WEDNESDAY, APRIL 20, 1977
As the president sees it
Inerj
President Williams enjoys friendship found at A&Mpy 1
By LISA JUNOD
Some university presidents hole
up in their offices at the beginning
of the fall semester and seemingly
don’t come out until spring. Others
skitter nervously across the campus
on necessary errands, casting fur
tive glances at suspicious-looking
students as they go. But Texas A&M
University President Jack K.
Williams actually enjoys circulating
among the students — he savs he
likes to walk around the A&M cam
pus to see what’s going on.
“In my business, not very many
college presidents of institutions of
our size have any relationship with
students at all, Williams said in a
recent interview. He said that his
colleagues are often surprised to
hear that he can stop and say
‘howdy’ to an A&M student, and
that the student will stop and say
‘howdy’ back.
“That’s a friendly approach that I
hope A&M students will always
have, for each other and for every
body, because it’s the key to the
whole thing. It’s the key to not los
ing your individuality as a universi
ty. We start our spirit and traditions
first by people saying ‘hello’ to each
other. You can go to a city and walk
around all day and nobody will ever
say boo to you; they won t even say
‘excuse me’ if they knock you
down,” Williams said. But not so at
A&M, where despite a recent ac
celeration in the qrowth of the uni
versity, Aggies have managed to
remain friendly, and have faithfully
continued to observe such traditions
as Aggie Muster, always Williams’
favorite. While many institutions
may try to mimic Muster with vary
ing degrees of success, there’s
nothing like the original and
Williams believes that the unique
Aggie spirit has enabled A&M to
preserve it’s annual event.
“It has a relationship to what I
think is the essence of Aggie spirit;
that is, that it lasts, for most Aggies,
as long as they liVe. There’s a special
feeling about having been an Aggie,
and Muster is a link between that
past and the present. You can have
five or six Aggies somewhere and
they’ll all get together and have a
Muster on April 21 — you really
have it wherever you have Aggies,”
Williams said.
Many Aggies (and many others)
have expressed concern that with
the growth A&M is experiencing,
dehumanization will result and the
student body will devolve into
splinter groups. While Williams be
lieves that growth often leads to a
decrease in closeness, he thinks that
there will always be a corps of Ag
gies who will value their years at
A&M far more than for their mere
educational value. “I don’t really
think size is going to cause any deter
ioration of our meaningful traditions.
I expect that size will mean that a lot
of people who are Aggies might drop
off and not participate, but they
came here because of a program and
not because of A&M as such, and
they didn’t become a part of A&M
w bile tl icy were here,” Williams
said.
Active involvement
essential
This active involvement in col
lege life is essential for a student to
lake full advantage of his school
years, and Williams says that on-
campus dorm associations and spe
cial interest groups are helping stu
dents become more active.
“The Corps of Cadets, for exam
ple, will always be a unified group
— they will always have a sort of a
fraternity because they’ve been
members of the same group and
worked in the same situations that
are outside the classroom.” he said.
Although the off-campus student
faces more obstacles to becoming a
viable member of the university
community, programs such as Has
sle Free help increase the students’
awareness of activities.
“An amazing number of people
come to A&M because they hear
what A&M is — because they hear
that it is a friendly place. If you
come for that reason, you will make
yourself part of it,” Williams said.
“It’s like anything in life: the move
to become a part must be initiated
9 77 muster outside
Unseen buglers will play “Silver
Taps” to an anticipated crowd of six
to eight thousand Aggies expected
to gather on the System Administra
tion Building’s lawn for Thursday
night’s Muster ceremonies.
Considered one of Texas A&M
University’s greatest traditions,
Muster is held every April 21 to pay
homage to Aggies who have died
within the past year. Services are
held worldwide, but the campus
ceremony is the largest. It is
planned by a student committee
and financed by a student govern
ment fund.
This year’s chairman, Dan
Kasper, was interviewed and
selected by student government.
His volunteer committee was or
ganized last October and began
working in November, he said.
This is the first Muster to be held
on the lawn of the Administration
Building since the 1960s. Last year’s
Muster was planned for the lawn,
but was moved to G. Rollie White
Coliseum because of bad weather.
