Viewpoint
The Battalion Friday
Texas A&M University October 27, 1978
Letters to the editor
What’s the story. President Miller?
Editor:
President Miller:
1 How naive do you think we are? After
watching Coach Emory Bellard break
down into tears professing his love for this
school, and that this is the only school he
ever wanted to be associated with, I find it
incredible that you believe people can
swallow your press release contending that
fhere was no pressure to force his resigna
tion. To believe that Emory Bellard would
forsake his team in the middle of a season
on his own volition is the height of folly.
. “I want people to understand why, I
didn’t just get frustrated and quit” were
Bellard’s words. Well, I want to under
stand too, and I believe you know a lot
more than you’re letting on.
Who is ultimately responsible for the
decision to railroad Bellard? Perhaps you
could begin your explanation with the
exact order of events that transpired in
your office during Bellard’s fateful visit.
— Andy Sawyer, 80
Editor’s note: this letter was accom
panied by four other signatures.
No one’s fault
Editor:
“Who is to blame for Emory Bellard’s
resignation.” That question is monopoliz
ing Texas A&M. Last week, few people
had a favorable opinion of our coach, and
now everyone is rushing to defend him.
But no one is suggesting anything con
structive for A&M; we are too busy push
ing blame on everyone else. At first, the
football team and coaches swore that the
Former Students, the 12th Man, and The
Battalion were responsible.
Now, Bellard has turned an unwar
ranted mob attack on President Miller and
the Board of Regents. Bellard was not
forced to resign, at least not at this time,
but he himself made an emotional decision
to quit “to preserve his dignity. ” How can
we blame anyone else for Bellard’s deci
sions?
In two days, we are facing a team whose
winning season is defined solely by their
desire to beat A&M. As Aggies, we must
stop useless bickering and pull together to
back the team feeing Rice and the remain
der of a difficult season. For only a united
school can “preserve its dignity” and the
proud reputation of being Texas A&M
University.
— Lynne Andrus, ’79
Paper victory
Editor:
I know that by the time the Batt has had
a chance to print this letter the recent in
justice to Coach Emory Bellard will prob
ably have been calmly swept under the
carpet. I felt compelled, though, to air my
views.
First may I say that I, as many others
have, voiced negative reactions concern
ing the outcome of the last two games. I
did not believe nor do I believe now, those
losses to be paramount reason for the dis
missal of a head coach. Coach Bellard’s
record sp>eaks for itself and to coin an old
phrase, “Ya have ya good days and ya have
ya bad!”
Second, I address myself to the “distin
guished” alumni (and I use the term
loosely!), who so graciously thought to take
things into their own hands.
Gentlemen, if the Cotton Bowl trophy
means so much to you as to have a coach
removed because we won’t make it this
year, I have a proposal. Contact me and I
will personally undertake the task of mak
ing you a paper-mache replica of that
tropby, for — dear Aggie alumni — that is
what the trophy will mean to me and
maybe a few others, if and when we win it,
without Coach Bellard.
—Cathy Ruedinger, ’78
P.S. With the large amount of money you
have spent on trying to get rid of Coach
Bellard, you could have purchased several
cheap imitations to display on your man
tel.
What we deserve?
Editor:
It is a sad commentary on all of us Ag
gies that we can put so much pressure on
the man who has done more for Texas
A&M athletics than any other that he is
forced to quit.
Emory Bellard took us from the peren
nial doormat of the SWC to respectibility
— more. He took us from nothing and
molded our football teams into national
powers. Under Emory Bellard football was
no longer an Aggie joke.
Emory Bellard won more football games
than anv coach at Texas A&M since before
World War II. He gave us our consecutive
winning seasons. He took us to three con
secutive bowl games. In six and one-half
seasons his teams won 48 and lost 27, a
.640 percentage. Exclude his first two
seasons, when he was playing with other
peoples’ athletes, and his winning per
centage is .754.
Emory Bellard’s football teams filled
Kyle Field to 110 percent of capacity and
created the need to expand the stadium to
72,000 seats. Everywhere his teams went
the season’s largest crowds followed. Play
ing the Aggies was a big pay day for
everyone else.
But more than all of that, Emory Bellard
is a class guy. A man who represented
Texas A&M University at the highest
level. A man all of us could be, and were,
proud of. I still am, and always will be.
So, we’ve run him off. Who do we get
next? Another Gene Stallings? Another
Hank Foldberg? Another Jim Myers? I
hope we don’t get what we deserve!
— J. Barry Hart, ’56
Aggie Club Member
Century Club Member
Respects Bellard
Editor:
Whoever coined the old cliche “You
can’t argue with success” must have never
endured the agony of a football season.
