Battalion
Vol. 70 No. 92
10 Pages
Tuesday, March 22, 1977
College Station, Texas
News Dept. 845-2611
Business Dept. 845-2611
egents call gays ‘diabolic’; decide to fight suit
| By LEE ROY LESCHPER
T, is A&M University’s Board of Regents this
I liingsaid they will “proceed in every legal way”
li|ht a suit demanding that A&M grant official
fcnition to a gay students organization,
la statement approved unanimously by the
ml the regents said “so-called gay activities run
lilically counter to the traditions and standards
Ixas A&M University” and that the board will
jlceed in every legal way to keep gay groups
li organizing or operating on this or any other
pus for which this board is responsible.”
eGay Students Service Organization filed suit
28 in federal district court in an attempt to
A&M to grant official recognition to the group
student organization at A&M.
pie regents also restored to University Presi-
jitjock K. Williams his full powers and duties as
university president. The board had reassigned
Williams’ regular duties to University Executive
Officer W. Clyde Freeman in September when
Williams was recovering from a series of heart at
tacks he suffered last summer.
Freeman will return to his former position and
duties as A&M system executive vice-president.
Williams, looking fully-recovered, praised
Freeman’s performance, saying “I don’t know how
he did the four jobs he’s had for the last 10 months.
He’s a good man,” he simply' said.
Freeman sat quietly during the meeting, listen
ing to praises given him.
“It has been a pleasure,” he said. “Thank you for
making this decision. ”
The hoard had delayed making any decision on
the administrative organization until Williams had
been cleared by his physicians to return to full-time
duty.
Sitting at Board Chairman Clyde Well s right
hand, Williams took an active part in a board meet
ing for the first time this morning, advising the
regents on several decisions they made.
The board raised fees for A&M dormitories 7.2 to
8.8 per cent, depending on dorm. Fees for the least
expensive dorms will increase by $12 ($135 to $1,47)
while those for the most expensive dorms will in
crease by $28 ($390. to $418).
Married students will pay $5 to $13 more rent
per month for University married student apart
ments.
The price of shuttle bus tickets will rise by $5 this
fall, with the regents increasing the price of student
tickets from $15 to $20, student husband-wife tick-
iets from $25 to $30 and faculty-staff tickets from $20
to $25.
Howard Vestal, university assistant vice presi
dent for business affairs, had requested the in
creases to cover increasing operating costs, in
creased enrollment and a need for more shuttle
buses.
Students will be able to purchase next year’s
A&M campus directory while pre-registering for
fall classes because of a board decision to make the
directory a check-off item on the fall registration fee
slips. The directory will cost $3 as a check off item
and $3.50 if bought over the counter later.
The regents awarded several construction con
tracts, including a $730,000 one for improvements
in Duncan Dining Hall and another of $251,000 for
construction of new sidewalks and repair of old
ones on the A&M campus,
The board also authorized the first summer
school sessions ever for A&M’s Moody Maritime
Campus in Galveston.
Freeman withdrew an earlier recommendation
that the board issue $9 million in permanent Uni
versity fund bonds until the bond sale, which will
be made in conjunction with one planned by the
University of Texas at Austin, can be better coordi
nated with U.T. officials.
Three Agricultural Extension Service re
searchers received patent rights to inventions they
developed while working with the extension serv
ice.
Under the university s patent agreement the
researchers may seek patents for their inventions in
exchange for giving the university in., use of the
invention and sharing any patent revenue from the
invention equally with the extension service.
Aggie named agriculture commissioner
United Press International
AUSTIN — The biography put out by
Reagan V. Brown’s staff lists him as a spe
cial assistant to Gov. Dolph Briscoe, on
leave from Texas A&M University.
It says he was once named “Man of the
Year in Texas Agriculture” by the Progres
sive Farmer magazine, and that in the four
years he has worked under Briscoe he has
made 422 speeches, and received standing
ovations for 422 of them.
Yesterday a new title was added to that
biography. Briscoe appointed Brown
Texas commissioner of agriculture, replac
ing John C. White, who was named dep
uty secretary of the U.S Department of
Agriculture.
“Gov. Briscoe said he’d like to make
Texas No. 1 in agriculture, not No. 3,”
Brown said yesterday. “Texas needs to do
its part to feed the world, even though it
Program aided commissioner to get A&M degree
Battalion photo by Kevin Venner
Back to the books
Some students may find it easier than others to get back into a study
routine after spring break. Walt Cud, a freshman Biological Medicine
major, began his long hours of studying earlier than many students.
He was working on an English paper in the Commons at 3 this morning.
He said it was going to be an “all-nighter.”
By FRANK V. VASOVSKI
Reagan V. Brown was born in
Henderson, Tex., on a family farm
“which was so poor that it took three
acres of land to rust a nail. ”
Brown entered Texas A&M Col
lege in 1939 as one of the 4,000 resi
dents of “Project Houses,” which he
described as “a product of the post-
depression years.”
