Image provided by: Texas A&M University
About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 15, 1997)
Page 3 january 1 5, 1 997 raveyard rests in peace After years of neglect, Texas A&M's historic cemetery still stands as a monument to the school's respect for tradition. As the eternal resting place for one of A&M's first presidents, the cemetery has had its share of unofficial caretakers who struggle to preserve its honor. By Melissa Price The Battalion Littered with empty beer cans and crumpled-up Cheetos bags, it looks like the after- math of a , The Battai-i® npus Sun- s & Lows Expected High 44°F Expected Lo« 36°F )w’s Expected High 54°F row Night's cted Low 8°F \ssociated Pk , Ityan Rogers, The Battalion typical party. But looks can be deceiving. Hidden behind overgrown trees and bushes, the Texas A&M cemetery lies in peaceful silence on the corner of Marion Pugh and Luther streets, near Tree- house Village Apartments. The cemetery, which is about half the size of a football field, is home to eight marked and two un marked tombstones, in cluding that of a former A&M college president, Lafayette Lumpkin Foster. Foster, who was de scribed as a self-made man and served on the Texas State Legislature for 17 years, was asked to serve as president of A&M after Lawrence Sullivan Ross’ death in 1898. Foster served as president of A&M from 1898 until 1901, when he became ill. He was the first to be buried in a college cemetery on the present site of Duncan Dining Hall in Decem ber 1901. In 1939, the re mains and tomb stones of the five people buried there were moved to the current cemetery to make room for Duncan. The largest gravestone, that of Foster, lies under a live oak tree on the west side of the cemetery and is surrounded by nine other tombstones. According to the Cushing Li brary Archives, among those buried in the nine other graves are: C.O. Watkins, a long-time employee of the College who died in 1940; Ruth Watkins, a daughter of C.O. Watkins, who died one day before her father; Joseph Allison Riggs, a College janitor; Allison Smoot, head milkman at the dairy barn dur ing the Harrington Administra tion; and Charles H. and Lottie L. Alvord’s infant child, who died in 1908. According to Cushing Archives, a spokesman for Foster said in 1901 that “it is indeed fitting that his remains should repose in the soil he loved.” In 1955, a cemetery committee was formed to investigate the possibility of moving the graves again, to an unnamed cemetery in College Station. Although the committee reportedly tried to contact survivors of Foster and others buried in the cemetery for permission to move the remains, they were unsuccessful, and the remains were never moved. In a letter written to G. Smith in 1955, D.B. Gofer, an A&M archivist, said he was disappoint ed in how the remains of L.L. Foster were being handled. “It’s a crime the way President Foster’s remains have been treat ed,” Gofer wrote. “Maybe with the help of Professor Leland’s ceme tery committee and alumni working together, a suitable plot could be provided and cared for.” Don Simons, a former station manager of KAMU-TV, said he, along with other members of the Brazos Genealogical Society, have been mapping out cemeteries in the Brazos Valley since 1982. He said there was something unique about one of the people in the A&M cemetery. “Ruth Watkins was the best friend of my wife’s mother,” Si mons said. “We thought that was really interesting.” Simons said that in the early 1980s, the Genealogical Society decided it wanted to expand and do something for all of Brazos Valley. In 1984, the Society partic ipated in the Big Event, and about 500 A&M students helped them clean up cemeteries in Bryan-College Station. Although the east side of the A&M cemetery is filled with litter, the rest of the cemetery and gravestones are generally well- kept. Simons said the A&M Phys ical Plant started maintaining the cemetery at his request in 1987. Since then, Simons and his wife have collected 21,700 names of people buried in Bra zos Valley and entered them into a computer database. Although the listings have not been pub lished, there are copies in both the Bryan and College Station public libraries, the Sterling C. Evans library and the Brazos Ge nealogical Society offices. Kyan Rogers, The Battalion Lafayette Lumpkin Foster, a former president of A&M College, is buried under this tombstone in a University-owned graveyard. The Board suggested a study be conducted by the Association of Former Students or the A&M Simons said the Genealogical Society has mapped 85 cemeter ies in the Brazos Valley since 1982, but they are constantly looking for more. Simons said that anyone with information concerning the location of cemeteries in the Brazos Valley should contact the Brazos Ge nealogical Society or visit them on the internet at www2.cy- net.net/-bga/. The Cushing Archives show the A&M cemetery went virtually un noticed by the University until 1993, when the Texas A&M Board of Regents passed a bill to build a cemetery near Easterwood Airport. This bill would allow A&M to build a perpetual care cemetery for for mer students. University Development Foun dation to determine the interest for an “Aggie Field of Honor,” a cemetery built primarily for Ag gies. There is no record of whether such a study has been conducted. Simons said that keeping records of who has died and where they are buried is both im portant and interesting to him and his wife. “We’re deeply involved in it, though we know of no one buried in