Kasper said this year’s committee
will have the option of reserving the
Coliseum the morning of Muster in
stead of trying to predict the
weather three days ahead of time.
Classes will be dismissed be
tween 5:00 and 6:15 Thursday night
so students and faculty can attend
the services. Ceremonies are
scheduled to begin at 5:30.
Maj. James Edwin Ray, who
spent seven years as a North
Vietnamese prisoner of war, will be
the guest speaker.
Ray is a former president of
Memorial Student Center, Ross
Volunteer and member of Who’s
Who.
After Ray’s speech, Head Yell
Leader Joe D. Mickler will call the
roll of the absent, the names of stu-
dents and members of the Brazos
A&M Club who have died since the
last Muster. Other representatives
will call role for their own areas.
by the person who wishes to be
come a part. If you sit in a corner
somewhere and wait for A&M or
the world to come to you, it will
probably never arrive.”
Williams stresses that while more
and more students appear to be re
fusing involvement, traditions today
seem to be stronger than when he
first came to A&M. Recent
graduates will remember that a
group of students bearing signs and
placards marched on the president’s
home during his arrival on the A&M
campus in 1970 — proudly declar
ing their support of Williams and
heralding the beginning of his ad
ministration.
Williams, who was born in the
hill country of Galax, Va., attended
Emory and Henry College where
he received his B.S. in history and
met his wife, Margaret. The 57-
year-old administrator believes that
establishing lasting friendships is
what really makes college worth
while, and says that by meeting his
wife in school he was doubly
blessed.
“I think that this will happen
more and more here. As I wander
about the campus I notice that sev
eral warm friendships are being
struck up...” Williams said thought
fully.
Although he is not a native Texan,
Williams said that ever since he’s
heard about colteges, he’s heard
about Texas A&M.
People know A&M
“You’ll find that wherever you go
in the United States people know
A&M, and know it in a nice way,”
Williams said proudly. The former
Marine officer has been working
with Texas A&M since 1966, when
he became Commissioner of the
Texas State Coordinating Board and
helped build some of A&M’s current
academic programs.
Williams said he first became in
volved with higher education as a
professor at South Carolina’s Clem-
son University because he enjoys
watching young people grow as they
pass through college and carry their
acquired knowledge out into life.
He says that traditions often help
maintain a lifelong relationship to a
college, and apparently many Ag
gies have successfully attained his
goal.
“I don’t believe any institution in
the country has this kind of feeling
— I don’t know of any where the
people have the same relationship
to each other as they do when they
finish at A&M. If you’re ever here
for a day, you get counted,”
Williams said.
Williams believes that this in
domitable Aggie spirit has contrib
uted to the institution’s recent surge
in growth, a development he dis
counts as being nothing more than
the normal growth of a university.
And although the Admissions of
fice is still receiving more applica
tions than it can accept, he expects
enrollment to top out at about
30,000 students, and said that
facilities are being built to handle
about that number.
“Despite what some people
think, we are an underbuilt college,
because of the slowness and red
tape involved in putting buildings
up. We don’t have sufficient office
space for our faculty, we have insuf
ficient classrooms — we need to
busy ourselves with the construc
tion of some good academic build
ings,” Williams said.
He added that state policy has
slowed on-campus construction
(“We have to go through all kinds of
red tape and hoopla”) and that
studies labeling A&M ‘overbuilt’ are
largely inaccurate.
“A&M is more than a university,
teaching and researching; it is also
Roll call honors dead
Following is a list of Aggies who
have died over the past year. Their
names will be called at muster
ceremonies all over the world on
Thursday. Friends, relatives and
classmates will answer for the ab
sent person.
Roll call for the absent is the high
light of muster ceremonies. It serves
each year to honor deceased Aggies.
Dr. Jack K. Williams, president
of Texas A&M, and Dr. Jack M.
Knox, president of the Association of
Former Students, will welcome the
audience.
1977 MUSTER DECEASED LIST
A&M men deceased since the last Mus
ter. Prepared from Association of Former
Students’ records as of November 1, 1976.
For your convenience, this list is prepared
alphabetically by class year.
Suggested methods for calling the roll
For each of the dead Aggies,
some comrade will answer “Here.”
