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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 12, 1978)
1878 THE BATTALION Page 7 TUESDAY, DECEMBER 12, 1978 1978 r./vV-.':- - '/f. ’ • i A hundred years — and still going strong The Battalion celebrates hundredth year of service to Texas A&M University By DIANE BLAKE Battalion Staff What s black and white and has been read for 100 years? The Battalion, which celebrates its centenntial birthday this month, has been published under various names and formats since December 1878. It started out as The Texas Colle gian, became The College Journal in 1889 and then The Battalion in 1893. The Texas Collegian was a monthly newspaper published by the Austin and Calliopean literary societies. One of its editors was Temple Houston, son of Sam Hous ton. In its eight pages, the first Colle gian had articles concerning eloqu ence, the antiquity of man, the necessity of a college library and an editorial exhorting “Youth of Texas, do not Sow Wild Oats.” The Collegian also informed the 19th century Aggies of upcoming events. It advertised “Dances by the boys every Friday night.” However, the dances were “Strictly Private. No young ladies are expected or allowed to attend them. This is to prevent duels.” The editors of The Collegian noted, “Not more than two boys will be allowed to visit Bryan henceforth on Saturdays. This is to prevent nervous prostration.” From 1889 to January 1893 the publication was called The College Journal. It was a pocket-size news paper with a fancy gee-gaw cover which was popular for magazines in that Victorian era. In the fall of 1893, the paper was officially named The Battalion. Although there have been many changes in the style and format of The Battalion, some things remain the same. A letter to the editor in one of the early editions complained about too much English homework. Another student shot back that if he didn’t like it at Texas A&M, he “should re sign and go elsewhere.” In almost every year since its be ginning, The Battalion has printed In its eight pages, the first Col legian had articles concerning eloquence, the antiquity of man, the necessity of a college library and an editorial exhorting “Youth of Texas, do not Sow Wild Oats.” letters from people who feared that the school’s traditions were being violated or forgotten. In dozens of articles over the years, criticism of the football team was condemned. “STICK BEHIND THE TEAM, WIN OR LOSE,” a 1938 article ad monished. The first pictures ever printed in the paper were in the June, 1893 commencement issue. By 1904, The Batt was putting out weekly editions. In 1908, seven juniors of The Batt staff were suspended from school because of an editorial which criticized then-President Har rington. The head of the English STUDENTS WOULD LIKE BETTER TELEPHONE SERVICE 0§=y xn* *i^T 104 . T. C. IJ. Frogs to Arrive Friday Afternoon tm ti.O'o'- presidev» Vfpyer VUts i)m of fWsi Vrni*. Squatfs fhmiors AftfHlHi h'M Ihrm tjMn ■ , . V: : «irm. department was then ordered to censor all future issues of The Bat talion. By 1916, The Battalion proc laimed it had “the largest college circulation in the South!” When World War I broke out, the weekly editions did not get the news out fast enough. Then a faculty sponsored Daily Bulletin was pub lished by the publicity department of Texas A&M. A Publications Board was formed changes ‘for better’ Past editors speak out on Batt schpe'l'' By Diane Blake Battalion Staff h rts 100-year history, the Battal ion has had a wide variety of for- a ts, policies and problems, of the Batt in different eras relate just how much the news- jfiper has changed over the years, /our former editors, Carl Bran- O'n, E.M. Rosenthal, James K.B. Nelson and Thomas DeFrank talked W°ut their experiences as editor of th e school newspaper, j. Carl Brannin, 09, edited the Bat- lauon when he was a student in • He graduated with a degree in textile engineering, but says he’s n °t an Aggie. We were called ack then, he said. Long Horns During World War II, E.M. Menthol, 42, was editor of the ^ teas the highest-paying )°o for students in the South- foesf Conference,” Rosenthal said. i l bme editors were elected y the student body. The publica- °n, a 4-page weekly, had about ° n or four students working on it. rannin participated in the stu- ent uprising of 1908 in which he 1 not attend classes for six weeks n a non-violent protest. The stu- ents refund to a ttend because h ey disagreed with dent Harrir some of Presi- ngton’s policies. How- er , they did attend drill and eat at e j 11 ® 55 hall. They were not sus- e n ed from school for their par- nation in the protest. Uiu-ing World War II, E.M. Ro- ; n al, 42, was editor of the Batt. sh r) WaS highest-paying job for Southwest Confer- m ^ e ’, h°senthal said. “I got $55 a n h and the editor of the Long- 0r n in Austin got $50.” tim 1S Paper was published three es a week and was a morning pa- a j , worked during the day ad it printed at night,” he said, ton c' Sent hal became interested in f r A ln g on the Battalion after his eshrnan year at Texas A&M Uni- fro S *y when he received a letter 111 the editor inviting him to work on the newspaper. “I was really pleased. I felt really special and singled out,” Rosenthal said. “Then I found out that anybody that had made an A in freshman English had been asked to work, he said. The former editor said the Batt staff wasn’t “as independent as they would like to have been” in regards to administrative pressures over newspaper content. One interesting article they did publish was on Dec. 9, 1941. The Battalion read, “Jap planes reported over San Francisco.” “We were the only state news paper that carried it because we printed at night.” After the war, James K.B. Nel son, ’49, edited the Batt. In addition to the newspaper, the students pub lished a monthly tabloid. The paper averaged 8-12 pages, with 16-page special editions. Many of the students on the staff were veterans returned from World War H. . , Nelson said that while he worked the paper, the first Associated Press wire service to the Batt office began, the first automatic press was purchased, and a radio sports pro gram was begun. He said the newspaper was not reviewed before publication by the faculty, and the administration was “very interested in having a strong, active, quality newspaper. > However, Thomas