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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.