The Ross Volunteers will then fire
a 21-gun salute.
The buglers will play “Silver
Taps’ from inside the second floor
window of the Systems Building and
the Singing Cadets will follow with
“Auld Lang Syne.”
This year, a poem will be read
aloud at the end of the ceremony.
“In Memoriam” by Capt. David
Harrigan ’68 is in memory of
classmate Kevin Rinard who was
killed in Vietnam. It will be read by
Mary Ellen Martin.
Carl Y. Davis ’05, Dallas
Arthur C. Bums ’07, Cleburne
James C. Edgar ’08, Bryan
C. Edgar Jones ’08, Bryan
Avery C. Barron TO, Austin
J. Henry Crouch TO, Houston
Ernest R. Eudaly TO, Colleyville
Joe R. John TO, Dallas
Owen W. Sherrill TO, Georgetown
Oliver L. Winters TO, Fort Worth
Robert B. Cozart Tl, Lufkin
Homer S. Sanders T2, Earth
Clyde A. Pedico ’13, Hull
J. G. Rollins T3, Houston
W. Wallace Steel T3, Dumas
Clive Templeton ’13, Dallas
Lenard Gabert T4, Houston
Martin D. McAlister T4, Fort Worth
Edmond L. Bringhurst ’16, Stratford
Harris L. Frazier T7, San Antonio
Wilmer Swink T7, Olney
Clinton M. Copeland T8, Corsicana
Thomas E. Hagan T8, Mineral Wells
Agee G. Kimbell T8, Ennis
John W. Luker T8, Houston
Sims A. Palmer T9, Colorado City
Pearce K. Barry ’20, Dallas
Waller T. Bums, Jr. ’20, Brownsville
Carlos E. Figari ’20, Lima, Peru
Boone H. Heep, Sr. ’20, Buda
Albert C. Lienhardt ’20, Cuero
Manuel L. Ortega ’20, Mexico City
Joe L. Scudder ’20, Big Sandy
Marshall M. Cook ’21, Orchard
Albert M. Cooper ’21, Abilene
Harry G. Bimmerman ’22, Sarasota, FL
Chester H. Chambers ’22, El Paso
John F. Currie ’22, Houston
Paul W. Drummert ’22, Houston
Oscar H. Frazier ’22, Stephenville
Verne R. Glazener ’22, Sens, France
Jack Neal '37, Comfort
Ernest V. Walton ’37, College Station
John V. Laird ’38, Stephenville
Robert C. Mackey ’38, Casper, WY
H. B. McElroy ’38, College Station
W. L. Robert ’38, Bryan
Miguel Saldana ’38, Laredo
Paul Christian ’39, Waco
Lucien J. Coquet '39, Dallas
Warren C. Kiser ’39, Dallas
Arthur S. Witchell ’39, Dallas
Wayne W. Brown, Sr. ’40, Beaumont
Billy J. Joyce ’40, Winters
Robert W. Lewis, Jr. ’40, Oklahoma City,
OK
Jarvis S. Pinchback ’40, Beaumont
Walter K. Shelton ’40, Rockport
James N. Thompson ’40, Alexandria, VA
Fred Urbanovsky ’40, Mesquite
Judson C. Womble ’40, El Paso
Tommy C. Davis ’41, Shreveport, LA
Garland G. Gibbs ’41, Marlin
Aaron B. Penland ’41, Bay City
Thomas C. Waddell ’41, McCamey
Richard E. Woods ’41, Woodlake
William Blessing ’42, Dallas
Arthur K. King, Jr. ’42, Boling
William C. Moughton ’42, Fort Smith, AR
Gustin C. Schmidt ’42, Houston
Tom C. Welsh, Jr. ’42 Houston
Henry E. Crew, Jr. '43, Idaho Falls, ID
Edward J. Williams ’24, Denton
Irving I. Bock ’25, Dallas
John R. Guynes ’22, Dallas
Edward W. Hanly, Jr. ’22, Eagle Lake
M. V. Farr Smith, Jr. ’22, Nashville, TN
B. L. Bradford ’23, Iowa Park
Edward H. Gohmert ’23, Eufaula, OK
Olan H. Hamilton ’23, Stillwater, OK
Wendel A. Stiles ’23, Dallas
Daniel F. Burkhalter ’24, Pasadena
Albert H. Torian ’24, San Angelo
