Page 2
THE BATTALION
THURSDAY, FEB. 5, 1976
fair
Semi-centennial
celebrated fifty years
Marion T. Harrington, Pre
sident of Texas A&M Col
lege 1950-53. Courtesy Uni
versity Archives.
By DON MIDDLETON
and
JOHN ADAMS
Battalion StaiT Writers
Well, Governor Dolph Briscoe
made it official, the Centennial
Celebration is on. A less than capac
ity crowd in the Rudder Center au
ditorium listened as the Governor
read the proclamation which begins
a year of hundredth-year festivities.
Some people have wondered why
the Centennial was inaugurated on
Groundhog Day. There’s been
speculation that if we crawled out of
our holes and saw our shadows, we’d
turn around and go back to sleep for
another 100 years. Not to worry, we
saw plenty of people running the ob
stacle courses to class the day after.
And don’t think that you’re the
only Aggie who ever had to suffer
FOR VALENTINE’S DAY
FEBRUARY 14th
GIVE A MUSICAL JEWELRY BOX
| OR
A BEAUTIFUL PIECE OF JEWELRY
(including Turquoise)
OR
OTHER UNUSUAL GIFTS FROM
[happy cottage gift shoppe
809 E. 29th - Bryan - 3 blocks from City National Bank
IF MAN HAD BEEN MEANT TO FLY HE
WOULD HAVE HAD WINGS
Well We Can Give You Some
RENEW LIFE WITH U $ SUNDAY
UNIVERSITY LUTHERAN CHAPEL
315 N. Main — 846-6687
Hubert Beck, Pastor
WORSHIP WITH US SUNDAY AT 10:45 A. M. OR 6 P.
through a little construction. When
President W.B. Bizzell made a
speech to the June graduates of 1916,
he called for an expansion of college
facilities and an increase in enroll
ment to 2,500 by the year 1926. Im
agine, 2,500 students. And even
then folks were wondering if a stu
dent body of that size was good for
A&M.
When the Semi-centennial rolled
around, quite a few a of Bizzell’s am
bitions had come true. There we
ren’t quite 2,500 Aggies in atten
dance, but no less than 17 major
buildings had sprung up on the A&M
campus.
As a prelude to the 50th Anniver
sary celebration, Bizzell quit.
Thomas 0. Walton was appointed to
fill the vacancy in the front office on
Sept. 1, 1925, and was formally inau
gurated during the Semi-centennial
fair the following Spring.
The celebration was a three day
affair prior to commencement in
June. There were speeches, lunch
eons, memorial services and a lot of
good will. Institutions of higher
learning from all over the world, 103
to be exact, sent words of congratula
tion and best wishes for the future.
They represented countries on every
continent, except Antarctica.
Thirty-three foreign states in all
wished the Aggies a happy 50th
birthday.
But of course the farmers weren t
satisfied to rest on their laurels, and
after the hoopla died down, they
were off and running to get the
school in shape for its 75th birthday.
When President Frank C. Bol
ton s term of office came to an end in
mid-1950, there might have been
some history-minded Aggies who
marked the day as the unofficial be
ginning of the 75th anniversary.
Marion T. Harrington filled the
post vacated by two-time President
Bolton, but before he was officially
inaugurated the 75th birthday party
drew the full attention of 14,000
well-wishers.
On hand to help the Aggies celeb-
Thomas O. Walton, Presi
dent of Texas A&M College
1925-1943. Courtesy Uni-
sity Archives.
75th Anniversary celebration, October 4, 1950,
Courtesy University Archives.
Commencement procession down Military Walk to
Guion Hall during the Semi-centennial celebration,
June 1926. Courtesy Archives.
rate were Gov. Alan Shivers, and
past A&M Presidents Gibb Gil
christ, chancellor of the A&M Sys
tem, and Frank Bolton. The
Diamond Celebration festivities in
cluded a barbecue and soda pop pic
nic on the lawn outside the stadium.
Special Lecture-Film
co-sponsored by the Department of Philosophy, Texas A&M
University with support from the Sea Grant College Program
through the Division of Continuing Education as a part of the
Humanities of the Sea Series.
Scott McVay
Chairman, Committee on Whales,
Environmental Defense Fund, and Executive Director
The Robert Sterling Clark Foundation
will present a screening and discussion of
In Search of the Bowhead
Whale”
Produced by the National Film Board of Canada
Award Winner American Film Festival June 1975
Thursday February 5 8 p.m. Rudder Theater
1950 was a landmark year for A&M
in several ways, not the least of
which was the completion of the 18-
hole college golf course. Also, the
Memorial Student Center was com
pleted and began operation that
year. It might be interesting to note
that both the “C and the golf
underwent face-lifts before the Cen
tennial year. Then again, it might
not.
The director of the MSG in 1950
was a young man named J. Wayne
Stark, who was instrumental in the
design, construction, and operation
of the “Campus Living Room.”
Under the watchful eyes and helping
hands of Wayne Stark, Aggies have
planned and taken part in a myriad of
activities for 26 years, including sip
ping coffee in the cafeteria before,
during and after classes. Wayne
Stark is something of an Aggie tradi
tion in himself.
