The Battalion
Vol. 71 No. 152
8 Pages
Monday, May 8, 1978
College Station, Texas
News Dept. 845-2611
Business Dept. 845-2611
Inside Monday
• Ags for mags, p. 5
• Texas track team over the Aggies by
one, p. 7
• Aggies take double header, p. 8
Record number receive
degrees at commencement
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Battalion photo by Ben Po
President Jarvis E. Miller congratulated some of the 2,751
graduates at commencement exercise Friday night. For the first
time in Texas A&M’s history, it took three separate ceremonies to
hand out the record number of degrees.
By MICHELLE SCUDDER
Battalion Staff
Texas A&M University took 49 years to
award as many degrees as it did this
weekend at commencement ceremonies in
G. Rollie White Coliseum.
In three ceremonies 2,751 degrees were
conferred, 2,418 bachelors, and 333
graduate degrees.
Dr. Jack Williams, Texas A&M Univer
sity System Chancellor, used three hu
morous fables from James Thurber to
illustrate “philosophic truths” he said
would be useful to the record number of
graduates.
In the first of the fables, James
Thurber’s “Two Turkeys,” Williams urged
the graduates to accept nothing blindly
without confirming its validity.
“Education should be used with calcula
tion and care to determine when change is
progress and when it is selfish destruc
tion,” he said.
“The Bear Who Could Take It or Leave
It Alone” was William’s second tale. The
moral, he said, was, “You might as well fall
flat on your face to lean too far backward.’
Williams explained, “Extremism, regard
less of the source, has never produced a
solution to anything.”
Williams urged the seniors to “use the
wings God gave you” in his third fable.
“The Hen Who Was Afraid to Fly.
“Use your education the way it was in
tended — for constructive leadership and
selfless service to mankind, he said.
Distinguished Alumni Awards were
presented to four men to recognize “ex
ceptional contributions to society” and
support of the University. Searcy
Bracewell, ‘38; and James L. Sewell, ’27,
received the award. Nominations were
made from among Texas A&M’s 75,000
former students. An anonymous commit
tee composed of faculty members and
former students made the final selections.
John Riddles of Pearland won the
$5,000 Brown Foundation Earl Rudder
Memorial Award. The annual award is
given to the all around outstanding
graduate. Riddles, who graduated in De
cember, is on active duty in the U.S.
Army in Washington, D.C. Riddles
graduated with a 3.9 grade point ratio in
industrial engineering. He was the recipi
ent of the Doherty Award last December.
The Doherty Award is given to a fourth-
year Texas A&M Cadet who is taking a
commission. Riddles is the first student to
receive both awards.
Michael Gentry of Huntsville received
the $3,000 Doherty award at commission
ing ceremonies Saturday.
At the graduate commencement cere
mony Friday, 333 graduate degrees were
awarded — 75 doctorates and 258 masters.
The main speaker at the graduate cere
mony was Dr. Frand Vandiver, vice-
president and provost of Rice University.
Vandiver addressed “Truth vs. Research.
He said “a channel of misunderstanding
existed between the real world and the
academic world until the 1960s.
After Sputnik, academics became
heroes, especially scientists.
“Scientists became the priesthood of
success, Vandiver said. Government af
fection toward research scientists became
great, and funding for applied research in
creased greatly, he said. With this in
creased government funding, Vandiver
added, research replaced education and
scientific methodoloy replaced learning in
universities. Many professors busy with
research handed their classes over to
teaching assistants.
Vandiver said a “patronship” evolved
between the federal government and uni
versities.
Vandiver warned against such a close re
lationship.
“Scholars must always be the most in
dependent of men,” he said, adding that
those who remain loyal to truth are
“Guaranteed no rose garden.’’
This year marks the first time that three
separate ceremonies were necessary to a
accommodate families and friends of Texas
A&M students receiving diplomas. Presi
dent Jarvis Miller said this may be due to
the fact that 90 percent of all Texas A&M
graduates receiving diplomas actually at
tend the commencement exercises.
Also appearing at the commencement
ceremonies were Clyde Wells, chairman
of the Board of Regents of the Texas A&M
University System; and Harvey Cash,
president of the Association of Former
Students. Both speakers brought greetings
and congratulations to the graduates.
ounty and state primaries
Many changes
in Brazos County
0U4 ' In Saturday’s primary elections, Brazos
(flU (Bounty voters chose to make many
wianges in area government positions.
I Travis Bryan III won the Democratic
la mawi pnmary for dish ict attorney by collecting
6 949 votes to incumbent Roland Searcy’s
1721. Since there was no Republican can-
~ dictate, Bryan will be the new district at-
4»rney.
