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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 4, 1976)
THE BATTALION Page 5 WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 4, 1976 J^The firstlOOl^et^s^ Everyone hot entire faculty fired over Cadet Crisp By JOHN ADAMS Contributor K It is difficult to imagine the Texas faculty numbering scarcely a Hozen professors in view of today’s Bioi'e than 6,000 staff members, but this was the case in 1879. Exposed to and pressured by every natural Hardship of the 1870’s, the faculty and staff operated under harsh con- Hitions. Although there were ■dequate spaces for only 160 cadets, enrollment soared to an unbelieva ble 253 in 1878. The dining hall was inadequate and bathing facilities lEJA3 1876 JULY 30-AUGUST 5 EORT WORTH — The useless J[ Waste of money on weddings and fu nerals calls for reform. Extravagance : makes young men dread marriage ' and death. FORT WORTH — Henceforth the supplies for the army posts of the hundreds and thousands of tons of freight, will be shipped from He “City of Heights. Yesterday, •Major Strang, quartermaster of the Mnited States Army, arrived here, in obedience to orders from the War Department and established head quarters here. SAN ANTONIO — An example will yet have to he made of some of the diivers of vehicles in this city, for leaving a horse, or horses, standing flone in the streets while they go into houses, generally barrooms. ^Biey thus cause runaways danger- bus to the lives and property of citi zens generally. We demand of the city authorities that they punish every such case to the fullest extent the ordinances allow, except where there is a valid excuse. HOUSTON — The great railroad feat of changing the gauge from woad to standard on the Houston and Texas Central began at daylight this morning. The change is neces sary because almost all of the other major roads in the state are built at the narrower gauge, necessitating transfer of all passengers and freights , going to Houston. Preparations for the change, including new, nar- i rower cars have been in progress for some time. With two teams working, it is expected that the job will be finished by tomorrow morning. AUSTIN — On July 31, the Legisla ture rescinded the motion to adjourn sine die on that date and agreed to stay in session until the important paiding legislation is finished. The Btion was initiated by the Senate, anti a message from the governor jlrgingthe House to concur was sent in the afternoon. After heated de- Hite and controversial parliamentary Hianeuvers the House agreed. One eilect is to give the Texas and Pacific ■Railroad the extra three weeks it re quires to fulfill the requirements of its charter and avoid forfeiture of its jknds. JpEW BRAUNFELS — The mur- , derer of Miss Emma Voelcker was shot dead Saturday night through the window of the court house by an [ unknown person in the presence of ; 40 men as a guard. However sweet the revenge to the perpetrator, thinking people consider that he I robbed the law and society of their I revenge, and is in a legal sense guilty of assassination. Husk county — Capt. c. b. Richardson is a model farmer in this akes all the necessities of life at home and owes no man a dollar. ADVERTISEMENTS — The Gal veston, Harrisburg and San Antonio Railroad. The shortest line to all points in the North, East and West. This road, now in operation 167 miles west of Harrisburg and within I 44 miles of San Antonio, offers the i shortest, quickest and cheapest I route. Baggage checked to destina tion. Two daily trains from Kings bury making close and reliable con- pection at Harrisburg with trains of the GH&H for Houston and Galves ton. consisted of a swim in the Brazos. In the midst of the rapid expansion and over-loaded work conditions, pro fessor salaries were lowered from $2,500 to $2,000 per year. Many students arriving to apply for entr ance returned home dejected. Soon parents, the press and politicians be came inquisitive and even critical of the conditions which existed at the college. Amidst this public attention, it was brought to light that little effort was being made to teach courses in practical agriculture and mechanics. At the Texas State Grange meeting in Bryan during mid-January, 1878, members complained adamantly about the nonproductive nature of the A&M College. How could a school teaching purely literary sub jects fulfill its agricultural intent? In March, 1879, the Texas legislature sent a special committee to investi gate the conditions at the college. They returned to Austin and re ported that additional funding would solve the ills of the college. Regrett ably, the funding, although wel come, would not solve the growing tensions among students and faculty. This unrest reached its breaking point in June, 1879. During a routine mid-summer meeting, the Commandant, Capt. George T. Olmstead, presented the names of cadets to he promoted. A dispute soon ensued as to who would be promoted to senior captain, or Cadet Corps Commander as it is known today. Faculty approval had usually been automatic. Yet, in a vote of 5-4, Olmstead’s nominee, John C. Crisp ’80, was disapproved. The rejection resulted from fa culty disagreement and not the qual ifications of Cadet Crisp. Crisp had a good academic record and no de merits. The split was between pro fessors L.M. Lewis, D. Port Smythe, R.P.W. Morris, A. Hogg, William Banks R. P. W. Morns Alexander Hogg Thomas Gath right A rowdy faculty President Thomas S. Gathright and several members of his 1878-79 faculty. and W.A. Banks, who disapproved the promotion, and President Gat hright, professor J.T. Hand, adjunct professor L.L. Mclnnis and Capt. Olmstead, who approved. Earlier disputes between these factions began to resurface. Gathright at tempted to exert his authority as president, and approve Crisp’s ap pointment as the senior cadet. His attempts failed. On August 28, Crisp, disgruntled over the turn of events, appeared before the Board of Directors to file a formal complaint. He felt he had been unjustly wronged by the petty arguments of the faculty. Crisp at tacked Hogg as the primary cause for his rejection. Hogg had long been an antagonist of Gathright’s. He had undermined many Gathright pro grams and aspired openly to some day become the president of the Col lege. By September, 1879, the en