A couple of sociologists. Dr. Dan
Russell and Dan Davis, came up
with the idea of “Project Houses’ to
assist students in need of financial
support.
Large order buying was used to
obtain lower prices for food and
other supplies. Some parents
provided peas, beans and other
products to help feed the students,
Brown said. Volunteer or hired
“house mothers” assisted in cooking
and upkeep.
Even though the mofrthly charge
was only $12 per student, many of
them had to work extra jobs to pay
for the books and tuition.
“Hundreds of them are top execu
tives today,” Brown said, “because
they learned the hard way the value
of money and hard work.”
Brown was awarded a bachelor of
science degree in Marketing and Fi
nances in 1943.
After completion of the Officer
Training School in Fort Benning,
elf-described mercenary holds
es for 12 hours in bank
United Press International
TORONTO — A self-described merce-
I held up to 15 persons hostage at gun-
li't in a downtown bank yesterday in
■at an intermediary said today was a
lane plan to assassinate President Idi
fin of Uganda,
The gunman, who identified himself as
>McLagan, 38, of Vancouver, freed the
| of his hostages and was taken in hand-
from the Bank Canadian National
shortly after 10:30 p.m. GST. None of the
hostages was hurt.
The incident began 12 hours earlier
when McLagan, carry ing a sawed-off shot
gun, locked nine women and five male
employes in a second-floor room of the
bank. He fired two shots inside the build
ing and later seized a police sergeant.
Police encircled a four block area in the
heart of Toronto’s financial district. They
said the man demanded a Hercules C-130
Baltimore man frees hostages;
night publicity for family plight
United Press International
ALTIMORE — Anthony Griffin was
esperate with frustration over a $637
lity bill and the fact his wife and chil
li might he evicted from their home,
twk 35 city employes and nine ment
is of his own family hostage, using two
tols and a machete.
Police Col. James Watkins said Griffin,
0-year-old security guard who surren-
red quietly yesterday after the three-
ir ordeal, wanted to tell the world of his
strations at a news conference.
He was desperate about his family,
itkins said. “He face a $637 gas and
‘ctric bill and a rent payment of over
00. That’s was drove him to do it. He
id he wanted help from sombody and he
leader to remain as caretaker
figured the press was the best way .
Griffin went to the city’s Department of
Social Services offices at Metro Plaza in
Northwest Baltimore yesterday in re
sponse to a letter that his children were
not attending school, police said.
Once inside the office door, he pulled
out two pistols and a machete from a duffle
bag and told the employes he wanted to
talk to the media, police said.
For the next three hours, Griffin talked
to police through a locked door about his
plight, releasing the 35 city employes after
about an hour.
Watkins said Griffin would be charged
today with 35 counts of kidnapping and
other charges related to using a gun in the
commission of a felony and would face a
bond hearing before a judge.
Indira Gandhi resigns
United Press International
NEW DELHI, India — Prime Minister
dira Gandhi resigned today. She will
main as India’s caretaker until the op-
isition alliance, which handed her and
:r Congresss party a humiliating election
is, can form a new cabinet this week.
Mrs. Gandhi, who submitted her resig-
ition and those of her cabinet to acting
resident B. D. Jatti, said they will stay
i until a new government is selected by
le politicians who ended her party’s 30-
;ar domination of India.
Even before the official announcement
of Mrs. Gandhi’s resignation, jubilant
leaders of the Janata People’s Party and
the Congress for Democracy had begun
jockeying to fill the power vacuum left by
the ousters.
A spokesman for the victors said the
new deputies elected in the parliamentary
eletions last week will meet Thursday to
select a new prime minister and party
leaders — preferably by concensus but
through a floor fight if necessary.
Weather
Partly cloudy and mild today with a
high of 69. Light winds from the
north at five mph becoming south
easterly tomorrow. Continued
partly cloudy with slight warming
trend tomorrow. Low tonight in the
mid-40s, high tomorrow in the
upper 70s. No precipitation in
sight.
Ga., and an assignment to Camp
Wolters, Tex., Brown departed for
Europe with the 69th Infantry Divi
sion. He was wounded in April 1945
near Kassel, Germany. A tour of
duty with the American Graves Reg
istration Command followed his re
covery. Brown was discharged in
1946 with the rank of captain.
Brown joined the Texas A&M Col
lege Agricultural Extension Service
in 1948, first as an assistant county
agent in Hunt County and later as
county agent in Kaufman County
where he helped build the vetch
seed program into “a million dollar
enterprise.
In 1952 Brown accepted the
county agent’s job in Caldwell
County. While there he helped de
velop Luling, Tex., into the largest
producer of watermelons in the
estate. The United Service Clubs of
Caldwell County recognized his ef
forts with a citation “for the eco-
REAGAN V.
BROWN
nomic and social development of the;
county. ”
Brown regards support for farmers
as a top national goal.
