Texas A&M
Bears give
A&M victory
See pages 9 and 10
Barbecue
to benefit
Bonfire
See page 3
Battalion
Serving the University community
College Station, Texas
Monday, October 18, 1982
x-first lady
ess Truman
ead at 97
United Press International
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Bess Tru-
lan, the former first lady described
! the late President Harry S. Tru-
an as “The Boss,” died today of con-
estive heart failure. She was 97.
K Truman died on arrival at Re
arch Medical Center. Her doctor
id her condition was complicated by
bleeding ulcer which caused a re-
ent hospitalization.
No family members were at the
lospital when death came.
_
“She was dead on arrival,” hospital
pokesman Tom Peck said. “She was
irought to the hospital early today
nd pronounced dead at 4:38 a.m.”
Dr. Wallace Graham, Truman’s
ngtime physician, said the cause of
eath was congestive heart failure,
e said no autopsy would be con-
ucted, but a news conference was .to
held at 9 a.m. CDT to discuss de-
ils of the death.
Peck said the death was related to
he bleeding ulcer that recently hos-
bitalized Truman.
At the White House, a spokesman
aid, “The president was saddened to
barn of her death this morning.”
Born Bess Wallace Truman, the
widow of Harry S. Truman, the 33rd
president of the United States,
zealously guarded the privacy of her
personal life in her Final years at the
17-room mansion where she grew up
in Independence, Mo.
Following the death of her hus
band on Dec. 26, 1972, Truman rare
ly left the spacious frame house a few
blocks from the Truman Library that
friends said she always liked “a lot
better than Pennsylvania Avenue” —
the White House.
The oldest living former first lady
maintained a quiet existence with the
aid of a housekeeping staff of two
women and a handyman and a Secret
Service detail.
A recurring case of arthritis and
other ailments necessitated first that
she use a cane, then a wheelchair, and
finally those illnesses severely re
stricted her visits to the beauty shop
and the Truman Library.
The only daughter in a family of
four children, Truman was born Feb.
13, 1885. She was 18 when her father
died and her widowed mother re
turned with the children to live with
Bess’ Grandmother Wallace.
Bike accident
.staff photo by Diana Sultenfuss
Elizabeth Harnden, 24, a graduate student in English, is
treated for head injuries by the University Emergency
Medical Team. According to the University Police report,
Harnden was turning south on her bicycle onto Ireland
Street from Parking Lot 7, near the A8cA Building,
Friday morning when she swerved to avoid another
bicycle and collided with Alberto Livore, who was riding
his bicycle south on Ireland. Harnden was treated for
minor head injuries and released. Livore was not injured
in the accident.
emayel visits U.S.; Israel nearing agreement
United Press International
President Amin Gemayel flew to the United
Btates Sunday to seek aid for rebuilding Leba-
a, leaving his army under orders to move
Mo the mountains southeast of Beirut to halt
lighting between Christian and Druze Mos
lem militias.
Orders for the Lebanese army to replace
Israeli troops in the rocky Shouf mountain
region overlooking Beirut airport came after
uemayel conferred with leaders of the two
factions before boarding a special Mid
dle East Airlines flight for New York.
Injerusalem, the Israeli cabinet at its regu
arweekly meeting heard an optimistic report
on the prospects of a trilateral agreement
being reached soon with Washington and
Beirut over security in south Lebanon.
Cabinet Secretary Dan Meridor indicated
Israel may soften its opposition to an interna
tional peace-keeping force there, provided it
plays only a secondary role in policing a 27-
mile buffer zone north of the Israeli frontier.
Previously, Israel had said it was opposed to
having any foreign forces in south Lebanon.
“I don’t think there’s a big gap,” Meridor
said of the Israeli and U.S. positions outlined
last week during meetings between Israeli
Foreign Minister Yitzhak Shamir and Secret
ary of State George Shultz.
In Beirut, government sources said
Gemayel and his nine-man team of top
Lebanese officials would seek help in
Washington for rebuilding Lebanon and its
army, a key to the restoration of law and order
in the country torn by seven years of warring.
The 40-year-old lawyer is scheduled to
address the U.N. General Assembly today be
fore moving on to Washington for a meeting
Tuesday with President Reagan.
Reagan was expected to announce a $10
billion loan during the first official visit to the
United States ever by a Lebanese president,
the sources said.
State-run Beirut radio said Sunday the
Lebanese army would go into the Shouf
mountains “after Israeli troops in the region
complete their withdrawal.” It said about 200
Israeli soldiers were gathering up their gear
in the village of Kfar Shoum in preparation
for their withdrawal.
Fighting between the right-wing Lebanese
Christian Phalangists and leftist Druze has
been going on in the mountains for months,
but intensified last week into sustained artil
lery and mortar duels that reportedly killed
15 people.
