HomeMy WebLinkAboutSpoede Photo #7Spoede And Potts To Share
Batt Sports Editor Duties
By CHUCK MAISEL
The old order changeth, and the
Batt has a couple of new sports
editors. One, Bill Potts, will write
columns, make up the page, and give
out assignments. The other,
Robert W. (Sack) Spoede, will
handle the more important details of
sweeping out the office, sharpening
pencils, and emptying wastebaskets.
If Potts should be sick or snowed
under, Sack will probably help out a
little bit with his duties.
What is the background needed
for so vital a position as Sack holds?
Just what qualities must the man
have? Perhaps a brief tour of his
life — which sounds like as extended
tour of his life — would divulge the
answers to these questions.
Sack is a big city boy. He was
born in that Gotham of East Texas,
Wallis. Citizens of Wallis are at
present making plans to erect a
suitable monument for the home
town boy that made good in the big
bad journalistic world.
During his early years, Sack was
a sort of nomad, going fmm one East
Texas town to another. Nearly
every grade school east of Dallas can
boast his attendance. He finally
settled down long enough to graduate
from Thomas Jefferson High School
in San Antonio. At present,
Beaumont is more or less the place
when he hangs his hat..
Sack, a handsome six-footer, gave
19 months of his time to the Marine
Corps during the late war. His
overseas experience was Puerto
Rico, a land of which he never tires
of telling war stories.
A&M was first graced with Sack
in June of '44 and rapid calculation
tells that he is therefore in the Class of
'48. He is a history major with a
minor in education. At present, his
plans beyond A&M are directed
toward going into the Regular Army,
Originally a member of A Battery,
Field Artillery, Sack finished his
military science here last spring. He
received his commission in Frankfort,
Germany last June while visiting his
father, Lt. Colonel H. H. Spoede.
Sack ranks with Ivan Yantis as a
world traveler. He was a Batt
foreign correspondent last summer as
he visited such spots as Paris, London,
Hanover, Bremen, Salzburg, and
Berchtesgarten. Summer school
students will probably remember his
interesting accounts of those places.
Sack gained much of his fame on
the Batt by his excellent coverage of
the Fish football team this past
season. A great part of the wide
reader interest was no doubt due to
the hoped-for greatness of the fresh-
men players themselves, but to Sack
goes a large credit for his accurate
and interesting reporting.
Sack was once a Distinguished
Student. He says, however, that this
happened before he went to work on
The Battalion.
If it's the sports page you like to
read, look forward to a good one
under the leadership of these two.
By CARROLL TRAIL
"It's just another small town boy
makes good story," Bill Potts said,
explaining his new job for The
Battalion.
Bill has just been appointed co.
sports editor to succeed Art Howard,
and he attributes his success to hard
work, clean living, and Howard's
astute guidance.
A 22 year old veteran of 21
months in the Army, Bill began
working for the Batt last summer,
covering football games, boxing
bouts, ping gong matches, and beer
parties.
His keen interest in sports dates
back to his school days in Gatesville
where he played football his junior
and senior years. "I played for
Gatesville High School, not to be
confused with Gates State School for
Boys," Potts explained.
"We intend to give all organza.
tions equal sports coverage and hope
they will submit their sports news to
my desk in the Batt office, Goodwin
Hall," Potts said.
Incidentally this is the first time
the sports department has used the co.
editor system. This way, Potts can
blame any mistakes on Spoede.