DeFrank, 67, found in 1966 when he became editor that the administration s at titude toward censorship had changed. , . . , „ ^ He was fired from his job as Batt editor in October 1966 in a dispute over censorship. The president of the University, Earl Rudder, and the student publications director, Jim Lindsey, felt that the Battalion should be a puff sheet for the admin istration,” DeFrank said. “They felt that nothing in the paper should be critical of the Uni versity and they had sole authority over what was critical,” he said. “They had the right to see every thing before publication. We left all copy in the copy basket at night and if Lindsey didn’t like something - a cartoon, editorial, or news story - he threw it out,” DeFrank said. DeFrank said he thought this type of censorship “stifles student creativity.” DeFrank is now Newsweek magazine’s White House corre spondent. “If my life had gone to hell I might have been bitter,’ he said of his dismissal. “I feel I had the last laugh,” he said. DeFrank said the Battalion “has come a long way from the basemenl of the YMCA building” where the Batt office was located in the early 1960’s. “It has really grown up. The; people who run it have become more enlightened. Texas A&M has really changed for the better,” he said. “To work for the paper you have to be crazy or love it,” the White House correspondent said. Today there is no censorship exercised by the administration on the content of the Battalion, said Bob G. Rogers, head of the De partment of Communications. DeFrank said there were about 12 student staff - members when he was editor, and the newspaper looked much as it does today. How ever, then the newspaper had no af filiation with the journalism de partment. Battalion staffers got no course credits for their work on the paper. “It was a labor of love,” DeFrank said. “To work for the paper you have to be crazy or love it,” the White House correspondent said. “I love it and I’m probably crazy, too. “Then the paper was the center of your universe or you didn t last long. We really had to hump it to put the thing out,” he said. R-o.t. c H EApQUAPVTERS in 1931, with goals of putting an end to “slipshod, haphazard” ways of publication. After being published weekly for 36 years, in 1939, The Batt began publishing three times a week. That year also was the beginning of publishing during the summer. However, during World War II, paper, printer and student short ages forced The Batt to return to once-a-week publication. The Battalion resumed publica tion three times a week in 1946. In the school year 1947-48, The Batt got its first news wire, the As sociated Press, and its first automa tic press. In February 1954, the entire staff resigned their positions at the paper to protest a Student Life committee action which they charged would censor the college newspaper. The committee adopted a resolu tion to create a student publications committee which would “advise with and assist the editors in” the forming of policies. The then co-editors, Ed Holfjnd Jerry Bennett, said censorship could result from the committee because if an editor didn’t follow a commit tee member’s suggestion concern ing newspaper content, he could be fired. In 1958 several hundred copies of The Battalion were burned in pro test of the newspaper’s stand on coeducation. Editor Joe Tindel also found about a hundred copies in his office — torn neatly in half. The previous issue contained an editorial which said the move to ward coeducation at Texas A&M could be accomplished if it were implemented gradually. “After an ample period in which both the Corps and Civilians are deeply cognizant of their respon sibilities to A&M’s future and its traditions in relations to the stu dents, co-education on a full-time basis can be instituted,” the edito rial said. The result would be “Strong Corps and Civilian groups embrac ing the young women of Texas to make to Spirit of Aggieland even stronger,” it continued. In 1966, the censorship again was a problem. Editor Thomas DeFrank was fired in a dispute over whether the Student Publications Commit tee head should review copy before the paper went to press. Many changes have occurred at The Batt in the 12 years since De- Frank was fired. Now the paper’s content is solely the responsibility of the student editor, with no censor ship by the faculty or administra tion. The office has moved from the YMCA building to Reed McDonald and in 1975 journalism students began submitting stories to The Bat talion as part of some course re quirements. For the first time, student publi cations and the journalism depart ment would be coordinated. The new program was designed to provide student with more profes sional working experience and The Battalion with an increase in man power. In July 1976, The Battalion ob tained its own computer system which eliminates the need for spe cially trained typesetters for news production. At the beginning of the 1977-78 school year The Battalion became a daily for the first time, and the fol lowing summer it began three- times-a-week publication for the first time. The first elected woman editor, Kim Tyson, was elected to head The Battalion starting this semester. One other woman, Roxie Hearne, took over the editor’s position for a spring semester, when David Breedlove resigned in the fall of 1975. And Debbie Krenek was elected summer editor this last sum mer. Since the early 1970s, when women were admitted to Texas A&M, they have held various ed itorial positions on The Battalion staff. The paper has seen other changes in 1978. The Batt now averages 12 pages an issue. The advertising vol ume is also up about 27 percent from 1977-78. Other additions have been “Focus,” an entertainment section published every Thursday, and The Agriculturist, which was published for the first time Dec. 3 as a tabloid insert by agricultural communica tions majors, and is scheduled to become a once-a-semester publica tion. . BASEBALL SEASON TO OPEN HERE TUES. SPORTS BITS “We worked all night and glected our studies and killed our selves to get the paper out,” De- Frank said. “Well, we have Infantry, Cavalry, Field Artillery, and Navy, but no Waves . . . yet!” Courtesy of University Archives Riilrwn Bin Sih L«trps \rea (IwmpMinslHji ?****• <«* T; VggW* to H*y IMis I..«*>•<- „ j y\», vi,i,r.>« i-at Intramural <m»H 1« (« t I ruirr wav Thiv Beck