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The Battalion
Texas A&M University
Thursday
March 12, 1981
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“When you get right down to it, there are no original excuses
for leaving for spring break early. "
Woman earning
for getting there
By DAVID S. BRODER
WASHINGTON — It has not been ex
actly a banner year for Republican women.
The only Cabinet-level job President
Reagan handed to a woman went to a
Democrat, Jeane Kirkpatrick, the ambassa
dor to the United Nations. Sub-cabinet and
senior White House staff jobs for women
have been scarce as — you should excuse
the phrase — hens’ teeth.
But last week a Republican woman
achieved something unprecedented. Nan
cy Sinnott, 30, was named executive direc
tor of the Republican Congressional Cam
paign Committee. So far as memory and
records show, she is the first woman to fill
the top professional staff job in any of the
“Big Three” political committees of either
party. Sinnott will be running a staff of 40
people and managing a budget of more than
$35 million in the two-year effort Republi
cans will make to end the Democratic ma
jority in the House of Representatives in
1982.
Each party has had a woman national
chairman once, in its past. Jean Westwood
was put in the Democratic chairmanship by
George McGovern and Mary Louise Smith
was named Republican National Chairman
by Jerry Ford. While protecting their pat
rons’ interests, they both hired their own
pros to manage their shops. Neither the
national committee, nor the senatorial cam
paign committee, nor the congressional
committee of either party had previously
found a woman it thought fit to fill the top
job reserved for a full-time political pro.
In that sense, Sinnott’s appointment is
another landmark in the slow but certain
emergence of women as full partners in the
working of the American democracy.
What the committee chairman. Rep.
Guy Vander Jagt (R-Mich.), who recom
mended Sinnott to succeed Steve Stock-
meyer, says about her reflects the standards
by which all women in politics would like to
be judged.
“Nancy earned the right to the job,”
Vander Jagt said. “She’s done her other jobs
here so well, she was the only choice.” Sin
nott has been on the committee payroll for
four years, the first two as a field represen
tative in New England and Illinois, the last
two as campaign director — the deputy to
the retired Stockmeyer.
“Being campaign director is the toughest
job in the whole committee,” Vander Jagt
said. “Every Republican representative
and senator is putting pressure on you to
back their own favorites, even when the
objective evidence indicates the money and
resources should go to other races. It takes
tremendous strength to say no to all those
people, and she is as tough as steel.
“But even when they’d been turned
When told that one right-wing political-
action committee director regards her as a
libertarian while another describes her as a
liberal, Sinnott does what any smart pol
would do. She laughs and says, “Well,
actually, Tm neither. I’m a Midwesterner
like Dave Stockman, and it’s easy for people
like us to be progressive on foreign policy
and civil rights, pragmatic in politics and
conservative in the economic area. Fiscal
sanity and personal freedom look to me like
they go hand-in-hand, and I don’t want the
government so out of check that it threatens
either one of them.”
In a season when they have few victories
to cheer, a great many women, including
Democrats who have no desire to see Sin
nott succeed too well in her job, are offering
congratulations to her for getting there.
Warped
Move A&M into 20th Century
down by her,” Vander Jagt added, “they’d
say, ‘She’s quite a lady. ”
Sinnott, whom an old chauvinist like my
self would describe, if I dared, as a slim
brunette with the looks of the young Joan
Bennett, is another kind of rarity in today's
Republican capital: an avowed feminist.
The child of a Chicago businessman, she
went to Wheaton College, in Mas
sachusetts, also taking courses at Williams
College.' ^
It was in the liberal tradition of the
underdog Massachusetts GOP that stie re
ceived her political training. While still in
college, she worked on the campaign staffs
of Gov. Francis Sargent and Lt. Gov.
Donald Dwight and then in their offices,
assisting in reorganization of the state’s
sprawling executive agencies into a
cabinet-style government and in the im
plementation of the school racial-balance
decisions.
At the urging of then-Sen. Edward W.
Brooke (R.-Mass.), she ran for vice chair
man of the state GOP in 1975 and defeated
three opponents for the job. In 1976, she
managed Arthur Mason’s House campaign
against then-Rep. Robert F. Drinan (D-
Mass.). Although Mason lost, his campaign
drew more Republican votes than any other
race any Republican has ever run in that
district.
It was the Mason campaign that brought
her to the attention of the Republican Con
gressional Campaign Committee, a power
house political operation that every two
years sets new records for its fund-raising
and campaign services.
As campaign director and now as execu
tive director, Sinnott has helped recruit and
elect Republicans of all varieties, working
as hard on the campaign of Clay Shaw, a
Florida conservative, as on that of Claudine
Schneider, a Rhode Island feminist — both
of whom were elected last fall.
