The predominant connection in this West Texas thread is Texas A&M. And any discussion of Texas A&M usually evolves into a debate about the Corps of Cadets ... New Army vs Old Army.
Too often what is lacking in those debates is a historical perspective to understand what the fuss is all about. Perhaps long overdue is a close look at the Corps in its early days, and its development through the years, to understand today's philosophical conflict between the Corps and the University administration. Let's take a walk through history.
The First Morrill Act (Act of 1862 Donating Lands for Colleges of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts) passed by Congress set the stage of a future Texas A&M. Included in terms of the Act were that "... at least one college where the leading object shall be, without excluding other scientific and classical studies, and including military tactics, to teach such branches of learning as are related to agriculture and mechanics arts ..." On October 4, 1876 Texas A&M opened its doors in a dedication by Governor Richard Coke. One hundred six students were in that first class.
Consider the time. The Civil War had ended 12 years earlier. Texas had been administered by a Reconstruction Government until three years earlier when Coke was elected governor. The first students at Texas A&M were the first generation past the War and Reconstruction years, and probably most were immediate descendents of Civil War veterans.
In addition, when Texas A&M opened its doors, the Indian Wars that had raged for years in Central Texas and on the West Texas plains with Commanche, Kiowa and Apache tribes had only one year before effectively ended with the defeat of Lone Wolf of the Kiowas and Quanah Parker of the Comanches in mid-1875. Until that time, the western frontier of Texas was a line that ran along what is today I-35. Because of the continuing threat of Indian attacks towns in Central Texas, such as Lockhart, LaGrange, and others had town militias ... many manned by teenagers during the Civil War year ... to ward off Indian raiding bands. Doubtless, many of the first A&M students had participated in militia actions or were closely concerned.
So with a background of military matters, and the requirement of the Morrill Act for studies in "military tactics" it was natural and necessary that the original Texas A&M student body was organized and bivouaced in a military fashion. Because of a shortage of funds in all administrative and academic activities in those early years, the college was content to allow the student body to regulate its own affairs of student life, appointments, discipline and non-academic activities. For the most part students apparently had no difficulties conforming to the regimented life and no doubt the faculty and administration were pleased to not have to add this concern to their duties.
Times were turbulent in those early years. Funding was scarce. In the first 14 years, the college had six presidents and there was concern that the college might not survive ... until 1890 when Governor Lawrence Sullivan Ross told the Legislature if they would continue the college one more year until his term expired he would volunteer to become President. Through this time the Corps had remained stable and secure under its own leadership. But the Corps was elated that Gen Sul Ross was coming in 1891. Sully was already legendary in Texas who as the "boy Captain" at 20 had led a military that had rescued Cynthia Ann Parker on the Plains, and had been a decorated Confederate General. The Corps had it most admired leader. Ross was President until his death in 1898. (The Corps inaugurated Silver Taps in its own comemorative ceremony for this great "Soldier, Statesman, Knightly Gentleman."
During these years Commandants were assigned but all had been Lieutenants. The status of the Corps was such that in 1899 when a Commandant was ill the Cadet Colonel of the Corps, E. J. Kyle (remember that name?) was named Commandant from March until May 1899.
I have no doubt, especially during the administration of Sul Ross, that Corps activities, policies and procedures were under review by the faculty and administration, but for lack of evidence to the contrary, it appears the Corps of Cadets had developed its internal guidelines and, by now traditions, in consonance with acceptable student leadership practice.
Corps of Cadet Officers 1908
But things within the Corps I am sure were not always proper, given the size of the student body (numbering 1,000 in 1911), and considering the ages and natural proclivities for hi-jinx of males of that age. In 1911 two trains carried the Corps to a football game at Houston between the Aggies and the Longhorns. After the 6-0 loss to Texas the Aggie students "rioted" in Houston and by some accounts took over the town. A&M took a beating from the newspapers about the state and the University of Texas suspended sports relations until 1915 because of the rowdy behavior. But life resumed as normal at A&M.
