.
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