Edwin P. Ruhmann ’25, Kenedy
George T. Saunders ’25, Cushing
James C. Appleman '27, Menard
John T. Evans ’27, Brenham
Allen J. Florey, Jr. ’27, Brownwood
George S. Fuller ’27, San Antonio
Richard A. Self ’27, Dallas
William Wendt ’27, Houston
Thomas H. Anderson ’28, San Antonio
Robert M. Craig ’28, Navasota
Hilbbert Brinkoeter ’29, Beeville
Betram C. Broad ’29, Brady
Joe Corman ’29, Houston
Lee N. Heliums ’29, West Columbia
Leeland T. Jordan ’29, Lufkin
Robert L. Pike ’29, Jacksonville, FL
Royall M. Strode ’29, Dallas
Herman W. Toepperwein ’29, Kerrville
Doyle Williams ’29, Austin
Sam L. Moseley '30, Garden City, KS
O. J. Rea, Jr. ’30, Tomball
Joseph A. Revak ’30, Beaumont
Gerald R. Schumann ’30, Bellville
George D. Mulloy ’31, College Station
Robert C. Nettles ’31, Hot Spring Village,
W. Hal Phelps ’31, Little Rock, AR
Jess M. Russell ’31, Levelland
James E. Wells ’31, Teague
Charles B. Beard ’32, Hugo, OK
Robert B. Collier ’32, Houston
J. Harry Hebert 32, West Monroe, LA
John A. Pranglin ’32, Houston
Lawrence K. Hannon ’43, Austin
Louis M. Hovorak '43, College Station
Harry H. Pelot ’43, Waco
William S. Talk ’43, Arlington
John Nickleburr ’44, Nederland
Robert E. Scott ’44, Mexico
John W. Smylie ’44, Marietta, GA
Robert B. Berryman ’45, Houston
William V. Braley ’46, San Antonio
Leroy H. Giebel ’46, Brenham
Louis J. Kozelsky ’46, Edna
Donald D. McKinney ’46, Carlsbad, NM
Purcell L. Geistman ’47, Corpus Christi
Richard E. Schruggs ’47, Lindenhurst, NY
Monroe W. Pressler ’49, Devine
Carroll C. Smith ’49, Smithville
Harold B. Stone ’49, Dallas
Walter L. Caldwell, Jr. ’50, Abilene
Samuel L. Neal ’50, Paris
Guyle E. Cavin ’51, Amarillo
David P. Norcom ’51, Berkeley Heights,
NJ
Truett Smith 51, Winters
Robert C. Williams ’51, Spring
John B. Henry ’52, Paris
Albert R. Berry ’53, Arlington
Aubin O. Ferguson ’57, Friendswood
Billy J. Bailey '58, Sherman
Royce F. Hudson ’58, Bryan
Bill J. Thornton ’58, Houston
Robert E. Harris, Jr. ’59, Corpus Christi
Phillip W. Cox ’60, Brazoria
Tommy L. Snow ’60, Houston
Weems M. Avant ’61, Tennessee Colony
David K. Keeler ’61, Springs, AR
Thomas D. Perry ’64, Rochester, MN
John M. Davis ’66, College Station
Terrance D. Myers ’70, Wichita Falls
Richard E. Taylor '70, Houston
Larry W. Froeschl ’71, Texas City
E. Dudley Watkins ’71, College Station
Michael Censullo ’72, Bergenfield, NJ
Van Edward Scroggins ’72, Houston
Edward D. Haines ’73, Greenville
James E. Penland ’74, Bay City
Daniel N. Joaquin ’75, Marshall
Jordan L. Clarke ‘25, Lake Jackson
Jack E. Finks ’25, San Antonio
Addison Y. Gunter ’25, Gainesville
Blum E. Hester ’25, Houston
Louis G. Kuempel ’25, Taylor
Albert M. McNeel, Sr. ’25, San Antonio
Bert R. Powell ’25, Laitiesa
W. Ray Smith ’25, Hillsboro
Steven A. Debnam ’26, Bella Vista, Ark
Martin B. Killian ’26, San Antonio
William S. Price ’26, Kemes
John W. Sprott ’26, Arlington
Volney E. Brightman ’27, Houston
William R. Coker '27, Verona, N.J.