In 1913 The Corps and faculty had its first serious conflict. It seems the Governor had been receiving complaints of excessive hazing within the Corps and had requested a faculty investigation. The faculty made its investigation and came up with a list of 22 culprits and recommended expulsion. This, to best of knowledge, was the first time the faculty had challenged the "all for one, one for all", credo of the Corps. (Perhaps if the faculty had picked off the culprits one at a time instead of all as a group it might have quietly accomplished its purpose.) Expelling 22 en masse was too much for the Corps and it rebelled.
Two days later the students presented a proclamation to the college which said in effect, reinstate the 22 who were expelled (and take no action is the case of painting 1916 on the water tower), or "we will not attend any academic duties until our demands are met." The proclamation was signed by 466 members of the Freshman, Sophomore and Junior classes. The faculty backed into a corner retaliated by expelling all 466 on grounds of insubordination.
Before leaving, the Corps assembled on the drill field and 140 Seniors lined up as for Final Review and took the salutes of the departing underclassmen. All believed it would be the final Dress Parade at Aggieland. After the review, the underclassmen continued to the Armory, turned in their rifles, and departed campus. (Afterward more than half the students were reinstated but about 200 never were.) After this Donnybrook it would be several years before another challenge by the administration.
In 1917 when the United States declared war against the Axis Powers, the entire Senior class of 137 volunteered en masse ... one month before graduation. College administrators traveled to San Antonio where the former Cadets were training and held graduation ceremonies under an oak tree.
Through the 20s and 30s The Corps of Cadets continued its march into history, reveling in its traditions, as it bolstered its confidence that it was producing good men, true to each other and to their state and country. Bonfire, Reveille and Aggie Muster were introduced by the Corps into its image during these years.
The Depression years were especially brutal to members of the Corps because many members simply did not have the money to attend college. To make do and survive, students banded together with ingenuity. They divied up chores such as laundry, cooking, etc, to save money, and their parents donated produce, meats and other farm products. Aggie Moms clubs and other groups donated co-op houses for needing students to share rent free (located where the old tennis courts used to be.) It was a time of share and share alike to get as many Corps buddies through the hard times as possible. (A&Ms greatest moment.)
In 1941 the Corps of Cadets proved its worth by being ready for WWII. In the next five years 20,000 former students served in that conflict. The Corps honors those who served and those who perished, from the 46 at Bataan and Corrigidor, General George Moore, Earl Rudder at Normandy, to the names inscribed at the entry to MSC, all added to the legacy of duty and honor in Corps tradition.
The next conflict between the Corps and the administration occured after WWII. In 1947, Gibb Gilchrist, a tu alumnus, was President of A&M College. The college was inundated with veterans enrolling to attend college under the GI Bill. The main campus could not accommodate the mass of students so a decision was made to house and school freshman students at the recently acquired Bryan Air Field (now called TAMU annex.) Corps leaders complained heatedly because that meant Corps Fish would be separated from upperclassmen through that first important year of indoctrination ... and Sophomores in the Corps would have to endure another year of Fish duties on main campus. To Corps upperclassmen, this would severely disrupt the natural order of Corps life and that some compromise need be met. The Corps rebelled and on the night of January 18, 1947 marched on President Gilchrist's home on campus. The students presented their arguments for maintaining tradition and Corps discipline. Gilchrist stood firm. Corps leaders then resigned the rank they had been awarded during the Gilchrist administration. Both parties had made their points known ...but Fish were separated from the upperclassmen of the Corps until the Fall Semester 1952, and even then assigned for one year to Dorms on the north side of the campus while upperclassmen were assigned Dorms on the south side of the campus. In the Fall Semester 1953, Fish were reintegrated with upperclassmen in the south side Dorms. Corps life returned to pre-war conditions.