By SAM GILLESPIE
and STEVE HENRY
We would like to address this letter to
Mr. Darrin Lewer, et. ah, who would
oppose State Rep. Foster Whaley’s propos
al to close Prairie View A&M University.
Our purpose is to clarify a position that
garners little support from the students of
Texas A&M and Prairie View, the State
Legislature, and the State of Texas. The
motivating concept that initiated this letter
can be simply stated: We believe it is time
to move higher education in Texas into the
20th century. The closing of Prairie View
A&M will be a significant and inevitable
step toward this goal and we hope that our
argument will be met with an open mind.
A brief history of educational segregation
would be the appropriate topic to begin our
case. In 1896, in the Plessy v. Ferguson
decision, the Supreme Court ruled that
segregation is constitutional as long as
“separate but equal” facilities are provided.
The “separate but equal” clause buttressed
the southern, and some northern, states’
insistence on segregating their public
school systems, and was the rationale for
not providing the black student with a qual
ity education. However, in 1954, the Sup
reme Court reversed its 1896 ruling, and in
the Brown v. Topeka Board of Education
case held that separate educational facilities
are “inherently unequal” and ordered the
states to integrate their schools “with all
deliberate speed.” And so it stands, 27
years later, within the Texas A&M Univer
sity System — we ignore the Court’s 1954
decision and continue to adhere to the con
cept of “separate but equal” facilities.
In your letter, Mr. Lewer, you stated
that the government should not determine
where an individual goes to college. Let us
say this before we go any further: We do not
quesiton the rights of individuals to seek
self-determination. As such, we are abso-
Guest
Column
lutely and unequivocally opposed to the
idea of government control over an indi
vidual’s decisions. However, Mr. Lewer,
this is not the central issue of conflict and,
unfortunately, you have missed the point
altogether. By closing Prairie View, Rep.
Whaley’s proposal is not forcing the stu
dents there to enroll in any certain universi
ty or college in Texas. The legislation is not
telling anyone where to go. Taken verbatim
from a letter Rep. Whaley wrote to the
president of Prairie View A&M, Dr. Alvin
I. Thomas, these are some of the things that
the House bill would do:
1. Every Student presently attending
Prairie View A&M would be permitted to
finish their four year course of study at
Prairie View A&M if they so desired.
2. Present students at Prairie View A&M
could transfer to non-segregated colleges
and universities without loss of credits.
3. Students who would transfer to non-
segregated universities would be exempted
from tuition and fees.
4. Tenured members of Prairie View
A&M faculty would be re-assigned by the
Coordinating Board of Colleges and Uni
versities at no loss of salary.
5. Incentives of $1000.00 per student and
$5000.00 per faculty member would be
given receiving colleges and universities to
encourage recruitment.
6. Proceeds from the sale of the property
would be used for grants for black students
only.
1
The effect of the proposed legislal
be three-fold. First, it will help the
A&M System comply with the spirit
1954 Brown v. Topeka Board of Ed®•]
ruling. Second, it would eliminate
ludicrous aspect of the A&M Systei
absolute insanity to offer a duplicity
vices under the umbrella of a sinj
tional system where both Texas Ai
Prairie View A&M share commongi
objectives and are only 60 miles apaif
is a horrendous and disgraceful w
money. Finally, a 15-minute stroll
the heart of the Texas A&M campm
evidence needed to prove that thers
very, very few black students herei
lege Station. In addition, only 164of]
View’s 4,547 students are white. If
View is closed, it is our sincere ho]
those students who would have attrj?
Prairie View will stay within the
A&M System and enroll at Texas
merely one hour’s drive from the h jjj>
View campus. This will please feden
vestigators who question our poll Dr.
minority recruitment, but more imp^jpsy*
ly, this chain of events will integrateffitalk:
A&M and allow black and white stink j
study in a cooperative atmosphen b
learn more about the attitudes and oi |
of one another.
One last word. We abhor racial hi
those who accuse us of such are d(
falsely and charges of that nature
met with vigorous protests. The fact
matter, Mr. Lewer (and all other
oppose Rep. Whaley’s proposal), is
you, and not us, who is advocating
educational institutions for black and^' if
students. |:als I
pres:
Sam Gillespie is a senior accounting®:'. ei
Steve Henry is a senior agriculturalm 0 f j
mics major. .. m ei
Lax
?C
rial
It’s your turn
Why supply arms instead of food?
