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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 15, 1973)
A&M Names New Complex In Memory Of Rudder A&M will honor its late highly distinguished president, General Earl Rudder, by naming the new, multi-million dollar tower-audi torium complex in his memory. The University Board of Direc tors Tuesday designated the 12- [floor tower and the three-theater auditorium linked with the ex panded Memorial Student Center as “The J. Earl Rudder Confer ence Center.” Started in early 1971, the $10,000,000 project is expected to reach completion be fore the end of this year. “Many of the accomplishments and dreams of General Rudder are visible at Texas A&M Uni versity today,” President Jack K. Williams pointed out. “This magnificent Conference Center is more evidence of his lasting con tributions to this institution and higher education. It will stand as a constant reminder of his enormous service to this univer sity, the state and nation. The naming of the Conference Center is a fitting tribute to a great American.” The conference center and the MSC comprise one huge, two- block long facility. The multi purpose auditorium’s theaters seat 2,500, 750 and 250 persons each. In addition to continuing education, the tower will accom modate other university pro grams. The complex in the heart of the campus was a major feature in development plans conceived and presented to the board of direc tors by General Rudder in the late 1960’s. General Rudder probably will be best remembered for the dy namic leadership he exerted as president of A&M from 1959 until his death on March 23, 1970. To many Texans he also will be re membered as the symbol of hon esty and integrity needed to direct the General Land Office in the wake of scandal. He already had been recorded in history as one of the true heroes of World War II. A native West Texan, General Rudder came back to A&M in February, 1958, as vice president and was appointed president in July, 1959. He had earned his bachelor’s degree in 1932 and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Army Reserve. Upon graduation from Eden High School in 1927, he enrolled at John Tarleton Agricultural College (now Tarleton State University). He transferred to A&M in 1930, majoring in industrial education and lettering in football. In September, 1965, General Rudder was named president of The Texas A&M University Sys tem with the consolidation of the offices of chancellor and univer sity president. During Rudder’s administra tion, A&M and other parts of the system advanced at a remarkable pace. A&M gained university status and changed from an all male and predominantly military school to a coeducational institu tion with a rapidly diversifying curriculum. His decade of leadership at A&M was a period of growth, change and diversification. Enrollment doubled and a build ing program more than doubled the value of facilities. Along with undergraduate pro grams, research and graduate studies blossomed under Rudder’s guidance. Called to active duty in 1941 after teaching and coaching at Brady High School, Rudder’s heroism in World War II vvas to draw praise from the world’s military leaders. He organized and trained the 2nd Ranger Bat talion which scaled the 100-foot cliffs at Pointe du Hoe during the D-Day invasion. “No soldier in my command has ever been wished a more dif ficult task than that which be fell the 34-year-old commander of this Ranger force,” said Gen eral Omar Bradley, then com mander of the U. S. forces in Europe. The mission was accomplished with Rudder wounded twice. Cas ualties were heavy among the Rangers. Later, Rudder took command of the 109th Infantry Regiment which played a key role in re pulsing Germany’s last great counter-offensive, now known as the Battle of the Bulge. He was a colonel at the end of the war but remained active in the Army Reserve. Rudder was promoted to brigadier gen eral in 1954 and major general in 1957. He took command of “Tex as’ Own” 90th Infantry Division in 1955 and held the assignment until 1963 when he became as sistant deputy commanding gen eral for mobilization, Continental Army Command. He retired in 1967 after 35 years of service. When General Rudder died, he was praised editorially by every major newspaper in Texas. “The Battalion” editor recalled the words of the late General Dwight D. Eisenhower: “General Rudder exemplified what millions of Americans would like to see their sons be.” The widow, Mrs. Margaret Rudder, resides in Bryan. She and the General were married in 1937 while he was teaching at Brady. They have five children. Che Battalion Vol. 67 No. 272 College Station, Texas Wednesday, August 15, 1973 Board Of Directors Approve Budget The Board of Directors Tues day approved a record $186,205,- 1891 operating budget for the Texas A&M University System for the fiscal year beginning Sept. 1 and awarded construction contracts exceeding $10,000,000. The new budget represents a 15.3 per cent increase over the 1972-73 total of $161,402,157. The major construction con tract went to Spaw-Glass, Inc. of Houston on a bid of $8,965,000 for Phase II of the Low Density Dormitory Complex at A&M. The expansion of the coed dormitory It complex adds 1,160 spaces to the 908 now provided in the Krueger- Dunn halls. The university ex pects an enrollment of 3,500 women this Fall, or several hun dred more than attended in 1972- 73. The board authorized the sale of $7,500,000 in A&M Housing I System Revenue Bonds to Hal- - sey, Stuart & Co., Inc., Lehman Brothers, Inc., & Associates at an 1 effective interest rate of 6.0199 per cent. The funds will be used to partly construct and equip the two new dormitories in the women’s complex expansion. Balco Construction Co. of Tem ple received the second largest construction contract as the re sult of board action. Its bid of $1,541,000 was low for farm fa cilities at Tarleton State Univer sity. Two Bryan firms landed con tracts calling for expenditures of more