tire faculty and staff, the returning students, local Bryan residents and the press were involved in the dis pute. In an attempt to cool the situa tion, Gov. Oran M. Roberts urged Gathright and faculty to settle their differences and return to the Col lege. This suggestion was ignored. The Corps by this time became despondent and resentful of the harsh treatment Crisp was receiv ing. The Corps, although small and young, had already unified itself into a cohesive body with a mind of its own. On Sunday evening, November 16, 95 members of the Corps submitted a petition to Gov. Roberts and the Board urging them to support the decision of President Gathright to retain Crisp as senior captain. On November 18, Roberts and the Board met on campus to re view the Crisp case. Arguments from both sides were heard. Each faculty member was asked if the pre sent disturbance could be disposed of while at the same time retaining harmony on the campus. The answer of each professor was a resounding no. The act that probably spelled the final blow to the faculty was the ap pearance of Cadet Crisp before the Governor and College Board of Di rectors. In an eloquent address. Crisp ably outlined the true nature of the problem. The panel was very impressed with his poise and orat ory. As the representative of the Corps, he spoke openly for cadet rights: "I am proud to be worthy to suffer for the cause of right and truth for my young and gallant comrades and my beloved Alma Mater. Upon the conclusion of Crisp’s presentation, it was stated by the Board that they felt he was fully qual ified, yet in their opinion it was the decision of the faculty to select the corps commander. The inability of the faculty and staff to work in har mony was the primary issue, not Crisp. The press, concerned Texans and parents continued to clamor for a solution. It was felt by the Board that the facvdty could no longer work to gether. On Saturday, November 22, six days after Crisp’s letter to Gov. Roberts, the Board requested the resignations of the entire faculty. By late evening on the same day, the Board had selected an entirely new faculty and a new president, John G. James. The dismissal of the faculty brought on a new direction of pur pose for academics at Texas A&M. Classical education was almost to tally discarded in favor of agricul tural and mechanical courses. Out of a possibly tragic set of circumstanc es, Texas A&M was spared the fear ful plight of being closed. Enroll ment slowly creeped upward, the morale of the student body endured and by the spring of 1880, hardly a word was uttered about the eventful fall of ’79. ^ s This For ^ Spirit of ’76 Peniston Cafeteria Open Monday-Friday Beginning May 31 For Cash Operation This Summer Breakfast 7:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Lunch 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. FREE With Every $5.00 Purchase or More - One Old-Fashioned Milk Bottle FREE With Every $25.00 Purchase or More One Old-Fashioned Milk Rack DEPARTMENT OF FOOD SERVICES TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY “Quality First” Foxfire... 1-acre wooded homesites at in-town prices... that’s quite a lot. Foxfire will soon be one of the prestige neighborhoods in Brazos County. You can be a part of it now — even if your dream home is a few years away. Foxfire is 91 wooded homesites on 159 acres of land. It was conceived as an alternative to the hustle and the hassle of the in-town subdivision. Foxfire is a scenic enclave for a special kind of family who can come to terms with the natural environment. The home sites are large (1-3 acres). There is room to breathe, room to live life tcyts full, terrain is varied, the vegetation natural and lush. C^^^^^i^^eeq^f^^to pr] 100-year old oaks that wjU The amenities of 'I^MvoiJd^Moe^^^Mg^MMuntry sj^nivisic class. There is^He^H^Hii^Hin ^M^B'^HtaJ[esiG|^MVde appeals to the cres^HqWrs^H^^B All of the essential ^Mces And yet it is quiet and peaceful. The covenants that govern the use of Foxfire homesites are uniquely responsive to the lifestyle of the landowners. The prohibitions are limited: no mobile homes (or other temporary living structures), no open fires (or other activities that endanger the forest), no practices that abuse the rights of others. There is a minimum requirement for heated space (1800 square feet) but .no'restriction on de^igj^ir exterior material. In brief, Foxfire’s deed restrictions Qraot.panlaJ^rn*i^—kK^Hoi^HfrPiFir-lnm while protecting the y automobile. Majorarteries (as well as the highway to re. Fe will be a pleasant surprise. You can own an acre of wooded and in Foxfire for about the cost of a 100-foot lot in a city subdivision. The resale value of Foxfire property cannot be guaranteed but most buyers assume this property will never sell for less than it does today. Terms are available to buyers who qualify. Bring the family to Foxfire and see for yourself. Foxfire may be the place you have looked for to live fully and invest wisely. THE AMENITIES ■ Large homesites (1-3 acres) ■ Dense woods and vegetation (pristine may be the word) ■ City water service (individual house me ters) ■ Septic sanitary service (approved by Texas Health Code) ■ Cable television (Midwest Video Corpora tion) ■ Electric utilities (Bryan Utilities) ■ Regular refuse collection (independent contractors) ■ Telephone service (General Telephone) ■ Cul de sac streets (for maximum privacy and safety) ■ Neighborhood park (but no memberships, no dues) ■ Ligrueo sireei marxers (.duiii irorn riaiurai materials) ■ Fire hydrants (for protection and insurance ratings) ■ Seal-coated streets (the same as Rosemary Drive) THE RESTRICTIONS ■ No mobile homes (or other temporary living structures) ■ Minimum home size (1800 square feet/ heated space) ■ No requirements on exterior materials (wood, brick, glass is ok) ■ Limitations on livestock (based upon lot size) ■ No redivision of a home site (one home per lot) ■ No activities that endanger the forest (or abuse the rights of neighbors) ■ No encroachments (50-foot street setback/25 feet from each property line) ■ No neighborhood association (no joining/ no fees) ■ No property taxes for the year 1976 THE COST ■ A one-acre tract in Foxfire sells for about the price of a 100-foot lot in a Bryan-College ■ Terms are available for those who qualify. fupTnamta SP