Editor:
As the United States begins to supply
weapons to El Salvador, Saudi Arabia, and
possibly Afghanistan (in addition to our
long-standing arms recipients, such as
Israel), I would ask Mr. Reagan, Mr. Haig,
and their associates this: Why is it this na
tion’s mission and obligation to become the
“munitions factory,” not the “breadbasket,”
of the globe?
The new administration has resolved
that we can no longer afford to supply food
and medicine to others in the world who are
in need. But, in effect, we are not reducing
our “alms giving” overseas. We are simply
substituting guns for food.
Andy Parker
The U.S. government was supporting the
dictator shah. His hands were involved in
shedding the blood of innocent Iranian peo
ple. Did American people try to stop the
actions of their own government toward the
Iranian people? You, American people, if
you believe that the government of U.S.
and the people of U.S. are together, and if
you think that you care about human rights,
why don’t you do something before it’s get
ting late. Stop your government from sup
porting the dictator of El Salvador. I would
like to mention my solidarity with the Popu
lar Movement in El Salvador.
Behnam Rajabian
played their best game with tta, U|'
havior of the crowd Monday night? E&‘
tically, they were embarrassed antff
ably could not give their 100 pete
Please don ’t interpret this letter as ad"}
ing no enthusiasm at games —I’m i
favor of noise as long as it’s done witll
purpose of encouragement for our M
You’d be surprised what genuine si^
can do for team morale and hopefullyfei;
winning cause.
Carol Sullivail
No buying power
Solidarity for Salvador Wolpert’s the pits
Editor:
The situation in El Salvador is getting
more and more serious. As you hear the
news from this country every day, you hear
so far many innocent people were being
martyred. The question is why these people
are rising up. Do they have a popular gov
ernment from the people? Do they have
justice? Is there an equality among all clas
ses of society? If there are such problems
inside the country, can the people of El
Salvador have the ability to change the gov
ernment from dictatorship into a popular
government? The people of El Salvador are
as human as the other people of the world.
They can decide on what kind of govern
ment they want. As you hear the news from
here, the U.S. government is sending milit
ary advisers and war equipment to El Salva
dor. The U.S. government is making deci
sions for the people of El Salvador and in
terfering in the internal affairs of the coun
try and supporting the dictator of El Salva
dor to stay for a few days and to kill more
innocent people. The situation is exactly
like in Chile and Iran and other countries.
Editor:
C’Mon Dean Wolpert, winning isn’t ev
erything.
There are two responses I felt toward
Mr. Wolpert’s opinions expressed Monday
about turning “Jolly Rollie” into an intimi
dating pit. First — you’ve got to be kidding,
and second — I certainly hope the majority
of Ags do not feel the same way you do. The
sporting event is supposed to take place on
the courts. Fans may add to the excitement
of the game, yet they should not deteriorate
the quality of the athletic event. I also dis
agree with the idea that “rowdy” fans will
produce a winning team. Do you- actually
think that Rynn Wright and Vernon Smith
Editor:
An open letter to W.R. Paseworh
cerning assistantships:
You can’t pay for your groceries at Si;
with “opportunity.”
Donald Q. And 1
Correction
An article on Wednesday’s front pa?
correctly identified Dr. C.S. Giamas V
dean of science.” Giam is head of the
mistry department; Dr. Thomas Sugifc
dean of the College of Science.
The Battalion regrets the error.
7HI* X? ONE. TEST THIS
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I'M READY , HERE
By Scott McCullar
/VA/^E ?
FOR GOTTEN
N AN\ 6
WHAT'S MY NAME? WHAT
am i doing here.? who \re
THESE. PEOPLE? WHAT ARE
THESE MMZEPEP THTA/GS
on the page?
The Battalion
MEMBER
ISPS 045
Texas Press Association
Southwest Journalism Congress
Editor Dillard Stone
Managing Editor Angelique Copeland
Asst. Managing Editor Todd Woodard
City Editor Debbie Nelson
Asst. City Editor Marcy Boyce
News Editors Venita McCellon,
Scot K. Meyer
Sports Editor Richard Oliver
Focus Editor , Cathy Saathoff
Asst. Focus Editor Susan Hopkins
Staff Writers Carolyn Barnes,
Jane G. Brust, Terry Duran, Bemie Fette,
Cindy Gee, Kathleen McElroy, Belinda McCoy,
Marjorie McLaughlin, Kathy O’Connell,
Ritchie Priddy, Rick Stolle
Cartoonist Scott McCullar
Photo Editor Greg Gammon
Photographers Chuck Chapman
Brian Tate
.160
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Battalion, 216 Reed McDonald, Texas A&M Uni'* 51
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