How can an individual be successful
48 times in 75 tries and still be labeled a
failure? Such is the case of now ex-coach
Emory Bellard.
Certainly Emory made his share of mis
takes, but don’t we all? Emory’s biggest
mistake was his own fault. He built a pro
gram so good that even the smallest mis
take could send the heads or head in this
case rolling.
As an ex-sports writer with both The
Battalion and The Eagle I have covered
my share of Aggie games both in the con
fines of Kyle Field and on the road, travel
ing with the team. Many times have I
cussed the play selection, but never the
man.
Head coaches at Aggieland come and
go. I saw my first Texas A&M football
game in 1955 when a man named Bryant
headed the “maroon and white.” Meyers,
Foldberg, Stallings, I have met them all,
but I know Emory Bellard. He is a fine
man and we as former and present stu
dents have lost a great asset at Texas
A&M.
I have every hope and confidence in
Tom Wilson and the rest of the Aggie staff.
They will do a good job as will the young
men who represent A&M on Saturdays.
While I am not as close to this team as I
have been to past teams having changed
fields, still I know many players who not
only respected the man but loved him as
well. They all too well realize the loss.
If this sounds like an endorsement
editorial, it is just my rusty journalistic tal
ents coming to a head. Objectively a
change may well have been in order. That
is not for me to judge. If this change brings
success and winning back to Kyle Field
Saturday I will be no less than thrilled.
But just take moment to remember who
laid the foundation for that success.
Emory is gone, but the ground work he
laid for the winning tradition in Aggieland
should at least be praised.
— Barry Donnelly, ’70
Old Ag control
Editor:
This letter is in reference to an article in
the Oct. 26 Houston Post entitled, “Pitt
Assistant Johnson Confirms Aggies Ap
proached Him About Job.”
I would like to know: What gives former
students the right to attempt to fill a job
which is neither available nor is theirs to
fill?
If I understand correctly, contributions
by former students are made to aid the
athletic department and to provide for ath
letic scholarships. I don’t believe their
money permits them to control the foot
ball team. I also do not believe that former
students should act as an employment
service.
In closing, I would like to express my
sincere hope that an academic club made
up of former students is never formed. If it
is, they will probably throw students out
for making B’s.
— Mark Hudgens, ’82
P.S. To Emory Bellard: I know this is no
consolation, but you will always have my
respect, and if you ever coach again, you
will always have my support.
Ticket bill unfair
Editor:
I am concerned with the seemingly
haphazard manner in which the student
senate is proposing to deal with the Arkan
sas football game ticket allocation.
The bill, No. 78-029-(6), basically reads
that on Nov. 7 a student and-or date can
present their coupon book for a numbered
token in which a matching token will be
placed in a lottery. On Nov. 9 a drawing
and issuance of tickets will take place
where at both the lottery token holder and
date must be present in order to collect
tickets.
I find several blatant erorrs in this sys
tem that should warrant its defeat. (1)
There is no NO PROVISION to allow a
group of people to go to the game. The
ONLY way you can go is with a date or
alone. A carload of four girls-guys wanting
to go to the game together would face tre
mendous odds against all their names
being drawn.
(2) There is NO RELATIVE ADVAN
TAGE given to SENIORS to enable them
to watch, in Little Rock, the AGGIES play
Arkansas for the seniors’ last time as stu
dents.
(3) There is NO PROVISION for stu
dents who attend classes on Thursday,
Nov. 9 at 5 p.m. This is the lottery draw
ing time as outlined in the bill.
(4) Issuing such a limited number of
tickets a full week and two days in advance
of the game allows students the opportu
nity to resell their tickets for profit (scalp
ing) with a minimum of effort and risk.
stature and position in society that the
general has attained, would be more in
clined to intellectual debate rather than
demogogic appeal to the emotions of his
audience.
Specifically, I have the following criti
cisms to make:
The comment that “the need for women
in the Armed Forces is a reflection on the
men of this country” is a blatant sexist re
mark. This was made in the context of an
answer to a question about women in the
Forces. It was very clear from further
comments (as well as jokes) that the gen
eral is opposed to any advances in wo
men’s rights.
The general denied the existence of rac
ism in the Armed Forces. It is well
known that there is a fairly large amount of
racisim in all branches of the Armed
Forces. Talking of the recent conflict in
Zaire, the general said “you all heard that
a large number of Caucasians were killed.”
He neglected to mention that there were
thousands of people (of all races!) killed,
not only Caucasians.