Joe E. Fumeaux ’27, Waco
Orville D. Morris ’27, Houston
Howard L. Ridout ’27, Dallas
Albert J. Bierschwale ’28, Alpine
John H. Cuthrell ’29, Roans Prairie
Robert H. Gardner ’29, Rosenberg
John R. Garrett ’29, Texarkana
J. M. McKittrick ’29, Judson
John H. Wyly ’29, Mesquite
James A. Rutherford, Jr. ’30, Warren Ohio
Ed Thompson, Jr. ’30, Carrollton
James M. Tomme ’30, Temple
John Roy Vamell ’30, Temple
Elmer D. Barker ’31, Houston
Walter C. Butler ’31, Clifton
Lenox M. Ligon ’31, San Angelo
Marcuss Mauritz ’31, Ganado
Edwin P. Palmer ’31, Nacogdoches
Wilford F. Pickard ’31, San Antonio
Henry F. Rumfelt ’31, San Diego, Ca
David W. Sherrill ’31, Lubbock
Patrick H. Braswell ’32, Caldwell
Charles I. Halliman ’32, Dallas
Lester F. Lawhon ’32, Fort Worth
Joseph R. McMahan, Jr- 32, Midland
1977 UPDATED MUSTER LIST
This list is added to the previous list.
Here are deceased since November 1,
1976 to March 31, 1977. For your con
venience, this list is prepared alpha
betically by class year.
Clarence E. Rabb ’32, Dallas
John M. Arnett, Jr. ’33, Colorado Springs,
Colo
Everett H. Cain ’33, Liberty
Ross B. Jenkins ’33, San Antonio
Rhey E. Nolan ’34, Robstown
Roger R. Shannon ’34, Normangee
Charles W. Bridges ’35, Midlothian
Alvin L. Huth ’35, San Antonio
Jewell D. Daugherty ’37, Houston
John Bruckner, Jr. ’38, Waukegan, Ill
J. Harry Bryant '38, Bedford
William S. Connolly ’38, Whitney
Russell C. Hillier ’38, Bryan
Robert R. Nelson ’38, Fort Worth
Morgan Ricks ’38, Hempstead
James E. Thomas ’38, Pallas
John W. Funderburgh, Jr. 39, Fort
Worth
Kenneth Koonce ’39, Henderson
Herschel H. Payne ’39, El Campo
James Dinsmore ’40, Houston
Travis L. Fike ’40, Wheatland, Ca
George F. Pappas ’40, Bellaire
Marion Pugh ’41, College Station
William R. Spencer ’41, Pittsburg
John E. Buehrig ’42, Tomball
Clyde W. Graham ’42, Temple
Cornwell B. Longyear ’42, Dallas
Green D. McClain ’42, Dallas
David F. Roddy ’42, Midland
Charles F. Thompson ’42, Pearsall
Hugh T. Lyle ’43, Dumas
Johnnie P. Davis ’45, Lubbock
Raymond L. Hewell ’45, Houston
Robert A. Magers ’45, Sherman
Carl M. Cater ’46, Bryan
Ernest A. Elwood ’46, Houston
Robert B. Evans Ill ’46, Concord, Tn
JAMES EDWIN RAY
Horatio Durst, III ’33, Gretna, LA
George H. Fairbanks ’34, Glendale, CA
Winfred G. Ross ’33, Dallas
Archie Hatcher ’35, Beeville
Milton O. Hood ’35, Abernathy
Lawrence A. Rothe ’35, D’Hannis
Carl G. Taylor 35, Las Vegas, NV
F. W. H. Wehner, Jr. ’35, Colorado
Springs, CO
Robert M. Atkinson ’36, Houston
James F. Hudson ’36, Houston
Robert L. Jackson ’36, Bryan
Robert A. James ’36, Dallas
Joe C. Stine ’36, Houston
J. Cullen Sowers ’36, Commerce
William R. Knight ’37, Houston
Jonas M. Isbell '03, Wichita Falls
Gale Oliver ’05, San Antonio
Houston A. Brice TO, Birmingham, Ala
Ray S. Williams TO, Mount Dora, Fla
Joe C. Lauderdale Tl, Somerville
Harold Thaxton T2, Pacific Grove, Ca
Roger E. Knolle T3, Brenham