Brazos County,” Si mons said. “We’re all interested in genealogy and protecting the records of the past.” JP0N GS! Home Sweet Home for the Holidays Spending time with family over the break brings time for reflection Columnist 1th o ugh the Christmas sea son brings the enjoyable traditions of trimming the tree, spending time with family and unwrap- oing presents, it is lot necessarily the Host pleasant time ifyear at my house. moved home the iveek before Christ- nas, greeted by my ister. What used to be my room snow hers. I unpacked my be- ongings and quickly filled the pace she offered me: half a lookshelf and a cardboard box. Then she lectured me about low we need to get along this fear for Mom and Dad’s sake. I eally thought she was going to April Towery Sophomore journalism major start singing “We Are the World” or some thing like that. My mother was al most too excited about my return home. She spent days cleaning the house while listening to the Michael Bolton Christmas album, and scheduled evenings for “enforced family time.” Enforced family time is my parents’ idea of the four of us spending time to gether whether we want to or not. Such time usually includes having to clean off the kitchen table for a family dinner, then going to a movie only one of us wants to see. This does not have to be a bad thing, but it usually leaves someone unhappy, much like mealtime at my house. Agreeing on dinner dishes is also difficult because my parents and sister are health food junkies, whereas my four basic food groups are chocolate, fried foods, pizza and Twinkies. The money I have spent on junk food probably bought Little Debbie a new beach house. Family desserts are a real treat. Instead of the traditional fruitcake, my father has a thing for buying week-old pies. You know, the kind with the bright orange stickers that read, “Oops, we baked too many.” I understand the logic be hind buying a pie because it’s half-price, but these pies don’t make sense. They always have weird combinations like mince rhubarb walnut. My father is convinced that it doesn’t matter what you eat as long as it is hid den under ice cream. On Christmas Eve, we loaded up for the trip to Grandma’s house. The trip should be three hours long, but my father insists on stopping at every Sonic and Dairy Queen along the way. The ride also seems a little longer be cause my mother reads out loud, my father counts roadkills and my sister sings. When my sister and I were younger and would argue throughout the duration of the car trip, my dad would get mad and throw our Barbies out the window. On this trip he threat ened to throw us out the window. And there were times that it did n’t seem like such a bad idea. The fun began when we ar rived at the home of my grand parents. My grandmother actu ally put a cloth napkin on her head and called it her “do-rag.” My great aunt told me I’d gained weight, then made a fee ble attempt to try to convince me that was a compliment. But the highlight of the evening was when everyone gathered around the tree to un wrap presents. Before gift-giving, we have a family tradition of reading the Christmas story from the Bible, then singing Christmas carols. This year, our version of “Joy to the World” somehow became “Jeremiah Was a Bullfrog.” Opening presents was inter esting, to say the least. The first present I opened was a gift- wrapped box of Lucky Charms from my grandmother. My 21- year-old sister received this sleeper thing that zips up the front and has built-in feet. My 20- year-old cousin passed out cash to his aunts and uncles. It ap peared to be a nice thought, but unfortunately, he was just paying off an installment of the money he owed the fools who co-signed for his CD player and various other electronic necessities. In spite of an eventful holi day season at home, I found myself wishing I had spent more time with my family. My grandmother tells me that I should spend my college years growing closer to my family members, but it’s just so hard to take advice from someone with a napkin on her head. Careers Available Helping People with Disabilities City Editor , Sports Ed®' ipinion Editor A/eb Editor d Editor Cartoon Ed®* sity in the Di#’ e in 013 Reed' 1 ' mvml.taimrf by The Battali® 1 I advertising, CJ 3a.rn.to5p.il 1 ' :o pick up a siif /ear and $50 ft >611. the fall and sf' - iversity ho W ; e Station,TX There is a growing need for people who can use, design and prescribe equipment that enhances the lives of people with disabilities. If you are interested in technology and enjoy helping people, you can enter the field of Rehabilitation Tech nology by earning a Master of Science degree in Rehabilitation Technolo gy from Baylor College of Medicine. Stipends for tuition and fees are avail able for qualified students. For information, e-mail to: mguthrie@bcm.tmc. edu or write to: Office of Admissions Baylor College of Medicine One Baylor Plaza Houston, Texas 77030 Earn a Master’s Degree! THE PRINCETON REVIEW APRIL MC AT 1997 Course#304 • TPR Office Course#314*TPR Office Course#324•TPR Office 313 Dominik Drive 313 Dominik Drive 313 Dominik Drive Test 1 Sat. Feb. 1 9:00-4:30pm Test 1 Sat. Jan. 18 9:00-4:30pm Test 1 Sat. Feb. 1 9:00-4:30pm Class 1 Sun. Feb. 2 6:00-8:30pm Class 1 Tue. Jan. 21 6:00-8:30pm Class 1 Mon. Feb. 3 6:00 -8:30pm Class 2 Thur. Feb. 6 6:00-8:30pm Class 2 Sat. Jan. 25 l:00-3:30pm Class 2 Wed. Feb. 5 6:00 -8:30pm Class 3 Sun. Feb. 9 6:00-8:30pm Class 3 Tue. Jan. 28 6:00-8:30pm Class 3 Mon. 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