Druze leaders called five days ago for the
Lebanese army to enter the area to stop the
fighting, claiming the Israelis were encourag
ing the Phalangists to go on with the battle.
Apparently preparing for the arrival of the
Lebanese regulars, the Israelis moved lum
bering Mack truck tank transporters into the
foothills of the Shouf and closed off some of
the narrower mountain roads to ordinary
traffic.
But one Israeli officer said he had not yet
received orders to withdraw his two Amer
ican-made M-60 Patton tanks and two
armored personnel carriers.
“We’re here to keep the peace between the
two factions and I haven’t received any orders
to move,” said the Israeli officer who identi
fied himself only as Lt. Uri.
‘Bad news’: campus priest
to be moved from A&M
staff photo by Diana Sultenfuss
Grin and bear it
Matt Batchelor, a senior computer science major from
Orange, poses with the Baylor University mascot, a
North American black bear cub named Judge Charles.
Batchelor’s sister, Mary, is a student at Baylor. For
related stories, see pages 9 and 10.
by Janet Joyce
Battalion Reporter
Clad in beige slacks, a light-colored
sport shirt and a maroon sweater, Bill
Brooks walks briskly across the Texas
A&M campus. Students, faculty and
staff greet him as they pass. A few
stop to chat.
But instead of the cheerful faces he
usually sees, their expressions are sad.
And their conversations begin with,
“I heard the bad news.”
The “bad news” is that the Rev.
William C. “Bill” Brooks — Catholic
priest, campus minister to more than
12,000 Catholic students — has been
transferred anter four and a half
years and will leave Tuesday for his
new home in Luling.
Brooks has been part of Aggie life
during his years here. He has gone to
Fish Camp each year, regularly visits
the bonfire cutting site and is an hon
orary member of the Century Singers
and Singing Cadets.
Among the many people upset ab
out his leaving is Dr. Carolyn Adair,
director of student activities.
“I don’t really understand why the
(Roman Catholic) Church would
move a person away from an area in
which he so strongly excels,” Adair
said. “Father Bill has been such an
important influence on thousands of
students. I’m sorry for those in the
future who will not know him.”
Janie Metzer, a secretary for stu
dent activities and the Student ‘Y’,
said Brooks has worked well with stu
dents of all denominations.
“I’m not Catholic but that doesn’t
make any difference,” she said. “I
think he’s wonderful and not only the
Catholic (students) but the Protestant
Rev. William C. Brooks
students, well, anybody — they’ve just
always counted on him as a friend and
he’s been there when they’ve needed
him.”
Carol Lilley, a junior mechanical
engineering major from Yoakum,
worked with Brooks.
“When I first met Father Bill, I
sometimes wondered if he ever stop
ped talking because he’s such an out
going person,” Lilley said. “But when
it comes to counseling, he always
seems to know when to talk and when
to listen and most of the time he lis
tens. He can really help you get things
back into perspective.”
Brooks brought a variety of experi
ences to College Station.
He was born in Cincinnati in 1940.
He began singing professionally in
high school and has sung with the
Buffalo and Cincinnati symphonies
and the New York Metropolitan
Opera.
Selling insurance full time, Brooks
went to school at night and received a
bachelor’s degree in economics in
1961. He was named the Outstanding
Man of Cincinnati the same year.
In 1963, Brooks received a second
bachelor’s degree — this one in
psychology. He worked as a medical
technician to finance his education
and enlisted in the Marine Corps Re
serves.
In 1965, Brooks — who was raised
in the Church of Christ —joined the
Roman Catholic Church. In 1970, he
entered the Franciscan Community
in Centerville, Ohio, where he stu
died theology. He spent two and a,
half years living in monasteries — one
in Centerville, and another in Olden-
berg, Ind.
He left the Franciscans in
1975, planning not to be a priest.
Then a friend encouraged him to
look at the Austin diocese. On Sept.
27, he was ordained a deacon and was
ordained a priest seven months later.
Brooks came to St. Mary’s on June
1, 1978, arriving at a parish that had
minimal attendance on Sunday and
was in such financial trouble that it
was doubtful his $250 a month salary
would be paid. Today, he leaves a par
ish that is financially sound, and has
standing-room-only crowds' at four
Sunday masses in a building that offi
cially seats about 800 people.
“We’re all going to miss him,” Lil
ley said. “In fact, the Aggies will prob
ably overload Luling’s telephone lines
as soon as Father Bill hits town.”
As a parting gesture, a yell practice
will be held for Brooks at noon Tues
day at St. Mary’s.
Cheap Trick
ticket sales
postponed
Tickets for Cheap Trick will not
be on sale today. They will go on
sale Wednesday morning at Rud
der Box Office. Call MSC Town
Hall at 845-1515 for further infor
mation.
inside
Around town 4
Classified 6
National 7
Opinions 2
Sports 11
State 6
Today’s Forecast: High of about
82, low in the upper 50s. Warming
slighty with high haze.