In the Democratic primary for district
judge of the 85th Judicial District, Tom
le2 ''■cDonald Jr. beat William Vance by well
Motif <> v er 1,000 votes. The final vote was 7,388
For McDonald and 5,920 for Vance. There
as no Republican candidate for district
dge.
S
■a Sets
i & Ltd
t with
r Tea Ini
Former Bryan mayor Lloyd Joyce and
Dick Holmgreen will have a runofl to de
termine the Democratic candidate for
founty judge. Holmgreen received almost
3,000 votes more than Joyce, but Tommy
Janik and two other candidates drew
pough votes to counteract Holmgreen’s
ad and force a runoff. Candidates must
[arner a majority of the votes to win the
rimary.
In the Republican county judge prim-
y, John Raney beat Bill Owens, 234
[votes to 153. Raney will face the Democra-
: runoff winner in the November elec-
ms.
Democrat John Barron Jr. retained his
osition as county attorney by defeating
Ed Elmore, 7,135 votes to 5,762. There
was no Republican candidate for the posi
tion.
In the Democratic primary for county
commissioners, Walter Wilcox and
George Dunn will have a runoff for the
Precinct 2 position, while Bill Stasny won
the Precinct 4 position unopposed.
W. D. Burley kept his post as district
clerk by winning the Democratic election
unopposed.
Three of five justice of the peace
primaries were won unopposed by Demo
cratic candidates. There were no Republi
can candidates for justice of the peace.
Jerry Hutchinson won the Precinct 3
position unopposed, Joe Novosad won
Precinct 5 and A. P. Boyett Jr. won in
Precinct 7, Place 2.
Clyde Day defeated John Dockery for
the Precinct 1 Justice of the Peace posi
tion. Carolyn Hensarling took the Precinct
4, Place 2 election by heating Joe Marin
and Frank Kahan.
In the race for county tax assessor-
collector, incumbent Democrat Gerald
Winn beat challenger Gregory Rodriguez,
9,805 votes to 2,962. In the Republican
primary Ed Valenta won unopposed, and
will face Winn in the November election.
Democrat Bill Elkins ran unopposed
and won the county treasurer position,
since there was no Republican candidate
for the position.
John Hill
defeats Briscoe
Sen. Moore
iraises A&M
Texas emergence as a maritime state
vas emphasized Friday morning by state
ien. William T. (Bill) Moore of Bryan at
vioody College convocation ceremonies.
Sen. Moore said it was sad to note the
nited States, once dominant in the
naritime field, is now a minor maritime
Wwer.
“Steps can be taken to reverse the de
line of our merchant marine if the princi-
>al parties commit themselves to a suc-
essfiil solution,” he stressed.
“As a state, we can take a bow for taking
step in the right direction in correcting
his sad situation,” Moore said. “I am
)roud that Texas A&M University took on
he added responsibility and moved to
Deet the challenge.”
Starting new programs successfully has
>een the hallmark of Texas A&M, said the
ienator. And nowhere has this been more
he case than in maritime and marine sci
ence fields.
More than 200 students, parents and
university officials were on hand for the
Horning ceremony at the Mary Moody
Northern Student Activities Center on the
Mitchell Campus. The convocation in
cluded presentation of academic awards,
as well as U. S. Coast Guard licensing and
mmissioning ceremonies.
Texas Maritime Academy cadets who
completed United States Coast Guard re
quirements also received their third mate
or third engineer license.
Dr. William Clayton, president of
Moody College, congratulated the 54
graduating seniors for their many years of
work. Graduating seniors included 18 in
marine biology, 11 in marine engineering,
11 in marine science, 10 in marine trans
portation and three in maritime system’s
engineering.
The students will receive academic dip
lomas at the Texas A&M commencement
Saturday morning in College Station.
Currently there are five maritime
academies in the nation, and Moody Col
lege is the only one on the Gulf Coast. It
also is the only one that is part of a major
university.
“There can be no doubt that beginning a
part of Texas A&M gave the College a
major boost and placed it in a strong
academic posture,” Moore said.
“Moody College has come a long way in
a short time,” Moore said. “Moody Col
lege has the opportunity to provide the
leadership to get people thinking posi
tively about the sea once again and furnish
the impetus for moving ahead.
“As Texas truly becomes a maritime
state, it only seems logical that Moody
College and its maritime academy will
play a prominent role as the vanguard of
marine and maritime education,” he said.
Texas Attorney General John Hill de
feated incumbent Texas Gov. Dolph Bris
coe in the Democratic primary Saturday.
The victory virtually assures Hill of the
governor’s position, if state political tra
ditions run true.