Robert H. Miller T3, Largo, Fla
Raphael B. Simon T3, Houston
Arthur H. Irby T4, Beaumont
William S. Gillespie T5, Houston
Hugh B. Killough T6, Stuart, Fla
Adam J. Bennett T7, Harlingen
James E. Brewster, Jr. T7, Temple
Rodgers P. Brown T7, Dallas
Louis H. Huebner T7, Seattle, Wa
Hugh O. Schulze T7, Mason
J. B. Russell, Jr. T8, Laird Hill
Noyes W. Willett T8, Clifton
Grady S. Appling T9, Victorville, Ca
Charles H. Clark T9, Hillsboro
Maynard I. Landa T9, Greenwich, Conn
William E. Livingston T9, Dallas
Clinton S. Wolston T9, Beaumont
Robert L. Carson ’20, Fort Worth
Arthur I. Edwards ’20, Coleman
Leroy A. Buescher ’22, Mission
Curtis B. Delhomme ’22, Houston
Rudolph A. Weisbrich ’22, Garland
Edward D. Brandt, Sr. ’23, Houston
Charles Wellborn ’23, Gladewater
Paul E. Cassidy ’24, Dallas
Leonard P. Davison ’24, Houston
Walter H. Davidson ’24, Houston
E. King Gill ’24, Rockport
Sanford E. Ogle ’24, Beaumont
D. M. Russel] ’24, Stephenville
Robert E. Newton ’46, Richardson
Albert L. von Rosenbe r g 46, Arlington
Randolf Blumberg ’47, Houston
David Crawford ’47, Houston
Jonas I. Strieback ’47, Houston
Bruce F. Edwards ’48, Sugar Land
Dewey P. Compton ’49, Houston
Charles L. Jones ’49, Penison
Newton O. Duncan ’59, San Antonio
E. Lee Gilliland ’50, San Antonio
Howard M. Lohmann 51, Mission
James J. Moore ’51, Cmp 115 Christi
Ellis M. Taylor ’51, Locfoiey
Robert W. Fowler ’52, Kilgore
Lawrence G. Renken ’52, Garland
Charles E. Walker ’53, Temple
Jack L. Fowler ’54, Memphis
Thomas M. Hall ’55, Poughkeepsie, N.Y.
David Y. Fawcett ’56, Plano
Charles H. Pollard ’57, Arlington
David E. Frazier ’59, Houston
Charles E. Brunt '60, Bryan
Ned F. Keahey ’60, Houston
Karl ton E. Kothmann 62, Mason
James E. Parker ’65, Farwell
Walter L. Winnette, J r 65, Pasadena
Murray Wortham ’65, San Augustine
Lawrence T. Baugh ’66, West Columbia
Francisco P. Vergara ’66, Philippines
James D. Talasek ’67, Rosenberg
Ronald J. Schreiber ’68, Houston
James E. Duval ’70, Abilene
Thomas P. Howie ’70, Texarkana
John T. Whipple ’71, 5an Antonio
Ronnie Compton ’73, Houston
Roger H. Gray ’73, Houston
Annette S. Thieleman 73, Bryan
Larry G. Pizzini ’74, Universal City
the home of some nine state agen
cies. The experiment stations, ex
tension services, forest service,
predatory animal control service,
diagnostic laboratories — all of
these things are space-users, and
yet we get counted over and over
again as having vast amounts of
space per student. They divide our
number of students into the total
number of square feet on campus,
for all purposes, and say that A&M
is overbuilt,” Williams said.
“I’m not really complaining, be-
casuse you’re spending taxpayers’
money and there ought to be stops
along the way to justify, to explain,
to defend — and there have to be
approval groups and you have to
make sure that nobody’s in a posi
tion to make any sort of a rake-off.