In 1949 a singular event occured that, though long lost in history, revealed the high regard of the members of the Corps for men of honor and heroism. Word had gotten to the Corps that Audie Murphy, the most decorated infantryman in WWII, who had grown up near Farmersville, had said in an interview that he had always wanted to attend Texas A&M when growing up and could not afford to. The Corps invited him to come to A&M for a special Review in his honor ... and at the Review conferred on Murphy an honorary title of Colonel of the Cadet Corps ... the only time in history this was ever awarded.
Now lets talk about discipline within the Corps. At some point this subject always turns into "hazing." And hazing always seems to turn to "the board." I am sure the board was used at some times in history ... and quite possible used in excess by sadistic individuals ... but I consider that unlikely and only in isolated cases if at all. I do know that there were rules in place for its use ... such as, the target was a clearly defined area of the buttock and a lick outside that area was defined as a S**t Lick which could be called by the recipient and if verified by evidence to another senior could allow the complainant recourse by administering the same number of licks to the offending person. In my four years I never had experience with the board in any manner and did not know of any person who claimed to have had such experience ... although there were rumors of it being an alternative to "other punishment."
And that other punishment 50-odd years ago was a progression of Gigs (or Rams) and Hours on the Bull Ring. Gigs were given for minor infractions for items noted during room inspection or uniform inspection ... and so many Gigs would equate to an hour on the Bull Ring. The Bull Ring was a Class A uniform (with helmet liner) mandatory Saturday afternoon formation. Miscreants marched single file at six foot intervals along a well trod path about the size of a football field for 50 minutes to work off one hour of Bull Ring punishment. For those of us with 2, 3, or 4 hours accumulated you would be coaxed to work those off those remaining hours after the 10 minutes breaks. It was the most miserable time I ever endured and I would have gladly traded those hours for pops by board had I ever had a chance to ... (which I heard that some units would allow.) But from my experience I firmly believe that the board was never in widespread use ... and you are free to call anyone on it who claims otherwise.
For misconduct of greater significance (such as lying, cheating, violations of traditions etc.) whose possible punishment was short of expulsion from school, these cases were heard and judged in Senior Court. It was standard court procedure of proscecutor, defendant, witnesses,etc., with Seniors as judges. Punishments could range from Bull Ring tours to various probations. This was an old time procedure.
For serious offenses that could result in expulsion or criminal charges, these were handled by the Commandant and Dean of Men's offices.
In 1954 another situation occured that reportedly involved use of the board in a hazing complaint. Four Seniors in one Corps unit were expelled as a result. This did not cause an uproar within the Corps because the rules regarding use of the board were well known, as was the possible punishment if found guilty. The Corps considered the matter closed.
However, it is worth noting that the weekend after the expulsion, a passerby noticed water trickling out the front doors of Ross Hall which housed the Commandant's offices. When the doors were opened water flooded out. In the aftermath, engineers judged that the weight of the water had so damaged old Ross Hall that it could not be repaired ... and it was demolished. That is when and why the Commandant's offices were moved into the Trigon. There was some speculation that the expulsions and Ross Hall flooding were somehow connected but this was never confirmed.
In 1959 General Earl Rudder '32 became President of Texas A&M. Under his leadership membership in the Corps of Cadets was made optional for the first time in history and females were allowed to enroll. The Old Army tradition of the Corps of Cadets at Texas A&M ended with those changes.
The old Corps of Cadets had served its purpose well for the state and the nation. By 1960 it was an anachronism and the time had come for change into the modern world. I do not waste time mourning its passing because in view of the times and circumstances what occured was inevitable. But I honor those who came before me and produced the proud legacy and traditions we share today ... and I applaud those Cadets who continue on today trying as best they may to carry on as "Keepers of the Spirit" in a world that no longer remembers or seems to care.
[This message has been edited by fossil_ag (edited 6/13/2006 6:47p).]
(Being from Mississippi, this was new fun for me!) 