than $100,000 each on three contracts. Thurmond & Stuart submitted two low bids, one for $186,226 on Phase II of the Fire men Training School’s expansion and another bid of $112,500 for Sbisa Hall exterior repairs. Mar- Cal, Inc. listed the low bid of $102,070 to modify animal quar ters in the Biological Sciences Building. Two major projects at Prairie View brought planning action by the board. Supplementing previ ous appropriations of $43,500, an additional $135,000 was funded for detailed design for the Arts and Sciences Building. Another $5,000 goes for program require ments for a health center. Included in the 1973-74 budget is an allocation of $96,503,883 for A&M, $17,710,322 for Prairie View A&M University and $6,- 370,817 for Tarleton State Uni versity. Budgets for other parts of the system are Texas A&M Univer sity System offices and depart ments, $1,929,546; Texas Agri cultural Experiment Station, $20,959,190; Texas Agricultural Extension Service, $23,709,889; Rodent and Predatory Animal Control Service, $884,810; Texas Engineering Experiment Station including Texas Transportation Institute, $10,358,739; Texas En gineering Extension Service, $2,- 538,429; Texas Maritime Acade my and Moody College of Ma rine Sciences and Maritime Re sources at Galveston, $1,445,713 and Texas Forest Service, $3,- 794,553. Separate state agency budgets administered by the System in clude $438,952 for the Texas Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory and $60,000 for the Texas Petroleum Research Com mittee. Implementing state legislative funding, the board authorized ex penditure of $950,000 to establish a branch laboratory of the vet erinary medicine diagnostic lab oratory in Amarillo. The branch laboratory will be located in the Amarillo Medical Center on a do nated tract of more than 35 acres. The board accepted 45 acres of land to serve as headquarters for the A&M Agricultural Research Center in El Paso. The tract do nated by Ben Ivey and Charles C. Gaither of El Paso is located at the intersection of Interstate 10 and Americas Avenue in the border city. Tarleton State University re ceived authorization to present three proposed new programs to the State Coordinating Board. They include a Bachelor of Arts Degree in speech, a Concentra tion in Health and Physical Edu cation in the Master of Education Program and a new Bachelor of Science Degree in sociology. The directors also appropriated $90,000 for a campus landscape development master plan at A&M. The firm of Myrick, New man and Dahlberg, Inc., of Dallas will be the project architect. With 226 new units becoming available this Fall, four Old Col lege View Apartment buildings will be vacated and demolished during 1973-74, the board decid ed in authorization to A&M Pres ident Jack K. Williams. TEXAS BLEND tried to blend their music into A&M’s campus Friday night at a free MSC-sponsored dance. Student Government Wants Participation Art Adorns Sbisa Walls By BARRY DONNELLY What can rising suns and rings around the moon have to do with the Food Services Department at A&M? The answer to the question can be seen on the walls of Sbisa Dining Hall. The Food Services Department, in an effort to make the older architecture seem brighter, has allowed students from the Environmental Design Department to display their ideas in paint on the walls of the old dining hall. The latest of the foodland mur als was done by Chuck Doherty as part of a summer problems project. The project is beneficial to all concerned. The student receives a grade based on the quality of the work, and others eating in the decorated areas enjoy the newer more cheerful atmosphere. Lloyd W. Smith, of the Food Services Department, said , he would like to have more of the student artwork in other areas of both Sbisa and Duncan Halls. He feels even a picture in the kitchen areas would help to make cooking more pleasant. Doherty’s creation was painted in the athletic dining area. It is a series of long sweeping curves and a sun. The emphasis of the project is on color coordination and texture. It is done in varying shades of brown on a bright yel low background. “People have called it every thing from the rising sun to rings around the moon,” Doherty said. The labor which took approxi mately four-five weeks was pro vided free by Doherty. The Food Services paid for the paint and other materials. With other murals a possibility, the Food Services is making ef forts to see the students have a colorful and pleasant area to dine. Student Body Vice President S. Shariq Yosufzai Tuesday called for more student input and par ticipation in Student Government activities. “In the past, student govern ments have not fully reflected the desires of the students,” Yosufzai declared. “In order to improve communications, increase student input, and start programs that the students want, we will take several steps.” Enumerating these steps, Yosu fzai said, “As head of the legis lative branch of the Student Sen ate, personally I will do whatever is possible to keep an open door policy for complaints, suggestions and recommendations from the student body.” Yosufzai noted steps were be ing taken to have a designated “Gripe at Your Senator Day” in the fall and spring. A senator would sit throughout the day near one of the dining halls or the academic colleges. The students will thus be provided a conven ient access to their senators. Another possible method of communication is by televising the fortnightly meetings of the Student Senate over KAMU-TV, channel 15. Also, Yosufzai has appointed an assistant so that someone will always be present in the Student Government office to hear stu dent complaints and suggestions. “In the past, legislation has been inspired by the student body, but the level of student-sponsored legislation slacked off last year,” Yosufzai said. “I would urge all students to contact their senators and tell them what they want to see done on this campus. Students are represented on nearly every committee on this