“America can no longer feed the
whole world. ” he said. “The quicker
we decide that our own farmers must
come first, the easier it will be to
feed the others.”
In 1956 Brown was assigned to
Headquarters Staff of the Agricul
tural Extension Service, Depart-
(See AGGIE, Page 10.)
would be a difficult task. I d like to help
farmers make profits, and by those profits
they can produce more food.
“There’s a lot of legislation before the
current session of the legislature that
would help relieve farmers.
Although he was appointed to serve out
White’s term. Brown alreadv has said he
will seek a full term in the J978 elections.
The appointment, however, must first be
confirmed by the Senate.
Rep. Joe Hubenak, D-Rosenberg, who
was one of those seeking the appointment,
said earlier he definitely would be a can
didate in 1978 regardless of whom Briscoe
appointed. But Hubenak yesterday wot .Id
not confirm his plans to enter the race.
Rep. Pete Laney, D-Hale Center, also
sought the appointment and said he- would
decide on the 1978 race after the session
ends.
Brown had withdrawn his name for con
sideration when White was first men
tioned as a possible appointeee in the Car
ter administration, but said last week the
governor had put his name back in the
race.
“I never did remove him from consid
eration,” Briscoe said.
Briscoe said he was prevented from ap
pointing a member of the legislature to the
post because of a law prohibiting lawmak
ers from being appointed to state jobs if
the salary for that job was raised during
their term of office.
Council urges Bryan to restrict
building in flood hazard areas
military transport plane to take him to
Uganda so he could meet Amin.
Radio station CFRB reporter Charles
Doering, who was ushered into the bank
at the gunman’s request in the early hours
of the incident, said McLagan told him he
“admired,” but had never met the Ugan
dan president.
After the drama ended, however, Doer
ing said McLagan’s real purpose was to kill
Amin with two fragmentation grenades he
demanded from police. Doering said
McLagan had also demanded two
parachutes in case Uganda refused him
permission to land.
Doering said the earlier story was
broadcast “because he had a radio in
there, and that’s the story he wanted.
“He wanted Amin to welcome him with
open arms so he could assassinate him.”
McLagan gave no reason for wanting to
kill Amin, and apparently had never been
a mercenary. Doering said.
In the early hours of the incident,
McLagan released 11 hostages, but he
seized S.Sgt. Bill Donaldson, who had es
corted Doe ring into the bank.
After hours of negotiations, police
brought in McLagan’s brother Rick, from
Hamilton, Ont., and his sister, Helen,
from Mississauga, Ont., to try to persuade
him to surrender.
Four hours after they entered the bank.
Police Chief Harold Adamson announced
to newsmen McLagan was in custody.
Minutes later, the gunman, wearing a
checkered shirt and light pants, was taken
in handcuffs to a police car and whisked
away.
Adamson said there had been “no
terms” for McLagan’s surrender, and no
offer of immunity from prosecution was
made.
College Station city councilmen tire urg
ing the Bryan City Council to pass restric
tive ordinances controlling development in
flood hazard areas.
In a resolution pa§sed earlier this month,
the council also requested that Biyan re
fuse utility service to developments in the
flood hazard area not under the control of
municipal ordinances.
“If you build in a flood hazard area, you
have a chance of being flooded,” Bravenec
said. Persons living upstream or
downstream could also be affected by
building in the flood hazard area, he said.
Hubert Nelson, director of planning,
traff ic and inspection for the City of Bryan,
said Bryan has two resolutions regulating
constrution in the flood hazard areas. Nel
son said the resolutions were passed when
the city applied for federally subsidized
flood insurance with the Federal Insurance
Administratibn in April 1974.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
studied three local flood hazard areas, Nel
son said. His office maintains the maps of
these areas and additional information re
lated to construction in the flood hazard
areas.
“We have the documents and we use
them frequently,” Nelson said. Federal
law does not prohibit building in the flood
plains, but it does limit the amount and
type of construction in these areas, hesaid.
“Anybody in the city can purchase sub
sidized flood insurance if they want. Nel
son said. This insurance has b^en available
to residents since the city was approved by
the Federal Insurance Administration in
May 1974, he said. Nelson explained that
the insurance companies were not willing
to offer the flood insurance due to the high
risk involved, but now the subsid o.ed in
surance can be bought for about the same
amount as fire insurance.
The City of Bryan anticipates updating
their controls on the flood hazard areas,
Nelson said. They hope to adopt an ordi
nance that will be more specific than the
current resolutions, he said.
! Arriba
Andele
This photo of General Francisco (Pancho) Villa was
taken by the late John Davidson Wheelan of Dal
las. The picture was taken during the Mexican
Revolution and is part of a collection given to Texas
Hullaballoo Caneck!
A&M University by Wheelan’s daughter and her
husband, Mr. Thomas F. Smith of Houston, (see
story on page 6)
University Archives