I would also like to point out the follow
ing factual error:
The general said that “South West Af
rica (Namibia) has been under the aegis of
the United Nations.” This is totally incor
rect. South Africa was given a mandate by
the League of Nations to rule S.W. A. This
was withdrawn by the United Nations.
South Africa has; governed the territory
for at least 30 yevirs.
I hope that the people in charge of the
U.S. Arpied Forces at the moment are of a
higher caliber than General Westmore
land.
— Leonard R. Seelig, graduate student
Editor’s note: We can’t vouch for the
general’s competence in analyzing the
international situation, but The Battalion
did incorrectly report one of his state
ments through an editing error. The gen
eral said that Cuba’s army is proportional
ly three times the size of the U.S. Army,
not three times the size in raw numbers.
The Battalion regrets the error.
No harm intended
Editor:
Ever since I moved into Spence Hall
two and a half years ago I have enjoyed
watching the Corps’ evening formation. I
kinda liked watching the formalities.
Last night, I was watching from my
window when an Air Force senior yelled at
me, “Why are you watching. You think
we’re a zoo?”
He said a little more too.
My answer, Mr. Hot Shot is “No, I
don’t think you’re a zoo.” I meant no
harm, no disrespect. But, mister, you
blew the ideal of “knightly gentleman.”
You weren’t exactly being a friendly Ag
either. Since my watching bothers you so
much. I’ll quit. If you wonder why some
non-regs are not impressed with the
Corps, just look in the mirror buddy.
— Ellen King, ’79
Taps ‘marred’
Editor:
Can X have y>ur
S^par Sandwich:
I feel that it would be harmful to pass
this bill that discriminates against so many
Aggies in such an open manner and
provides scalpers with an ample amount of
time to get a “good” price.
I solicit all you Good Ags (groups with
reserved rooms in Little Rock, seniors,
people with classes at 5 p.m. on 11-9, and
all potential scalper victims) who are or
were planning to go to Arkansas to
STRONGLY urge your senators to vote
NO on the Arkansas Ticket Lottery Bill.
— Mike T. Oswalt, ’81
General uninspiring
Editor:
I have the following comments to make
on the speech given by General
Westmoreland.
I have rarely heard such a naive, un-'
sophisticated and simplistic interpretation
of the international situation. Part of this
could be excused by the broadness of the
topic (Trouble Spots Around the Globe) on
which the general spoke.
One should expect that a man with the
While attending Silver Taps Tuesday, I
was disturbed by the actions of a few
couples present. It appeared to me more
like the lights were out at Midnight Yell
Practice than a solemn farewell to a fellow
student.
These individuals’ blatant outward show
of affection for each other marred the at
mosphere of dignity that this ceremony
represents. I should only wish that these
few isolated couples would sacrifice a few
moments of their time together and reflect
the true meaning and reason of Silver
Taps.
— Paul Schmidt. ’79
Correction
The Battalion incorrectly re
ported in a cutline Thursday that in
formation about some off-campus
apartment parties this weekend
could be found at Hassle-Free
headquarters in the MSC. Hassle-
Free operates out the Puryear Hall
lounge, across from the YMCA
Building.
The Battalion regrets the error.
Top of the News
CAMPUS
Heaton Hall dedicated tomorrow
The building that houses the Office of Admissions and Records will
be officially named H. L. Heaton Hall on Saturday.
The late Dean Heaton retired in 1969, ending 36 years at Texas
A&M University. Heaton signed more than 50,000 diplomas during 13
years as registrar. In his last year at Texas A&M, Heaton became the
first dean of admissions and records.
The dedication ceremonies will begin at 9:30 a. m. in the Harrington
Education Center, Room 108. Clyde H. Wells, chairman of the the
Texas A&M University System Board of Regents, heads the program,
which will be followed by building tours and refreshments at Heaton
Hall.
STATE
Texas faces tougher air controls
A $2 million federal Environmental Protection Agency grant to the
Texas Air Control Board includes some restrictions linked to a re
quired new statewide implementation plan. A special provision of the
new grant is development of a new state implementation plan by Jan.
1, including a transportation control program to reduce automobile
emissions where needed. An inspection maintenance program is re
quired by law for cities like Houston that will not meet federal ozone
limits by 1982. Ozone is a key element in smog. Regional EPA air chief
Ray Lozano said a new federal lead standard may be a problem in some
areas, again including Houston where there is a secondary lead smel
ter.