Although results are still not final. Hill
has about 52 percent of the total vote to
Briscoe’s 42 percent. Preston Smith, who
was seen as the potential spoiler, came in a
distant third with slightly more than 5 per
cent of the vote.
In the Republican primary Bill Cle
ments defeated* Ray Hutchison, receiving
about three-fourths of the votes cast.
Briscoe had still not conceded the
Democratic election by Sunday, but Hill
has expressed confidence in his victory.
Hill’s confidence is supported by his lead
of almost 150,000 votes, with 246 of Texas’
254 counties reporting.
In Brazos County, Hill received 8,298
votes to Briscoe’s 4,897. In the Republican
vote, Clements took 236 votes in Brazos
County to Hutchison’s 158.
However, the Sixth Congressional Dis
trict Democratic race is not so clearly de
cided. Three candidates are so close that
officials are waiting until all results are in
to announce which two will be in the
runoff.
As of Sunday night, Chet Edwards led
with 21,029 votes. He was followed closely
by Phil Gramm with 20,813 and Ron God-
bey with 19,730. Edwards and Gramm
both received over 5,000 votes in Brazos
County, while Godbey got slightly more
than 1,000 votes.
In the Republican primary for the 6th
district, Wes Mowery defeated Carl
Krohn. Mowery will face the winner of the
Democratic primary for the position next
November.
Mark White surprised many by defeat
ing Price Daniel Jr. in the Democratic
primary for attorney general. White will
face unopposed Republican winner Jim
Baker for the position next fall.
U.S. Rep. Bob Krueger won the Demo-
W. Germany,
Russia sign
economic pact
United Press International
BONN, West Germany — Ailing Soviet
President Lenoid Brezhmev and Chancel
lor Helmut Schmidt signed an economic
pact Saturday but failed to make progress
on political and disarmament questions at
the end of three days of talks.
The talks, which concluded with
Brezhnev flying off to Hamburg after mak
ing a disarmament appeal on West Ger
man television, produced a 25-year eco
nomic cooperation pact to infuse Soviet
industry with West German technology.
Although they apparently got nowhere
on the thorny issue of Berlin, disagreed
over Cuban intervention in Africa and ex
pressed their desire for disarmament in
general terms only, both leaders called
their talks “necessary, useful and rich in
substance. ”
cratic primary for one of Texas’ U.S. Sen
ate seats by defeating Joe Christie.
Krueger will face incumbent Republican
Sen. John Tower, who won the Republi
can nomination unopposed.
Incumbent Democrat Bill Hobby won
the primary for lieutenant governor, and
he will face Republican winner Gaylord
Marshall, who ran unopposed.
Although Brazos County voters pre
ferred Harry Ledbetter over Warren G.
Harding in the Democratic state treasurer
primary, Harding won the state election
by almost 300,000 votes. No Republicans
ran for the position so Harding will be the
new treasurer.
Reagan Brown had no trouble beating
Joe Hubenak in the Democratic primary
for agriculture commissioner. Brown took
over 70 percent of the vote in Brazos
County, and about 53 percent of the
statewide vote. There was no Republican
candidate for the position.
Mack Wallace defeated John Henderson
in the Democratic primary for railroad
commissioner, and will assume the posi
tion because there was no Republican
candidate for it.
In an election to fill an unexpired rail
road commissioner term, Democrat Jerry
Sadler won a plurality but not a majority,
and will face John Poerner in a runoff.
James Lacy won the Republican race un
opposed for the unexpired term.
Bob Armstrong won the Democratic
race for land office commissioner. He was
unopposed and will assume the position
because there was no Republican candi
date.
Texas voters once again defeated the
issue of pari-mutuel horse race betting. If
approved, pari-mutuel betting would have
been presented to voters on a local option
basis.
The Beginning and the End
Finishing the term in fine style, 94 cadets were commissioned in
the Army, Navy, Air Force or Marine Corps (above) and later
passed in final review with the Corps of Cadets. Marine Corps
Commandant, four-star Gen. Louis H. Wilson (right), congratulates
one of the new Marine Corps 2nd lieutenants, Steve Harron,
a graduate in computing science. Instead of delivering the tradi
tional speech to the new officers about their career, Wilson ad
dressed U.S. military strength in relation to the Soviet Union. He
said Americans are in danger of losing their freedoms unless greater
effort is made to regain military might at least equal to that of
other superpowers. Saturday afternoon Company B-l seniors gave
their last salute during Final Review on the Drill Field. John
Weber (far right) left the University because of financial rea
sons. His company buddies asked him to come back for the senti
mental ceremony that marks the end of corps participation for
Senior cadets. Battalion photos by Pat O’Malley and Paige Beasley