Also that year the University Arc
hives was established. They’re the
folks who furnish all the photos and
much of the information found in this
column. We might as well take the
time and space to express our pro
found thanks for all the help they
have been to us in filling this space
from week to week. It sounds like
were signing off for good, doesn’t it?
No such luck.
On Nov. 9, 1950, Harrington was
installed as head Aggie. The main
Barbecue picnic on the lawn outside Kyle Field duritL (l
the 75th Anniversary celebration. Courtesy UniversiBrtor
Archives.
speaker for the inauguration was
Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, then
president of Columbia University. A
couple of years later he resigned that
job to take up residence in the White
House. Also in the stage party was
the president of the Board of Direc
tors of the A&M System, G. Rollie
White of Brady, Texas.
That brings us to 1976. It kind of
sneaked up on us without advance
warning since President Jack K.
Williams didn’t resign last year, in
the grand tradition of his forebears.
However, most of us suspected
something was up when all these
buildings started going up
: ieph
novie"
everywhere and the erowdsB^ 11
the bookstore at the firstlr^ 1
semester got bigger.
In all honesty and seriijfer. '
President Williams has conlf? 1 Sl
much to A&M in his short
here and he deserves tosticW
a little longer to see howevtp
turns out.
One sad note in an ot
happy story. One man
achievements and contribi
the A&M
Centennial are ^
measure by his contempon'
not be present to join hither f .f. r
tion. Earl Rudder was the 111
force behind much of the e ®j ex j
SLOUCH
Jim Earle
^ ** .3715 ERST 2.9* Sr.
■"T6V/f4 i CcaITSJ*.
O fV-
Top of the Tower
Texas A&M University
Pleasant Dining, — Great View
SERVING LUNCHEON BUFFET
11:00 A.M. - 1:30 P.M.
Each day except Saturday
BankAmericard
$2.50 DAILY
$3.00 SUNDAY
Serving soup & sandwich
11:00 A.M. - 1:30 P.M.
Monday - Friday
$1.50 plus drink
Available Evenings
For Special
University Banquets
Department of Food Service
Texas A&M University
“Quality First”
“It used to be sick grandmothers, every student who is absent
now says that he’s been celebrating the centennial!”
that is now beginning to bloss
pot to
the dynamic institution that ,, .
A&M University. Perhap
watching the progress of the JT'. 1
he loved from another vantage j^ 1
And so the big celebratim
Here’s to another 100 years: , .
old Aggie Spirit. | ^
Deadline 9
■ in
ibile
Degree application deJ ay a
approaching for Texas Al
dents who expect to gradi
spring.
The deadline is Friday
Graduate and undergradi
dents must apply in ordf
granted degrees May 8. Di
plication is the student sresi
ity.
Because of an anticipal
number of graduates ati
Centennial-celebration
mencement, Registrar Rol
says it is important thatde|
didates meet the deadline
Application should bem
Richard Coke Building,
the $8 fee in the Fiscal
graduate students apply
Graduate College, Room n
dergraduates present thefef[
in Room 7.
Cbe Battalion
Opinions expressed in The Battalion are <,nose of the editor or
of the writer of the article and are not necessarily those of the
university administration or the Board of Regents. The Battal
ion is a non-profit, self-supporting enterprise operated by stu
dents as a university and community newspaper. Editorial
policy is determined hy the editor.
Represented nationally hy National Educational Advertising Senice|
York City, Chicago and Los Angeles.
The Battalion, a student newspaper at Texas A&M, is publish^]
Station, Texas, daily except Saturday, Sunday, Monday, and holiday!*
tember through May, and once a week during summer school.
Mail subscriptions are $16.75 per semester; $33.25 per school yean*
year. All subscriptions subject to 5% sales tax. Advertising rate fumisMB
Address: The Battalion, Room 217, Services Building,
Texas 77843.
LETTERS POLICY
Letters to the editor should not exceed 300 words and are
subject to being cut to that length or less if longer. The editorial
staff reserves the right to edit such letters and does not guaran
tee to publish any letter. Each letter must be signed, show the
address of the writer and list a telephone number for verifica
tion.
The Associated Press is entitled exclusively to the use forreproduc
dispatched credited to it or not otherwise credited in the paperandty
spontaneous origin published herein. Rights of reproduction of all ol
herein are also reserved.
Second-Class postage paid at College Station, Texas.
Address correspondence to Listen Up, The Battalion, Room
217, Services Building, College Station, Texas 77843.
MEMBER
The Associated Press, Texas Press Association
Editor James
Managing Editor
News Editor h® 1
Members of the Student Publications Board are: Bob G. Rogers, Chairman; Dr.
Gary Halter; Dr. John Hanna; Roger P. Miller; Dr. Clinton A. Phillips, Jeff Dunn,
Tom Dawsey and Jerri Ward.
Director of Student Publications: Gael L. Cooper.
City Editor *«||
Contributing Editors Sandy Russo,
Sports Editor hd