Cullen Davis petitions for bail
Defense lawyers have asked the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals in
Austin to free millionaire T. Cullen Davis on bond pending his Hous
ton trial on solicitation of capital murder charges. The court has
scheduled a hearing for Nov. 7 on defense lawyer Richard Haynes’
appeal of State District Judge Wallace Moore’s refusal to allow bail for
Davis. The Fort Worth industrialist remained in the Harris County Jail
on charges he tried to hire the murder of Judge Joe Eidson, who at the
time presided over Davis’ stormy and still incomplete divorce from his
wife, Priscilla. The solicitation of capital murder trial is scheduled to
start Monday.
NATION
Eastern liable for ’75 crash
Eastern Airlines was negligent and liable for the 1975 crash of a
Boeing 727 that killed 113 people at Kennedy Airport, a U.S. District
Court jury ruled Wednesday. The plaintiffs contended during the
five-week trial in Brooklyn, N.Y., tnat the Eastern pilot had been
aware of weather problems and should not have attempted to land.
Eastern blamed Federal Aviation Administration controllers and the
weather for the crash. Ten of the 36 lawsuits resulting from the crash
have not been settled out of court. Money damages in the remaining
lawsuits will be determined by settlement or by future trials.
Remington recalls firearms
Remington Arms Co. is recalling 200,000 rifles and pistols made
between 1963 and February 1975 after settlement of a $6.8 million
lawsuit filed by an Austin man who claimed he was shot and partially
paralyzed by a defective rifle. The recall of Remington’s XP-lOOpistols
and their Model 600, Model 660 and Mohawk 600 rifles went into
effect Wednesday, although the Bridgeport, Conn., company is not
required to recall the guns under the court settlement. Remington is
replacing the trigger mechanisms, and the recalled guns can be serv
iced at local dealers.
Carter stumping in 10 states
President Carter headed for Tennessee and Florida Thursday in his
seventh campaign foray this year for Democratic candidates. In Ten
nessee, Carter will stump for Jake Butcher and Jane Eskind, who are
running for governor and senator respectively. In Florida the presi
dent will support gubernatorial candidate Robert Graham. He is
scheduled to stump in three New England states this weekend and
next week will make a cross-country finale to New York, Michigan,
Illinois, Oregon and California.
WORLD
Nobel Peace Prize may be Sadat’s
The 1978 Nobel Peace Prize will be announced today at 5 p.m. (noon
EDT) in Oslo, Norway, two weeks later than normal, the Nobel
committee said Thursday. The Nobel committee deliberates in sec
recy, but the committee has given two possible indications why the
announcement has been delayed — they could not agree on a winner,
or that they wanted to see how the Egyptian-Israeli peace talks went
before making any decision. President Anwar Sadat of Egypt has been
the most mentioned likely winner for his precedent-shattering trip to
Jerusalem last year which launched a peace drive culminating in the
present talks on a peace treaty.
Typhoon Rita threatens Manila
Typhoon Rita, 125 miles east of Manila and moving west at 19 miles
an hour with 137 miles-per-hour winds, is the most powerful storm to
hit the Philippines in eight years. There were no immediate reports of
casualties. Intermittent heavy rains and wind gusts pelted the Philip
pine capital of 7.5 million persons. The storm disrupted communica
tions and forced the suspension of all domestic air services. Stormy
weather was expected to last four to five hours in the city.
WEATHER
Fair to partly cloudy, mild afternoons, cool nights with Eas
terly winds at 10 mph. High in the mid 70’s and a low for
Saturday morning in the upper 40’s. The temperature for
Saturday’s game will be in the mid 70’s.
The Battalion
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
editori(d staff reserves the right to edit such letters and does
not guarantee to publish any letter. Each letter must be
signed, show the address of the writer and list a telephone
number for verification.
Address correspondence to Letters to the Editor, The
Battalion, Room 216, Reed McDonald Building, College
Station, Texas 77843.
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MEMBER
Texas Press Association
Southwest Journalism Congress
Editor Kim Tyson
Managing Editor Liz Newlin
Assistant Managing Editor . Andy Williams
Sports Editor David Be
City Editor Jamie Aitken
Campus Editor Steve Lef
News Editors Debbie Parsons
Beth Calhoun
Staff Writers Karen Rogers, Marl
Patterson, Scott Pendleton,
Sean Petty, Michelle Scudder,
Marilyn Faulkenberry, Diane
Blake Lee Roy Leschper, Jr.
Cartoonist Doug Graham
Photographer Ed Cunnius
Focus section editor Gary Welch
Opinions expressed in The Battalion are
those 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 Battalion is a non-profit, self-
supporting enterprise operated by students
as a university and community newspaper
Editorial policy is determined by the editor,
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