California anti dashed over
Mnndav’s landings atteinot w;is ral-
weath^r had closed White Sands I
■
Aggieland
has come
a long way
by Sandra Kay Gary
Battalion Staff
In the beginning, Texas A&M
University had six students, six
instructors, one unfurnished
main building and no bathing
facilities.
Today Texas A&M has
32,463 students, about 2,0()() in
structors, at least 158 buildings
on the main campus and more
than 4,757 bathing facilities.
Texas A&M was founded in
1871, and opened for classes
Oct. 4, 1876, as the state’s first
public institution of higher
learning. Now it is designated as
both a land grant and sea grant
university.
Things clearly have changed in
the almost 106 years Texas
A&M has been an educational
institution./
Once upon a time a proposal
was made to turn the University
into a state hospital for the in
sane because wavering negotia
tions over funding problems
with the University of Texas
couldn’t be resolved.
Once upon a time a student
was attacked by a pack of hungry
wolves in front of the main
building as he was going to regis
ter for classes.
Once upon a time the social
organizations at the University
included a Fat Man’s Club and a
Bowlegged Man’s Club.
And now in the 1980s, nego
tiations about funding between
Texas A&M and UT still are
wavering, students still have to
fight their way to register for
classes and unique organizations
— such as Alpha Phi Omega and
the International Student Asso
ciation — are play a large role in
student life at the University.
Meanwhile, Texas A&M Pres
ident Frank E. Vandiver says the
University’s top priority for
1982 is to acquire better compu
ter facilities.
In his state of the University
address in February, Vandiver
said computer training should
be available to all students, but
because money isn’t available
the University is able to accom
modate only 25 percent of the
student body.
Another top priority, Vandiv
er said, is to solve the problem of
massive enrollment in the Col
lege of Engineering “without
throwing the baby out with the
bathwater.” Enrollments in en
gineering (11,418), agriculture
(4,877), architecture and en
vironmental design (1,665) and
veterinary medicine (431) are
the largest in the nation.
University officials including
Vandiver maintain that such
priorities are directed toward
the goal of making Texas A&M
an outstanding international in
stitution.
Page 3
Photo by Rose Marie Delano
Sparkling Waters
The water shooting from the of the mid-afternoon sunlight. A
fountain in front of the old star filter over the camera lens
Chemistry Building captures glints enhances the effect of the sunlight.
Changes in student government
reflect University’s development
TUDENT
IRNMENT
U N I V
by Robert Curlin
Battalion Reporter
The present form of student
government consists of more
than 100 elected positions and
recommends an almost S3 mil
lion budget f or student set s ices
— but it wasn’t always that com
plex.
Fhe earliest form of a student
senate at Texas A&M Universitv
began in the late 1940s, when
the civilian student council was
formed. The council was to
serve the needs of returning
veterans who were not required
to join the Corps of Cadets.
Around 1959, the civilian stu
dent council, which coordinated
civilians' dormitory councils,
merged with the Corps senate.
The newlv-formed senate's first
major decision dealt with the use
of revenue from the new Coca-
Cola machines on campus. Fhe
profits, it w as decided, would be
used to fund student activities.
Fhe earlv 1960s brought
drastic changes to the Texas
A&M student both and to its
student government.
The f irst female students and
the first black student were
admitted to the Universitv in
1963. In 1965, RO I C training
for students became non-
compulsory.
Shortly thereafter, the stu
dent government was reorga
nized into its three present bran-
E R S 1 T Y
cites: executive, legislative and
judicial. Along with the expan
sion caused by the three-branch
organization, student govern
ment expanded rapidly with
funding from the MSC Book
store.
Increasing enrollment — up
to the fall 1981 semester record
of more than 35,000 students —
not only brought new revenue to
the bookstore, but also a need
for expanded student services
which were to be funded by
bookstore profits.
Student Government now
makes budget recommenda
tions for student services such as
the A.P. Beutel Flealth Center,
the Personal Counseling Service
and the MSC Council. Those re
commendations are made
through channels to the Texas
A&M University System Board
of Regents, which takes final
budgetary action.
Student senators also have
discussed and made recommen
dations on legislation such as the
location of the new University
Press Building and catalog list
ings of courses which require
evening examinations.