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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 31, 1972)
CADET SLOUCH U.-S.MA1 by Jim Earie P arSOnS To MISS A&M Life Listen Up Editor: A pain strikes deep within a mother’s womb, She cries out in the night. A father weeps silently as he sits by his desk at work. A boy has died. evening. “Why I have that paper to write, the test to study for, and my research is too important to take time from. But it is only a few minutes so I will put up with it. Afterwards I can turn on the lights and work!” It was two days into classes. Death’s cadence keeps time, a mournful sound. A valley speaks for the departed. Wails of trumpets disturb the birds. A man no longer walks with his comrades. At A&M there is Silver Taps. Ah, yes, we are a large university. Is it 15,000 now? We cannot live in the past. It is ridiculous for an institution so big and so import tant in research to turn out its lights and remain still for an We move to another year and traditions bend a little and crack. Another Aggie dies. Yes, we still have Silver Taps, but the spirit took a day off to die. When the Aggie Spirit dies who will hold Silver Taps? A mother cries herself to sleep. A father hides his tears at work. At A&M there is . . . Jan Faber ’74 Ask Walter H. Parsons Jr. what he’s enjoyed most about life and his answer is quick — Texas A&M. Parsons retired Thursday as director of the TAMU Physical Plant, the institution’s largest department with 630 employes and the tough job of providing maintenance and utilities to almost all parts of the nation’s largest college campus. The retired Army Corps of En gineers colonel, a 1930 architec tural structural engineering grad uate of TAMU, has earned a rep utation for getting the most out of people through kindness. He also has a hard time saying “no” to any civic request. Parsons and his wife plan to stay in the Bryan-College Sta tion area. “I have enough work to keep me busy for a long time,” he said on the eve of retirement. His civic work includes board member for the Bryan City Mis sion, including serving as chair man of the building committee which plans to develop a 9%-acre donated site; Sir Knight in the Knights of Columbus, as well as district deputy and Master of the Fourth Degree; past president of the St. Mary’s Catholic Church Council; 10-county chairman of the USO, and former president and six-year board member of Catholic Charities, Austin Dio cese. In addition, Parsons is a board member of the Sam Houston Boy Scouts of America, the College Station Salvation Army, past president of the College Station Community Chest, president of the College Station Kiwanis Club and advisor to Alpha Phi Omega, the student service fraternity. Since joining the staff in 1962, Parsons has concentrated on serv ing the community and improv ing the physical plant services. He said reorganization of the physical plant, the former Build ing and College Utilities Depart ment, and computerization of the administrative department are his proudest accomplishments. The workers were organized under the same system used by the armed forces. While the en rollment and facilities of the uni versity almost doubled over the past 10 years, the work force has remained about the same. “When we started computer ization, there was concern that some of the people would lose System Plant Employes Honored Wednesday Three men directly involved in Texas A&M’s recent phenomenal growth were honored Wednesday by TAMU system physical plant employees at a retirement party. Howard H. Badgett, assistant director of facilities planning and construction; C. K. Leighton, system civil engineer, and Paul K. Gippin, construction inspec tor who has been overseeing the Mitchell Campus program in Galveston, retired. Executive vice president Gen. A. R. Luedecke presented retire ment certificates. “On an occasion such as this when friends gather that you have worked with the major part of your lives, it’s a saddening note,” Gen. Luedecke commented. “Actually, it’s not when you can swap your pencil, paper and slide rule for a good fishing pole.” Badgett has been building campus facilities 38 years, in cluding planning most of the buildings standing today. The Denison native earned bachelor and master’s degrees from Texas A&M, in 1929 and 1932. He was with the Texas Engineering Ex periment Station before World War II. Returning as assistant manager of construction, Badgett became director of the physical plant, manager of TAMU system physical plants and then assist ant director of system facilities planning and construction. Leighton joined Texas A&M in 1940 as construction engineer and became the system civil engineer. A 1933 A&M graduate in civil engineering, he worked for the Texas Highway Department sev eral years and is past-president of the Brazos Chapter of the Texas Society of Professional En gineers. A registered engineer, Leighton was formerly from Cor sicana. Gippin joined the university in 1968 as construction inspector. Also an A&M graduate, Class of 1928, with his bachelor degree in mechanical engineering, he is a registered professional engineer with more than 40 years experi ence. The Dallas native was un able to attend the retirement event due to illness of his wife. Batt News Summary By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS SAN CLEMENTE, Calif. — President Nixon flew Wednes day to Hawaii for summit talks with Japanese Prime Minister Ka- kuei Tanaka. Besides his two days of talks with Tanaka, Nixon plans some election-year politicking and a meeting Thursday with Ambas sador Ellsworth Bunker, U. S. envoy to Saigon. Appearing before the New York Board of Rabbis, the South Dakota senator urged that re strictions on emigration by So viet Jews be eased. NEW YORK — Democratic presidential nominee George Mc Govern charged Wednesday that President Nixon has remained silent “in the face of continued persecution of Soviet Jews.” REYKJAVIK, Iceland — Bob by Fischer inched closer to the world chess championship Wed nesday as he drew the 20th game of his match with Boris Spassky. The American challenger needs only one more point to take the world title away from Spassky. HONOLULU — President Nix on arrived in rain-swept Hawaii Wednesday for summit talks with Japanes Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka and predicted the mid-Pacific conference will con tribute to a new structure of peace. A lei draped around his neck, Nixon stood in the rain and told an estimated 5,000 persons who gave him a warm welcome that he was here to further the United States’ “very close friendship” with Japan. Nixon noted that it was in Ha waii three decades ago that World War II began with the Japanese attack on Pear Harbor. TRY BATTALION CLASSIFIED Cbe 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 Battalion, a student newspape: df iday May, and once a week during summer school. ion, mblished in College Stn Monday, and hoi publishec Sunday, tion, lolida; at Texas A&M, is as, daily except Saturday, eriods, September through LETTERS POLICY Lelteis to the editor must be typed, double-spaced, and no more than 300 words in length. They must be signed, although the writer’s name will be withheld by arrangement with the editor. Address correspondence to l isten Up, The Battalion, Boom 217. Services Building, College Station, Texas 77SI3. MEMBER The Associated Press, Texas Press Association The Associated Collegiate Press Mail subscriptions are $3.50 per semester; $6 per school year. All subscriptions subject to 5% year; $6.50 per full sales tax. Advertisin tax. Advertising The Battalion, Room 21 Texas 77843. rate furnished on request. 7, Services Building, College Station, The Associated Press is entitled exclusively to the use for reproduction of all news dispatchs credited to it or not otherwise credited in the Members of the Student Publications Board are: Jim T.indsey, chairmai. ; H. F. Filers, College of Liberal Arts ; F. S. White, College of Engineering; Dr. Asa B. Childers, Jr., College of Veterinary Medicine; Dr. W. E. Tedrick, College of Agriculture; and Layne Kruse, student. iter paper and local news of spontaneous origin published herein. Rights of republication of all other pu matter herein are also reserved. Second-Class postage paid at College Station, Texas. Servic £ ranc Represented nationally by National Educational Advertising Inc., New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles and San EDITOR MIKE RICE Managing Editor Larry Marshall News Editor Rod Speer Women’s Editor Janet Landers Sports Editor Rjn Henry their jobs. Actually, it allowed us to take on more work and in creased efficiency,” Parsons re lated. He also started an “employe of the month” program, which the employes like. He said com plaints dropped fast. Another of Parson’s ideas was providing free uniforms and uni form laundry for the physical plant workers. It improved ap pearance and attitude on the job. One university official pointed out Parsons’ has the toughest job on campus. His department not only provides all the utilities for the 5,200-acre campus, but han dles all maintenance. The depart ment is responsible for just about everything except new construc tion over $10,000. Parsons came to TAMU follow ing retirement as center engineer at the vast Army Air Defense Center in El Paso. His Army ca reer included organization and construction of an oil refinery and 1,000 miles of pipe lines in the Yukon Territory during World War II. He was senior engineering branch professor in the ROTC program here from 1948-51, which he calls the best time of his Army career, and various other assignments in Germany, director of instruction at the Army Engineer School at Fort Belvoir, Va., education at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., and director of the Department of Army Snow, Ice and Permafrost Re search Establishment. Four of the Parsons’ five sons attended TAMU. They are Lt. Col. Walter H. Parsons III, 1956 graduate now on the engineering staff at West Point; Maj. Donald Parsons, 1958 graduate, military intelligence officer with the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, N.C.; David Parsons, who at tended A&M one year before go ing to West Point and graduat ing, now an engineer in Min neapolis, Minn., and Paul Par sons, 1970 graduate employed by a Houston glass company. Son Michael, a New York freelance advertising writer studied at a St. Louis seminary. THE BATTALION Page 2 College Station, Texas Thursday, August; LITTLE JOHN'S Catering Service 4613 Texas Avenue Phone 846-1132 John Arnold — M^r. BARGAIN LAND 1809S.CollegeAv.Bryan 10AM 8 PM Phone#822-2210 Army Surplus Guns & Ammo # Back Packs - Sleeping Bags — — Com passes — — Tents — — Cots — — Fishing Equipment — Knives — — 1st A id K its — — Boots — ★ Bell Bottoms ★ Stereo Equipment — Guitars — ★ lank Tops^ — Furniture — Tape Decks — -8-Track Tapes — — Albums — WE BUY, SELL, & TRADE or LET US SELL IT FOR YOU If your college days are nearly over your need for Worldwide banking service has just begun. Graduation means the end of student status. And the beginning of your professional life. Through this period of transition and beyond you will need a friendly, responsive banking relationship. Promotion will mean travel. And your need for a stable, permanent banking home will be one of your most valuable assets. The Bank of A&M’s Worldwide Division offers a program for professionals that is without equal: • liberal car financing (100% for up to 42 months). • instant credit as you need it (loan checks to exercise a pre-arranged line of credit). • overdraft protection (a frequent problem related to relocation or travel). • no monthly service charge (based upon $200 minimum balance). • and best of all, person to person com munication by telephone or airmail for Worldwide service (wherever you might be). Take a few minutes today to discuss your need for a Worldwide banking relationship with the Bank of A&M. See Vice President Stanley Sommers or Lt. Col. Glynn P. Jones (USAF-Ret). On graduation day, and every day thereafter, you’ll be glad you did. JMn THE BANK OF A&M /gYj\c Highway 6 South/College Station (M V m\J Telephone: 846-5721 No bank is closer to Texas A&M or its students. member/fdic 1971 Ti S4 • §68 Ca :ake oldei 2 Danis for $40. Mattress -ininal se »r gua irrhua. Gestetner Excellent c 1971 Hor Call 846-05. BSood sr Guarnnteeil Large mi lavatory, t campus, $9C tect Kathie 5180. IATTKNT1 M 10: Ren TY Di I 1 Smit TYP 9#9S. • Low • Local • Up to • Free —E Hav< Cono< Gulf] SF A.C.,C Alternat Start from Most Ann Foreign You Fr Presti •mils Joe Fa 221 e, 2 firing ] 261