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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (April 18, 1983)
'v.' >' Monday, April 18, 1983/The Baltalion/Page 7 aren ts Where would Aggies be without them? Hny Aggies donated a good pan of their weekend to say ; ; Hiks to a special group of | ftxas A&M supporters — Aggn; parents. Hlhe ninth annual Parents’ Weekend was held Friday through Sunday, with a full Bedule of events designed to sho v visiting parents Aggie tra ditions and hospitality at its best. B’he weekend was culminated tHday by the naming of Mr. and Mrs. William Osborn, of IRn, as Texas A&M’s “Parents ■tlii' Year.” The Osborns were ■unrated for the honor by pir youngest daughter, Gard- per, a Texas A&M senior. Mrs. Osborn explained that they have their own special Aggie tradition: “It goes back to my Dad (Roy D. Golston) who had his own private scholarship program. He put 40 to 50 boys through Texas A&M — includ ing my husband. The way he worked it was that he would pay for their room, board, tuition and books and then lay the bur den on them to help someone else when they got out of school.” The Osborns have done a good job of carrying out that heritage. They have helped sev eral students through Texas A&M and a few more through other schools. “We need more and more skilled people in this country, and the more people we can educate the better off we’ll be,” said Gardner. The Osborn’s own children also reflect that belief. Three daughters have graduated from Texas A&M. Gardner plans to graduate this year, and son Bill hopes to begin his college educa tion next year. “They’ve shown an excellent example for their children, and they’ve been there when stu dents needed thtjm,” said Wally Brewster, a senior from Tyler and coordinator of continuing education for Student Govern ment, which made the selection. Almost 20 letters recom mending the Osborns for the award back up that conclusion: “The most outstanding influ ence was their overwhelming generosity during my Financially unstable college days,” wrote one student who received their help. “Bill and Gardner enabled my college education to become a reality.” Another student wrote that through their assistance to struggling students the Osborns have been “parents to many others besides their own chil dren.” All the couple ever ask in re turn is that the students they help someday do the same for someone else. Staff photos by Guy Hood, Irene Mees and Barry Papke Mr. and Mrs. William Osborn, of Bryan, above, were named “Parents of the Year” during the ninth annual Parents’ Weekend. Below, Lorraine Christian, a sophomore communications major from Houston, spins the roulette wheel at Casino Night. The Fish Drill Team was humping it at its exhibition Sunday at Kyle Field, while at bottom, alumnus Elvis Walker eludes defenders at the Alumni-Varsity football game.