campus. Traf fic problems, suggestions about improved senatorial representa tion student government projects all come under the purview of the Student Government.” To help students in financial trouble the Student Government has an emergency fund called the Campus Chest. Refrigerator rent als are also carried out by the Student Government. A radio sta tion will become operational this fall. In addition, the Student Government is a member of the Texas Intercollegiate Student As sociation, the Texas Student Lob by and the National Student Lob by. The Student Government is active at the city council level, and at the state and national level. The Student Government also operates the Fair Housing Commission and the Student Pur chase Program under which dis counts are provided to A&M students. “These are programs we can all be proud of,” said Yosufzai, “but we need to continually seek new ways and means to better serve the student body.” Some of the programs that have been suggested to Yosufzai are an effective rental program for electronic calculators, a pub lished evaluation of all professors and courses on campus, an open air FM radio station, action to wards the creation of an intra mural complex for all indoor and outdoor sports, student support for a university museum and ex pansion of the library, an inter national center, and student gov ernment-organized programs like concerts, film series and the like. “These are all ambitious and worthwhile projects,” Yosufzai said. “I would like to see more students get involved in some of the above projects and send their reactions to me or one of the other officers. “It is only through increased student participation that we can have an even more profound impact on the university com munity.” Texas Clipper Ends Summer Cruise A&M Professors Receive Honors Food GALVESTO N—A smashed drawbridge here was the only dull spot in a summer-long 14,- 000 mile cruise by A&M’s “Texas Clipper” which ended as the con verted freighter slipped into Gal veston Bay Sunday evening. A sulphur barge had ripped into a bridge at the entrance to Pelican Island the night before, forcing the “Clipper” to dock at a public pier. The inoperative bridge did not diminish the crowd on hand to greet the arriving ship, and the 58 Texas Maritime Academy ca dets and 78 A&M freshmen didn’t let the mishap tarnish their Med iterranean voyage. The high point of the cruise, according to the students, was the “Clipper’s” activities during the total eclipse of the sun July 1 off the coast of Africa. “The eclipse was a once-in-a- lifetime event for the students,” noted Rear Admiral J. W. Smith, superintendent of the Texas Mar itime Academy. “It was one of many events that made this cruise so outstanding.” Adm. Smith said the students were well-received in all ports of call, and a contingent of musi- “On the side of Texas A&M.” University National Bank Adv. cians from the ship’s band was invited to perform at the Shera ton Hotel on Funchal, Madeira Islands. The “Clipper’s” nine-week voy age carried the more than 250 students, faculty and crew to the Canary Islands, Spain, Italy, Ma deira and the Virgin Islands. The 78 freshmen were partici pating in A&M’s “Summer School at Sea” program. The entering students had the opportunity to take first-year English, algebra and history classes on the ship during the cruise. Refrigerators Due Friday Student Body Vice President S. Shariq Yosufzai reminds that all refrigerators rented out during the summer session are due in the refrigerator office by 6 p. m. Fri day. The office will remain open from 5:30 p. m. to 6 p. m. Wednes day through Friday. Further information may be obtained from the Student Pro gram Office in the MSC (5-1515) or from the Refrigerator Office (5-6342). Three A&M faculty members were designated “distinguished professors” Tuesday by the Board of Directors of the A&M System. Dr. F. Albert Cotton, Robert A. Welch professor of chemistry; Dr. Herman O. Hartley, profes sor and director of the A&M In stitute of Statistics, and Dr. Ar thur E. Martell, professor and head of the Department of Chem istry, were named “distinguished professors” upon recommendation of System exectuives. Dr. Cotton came to A&M in 1971 after 17 years of teaching and research at the Massachu setts Institute of Technology. He earned his B.A. degree at Tem ple University and his Ph.D. in chemistry from Harvard. Dr. Cotton holds an honorary Doctor of Science degree from Temple University, is a member of vari ous professional societies and has authored three textbooks. Dr. Hartley, director of the A&M Institute of Statistics and professor of economics and sta tistics, has been at A&M since 1963. He earned degrees from the University of Berlin, Cam bridge University and the Uni versity of London. Hartley, a member of several professional associations, has had many arti cles published and will present a paper at the International Sta tistical Institute Convention in Vienna, Austria this month. Dr. Martell was appointed pro fessor and head of the A&M De partment of Chemistry in 1966. Martell earned his bachelor’s de gree from Worcester Polytechnic Institute and his Ph.D. from New York University. He also holds an honorary Doctor of Science degree from Worcester. Dr. Martell, a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and other professional societies, has numerous publica tions to his credit. Women’s Group Sponsors Tea W o m e n’s organizations will welcome new international stu dents to A&M and the commun ity Aug. 28. A tea will be held at 3:30 p.m. in the recreation hall of the First Baptist Church in College Sta tion. Ladies of the Pan American Roundtable, Campus Study Club and Extension Service Club will be hostesses for the tea. Mrs. Charles Stipe, president of the Pan American Roundtable, said the purpose of the tea is to welcome new international stu dents and acquaint them with the community. The event is being coordinated with the A&M international stu dent advisor, Charles Hornstein.