They’re just protections for the
money that the people have gener
ated through their own hard work to
build the institution.
“Each year for the six years I’ve
been here we have built what is
equivalent to an average-sizeJt ^as p
versify. We have had from 2 ) S'(~
3,000 new students come in united Pr
year and we’ve had to prepari ng jjjnG
them. We have to supply the I r f er ’ s new e
and get buildings in shape asraf* p r0 p O sals
as possible to take care ofsomelM,.^ p r j ce s
the size of Rice University eacbtKg aru ] pjou
each year. IT
“When people talk about Rkf|
say, ‘We build a Rice every ye
Williams said.
While A&M’s president tab
tifiable pride in the school spli)i
plant, he still rates the student
the biggest attraction.
“You can walk over to the J*° peech to ;
here, and even when they re® ton j
running to and fro and jumping®^ many r
their bikes and taking off, wlr a j s0 are
still say ‘hi’ to you,” Williams* £ or ^
“That’s the whole Aggie s P iril * rta g es p lao
it’s the feeling that if you *§L er vation
A&M, it’s a friendly pba-m, es tjcprod
there are so darned few frie* en D e we
places on the globe that Niffi t }j e Presi<
blame them for coming here. ^ tj ie count:
leill predicl
[est battle c
‘he gasoline
icism from i
White Hoi
[ppears like
■n Carter u
,gress in a
jte, a catas
unity.”
I’Neill told
|e toughest f
;r had” bee
iere it’s th
jple to vi
)nomy of th
iome lawm
winced the
y must plac
This will
r sely, and t
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io, D-Wyo.
[both the to
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support th<
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jlIpclSC 5
amv
umj
DR. JACK K. WILL JAMS
|By STEVE
exas A&
tment of
nped aboi
the base
je Building
\ssistant
or Joe Wri;
m the buil
Muster was frivolous
now, solemn occasiofe
Ition Fire
icessfully. t
We tried
) but we c
enough f<
s of
Aggie Muster on June 2b, 1883,
was far from the solemn occasion we
know today.
In that early meeting of ex
cadets, Muster was a time to be jolly
and remember the “good ole days”
at Texas A&M. These parties were
usually held during commencement
activities.
In the early 1900s Aggies began
to recognize April 21, the anniver
sary of the day Sam Houston’s small
band of volunteers defeated Santa
Anna’s troops, with a track and field
day.
Traditionally, April 21 was a holi
day from classes.
When the bandmaster sounded
the call to classes on April 21 , 1903,
the 300-member student body
marched in formation to the home
of the school president in protest.
The students were forced to re
turn to classes, but the cadets
vowed that in years to come the an
niversary of the battle that gave
Texas its independence would be a
celebrated occasion.
True to their promise, the classes
of 1903-06 began the tradition.
According to University Ar
chives, informal gatherings in many
The main :
e electrics
was car
>und the 1
Texas cities were begun ()ri " Th
Jacinto Day to renew old Wj > water to
ships and remember life at A&M
In addition, the former fhere was
agreed that these gatherings sw [ns Satu-rd
be a time to pay homage to alb isement ha
dents and former students whob fcrmng Wri
died, and that some living coni ped any
would answer “here when (ha 11 mg aft
call for the absent was read- ns -
Musters were held overseas
the first time during World"
But not until World War lHlement.
Aggie Musters gain worldwide 1 ■ that was
tention. , ff. i e P ar ^ 1
On the island of Corregidor," Pt said.
21 1942, 25 Aggies mustered n |*reached
bomb-proof tunnel called “tM Krs it w(
while Japanese artillery shells® ee ectricit
led all around them. ta/ *1 a ^ ) , 1
Fifteen days later, CorregicM right said
longed to the Japanese. c 1
The war brought Aggies -
the world together and generate®
sense of optimism at home.
Since World War II, the m
held on the Univesity canl P u J
become more ceremonial and ilour time
grown in strength. ,l ,e een r» e
The tradition symbolizes B
Aggie Spirit which hinds all [D _
to each other and to their
ictice to j
o#nt but th;
bmon.
Anytime
ay flood
[member il
PI
Aggies get together in