HomeMy WebLinkAboutCS Name Change 0710031 1
1~0
l
M 1e
the
trains
don't
stop
in
whachamacallit
anymore
Take the college and the station
away from College Station and what
do you have?
Controversy, for one thing.
This community's mayor, D. A.
Anderson, recently proposed a list
of city improvements - including a
change in name.
"We are no longer a'college' com-
munity," he said, "and we are not a
station."
The mayor (head of the Texas
Forest Service's information and edu-
cation department) referred to the
58th Legislature's act which elevated
A&M to 'university' status three years
ago. The storied station for the old
I&GN was razed last year to make way
for parking lots.
The students' Battalion defended
the proposal, saying, "There can be
little argument that the tag 'College
Station' is no longer current. The
community inherited the phrase back
in 1877 when it was a stop on the old
Houston & Texas Central Railroad.
To coin a phrase, the trains don't stop
here any more .
The Battalion then launched a
search for a more appropriate name.
"When College Station was found-
ed, it consisted of a mere handful of
professors and other persons associ-
ated with that new land-grant insti-
tution known as the Agricultural and
Mechanical College of Texas which
boasted of a whopping 106 students.
Today, the community has a popula-
tion of nearly 19,000 residents. Uni-
versity officials predict an enrollment
of some 20,000 by the time the insti-
tution celebrates its centennial in
1976.
"It is in this light of progress that
the community should consider a
name change. If a descriptive term
is to be applied, it should be truly
descriptive.
"The term 'College Station' has
time, history and tradition on its side,
but does it reflect the current status
and progressive outlook of either the
community or the institution which
largely accounts for its existence
The newspaper called for citizens
to submit suggestions for a new name
for the city-and their wildest expec-
tations were fulfilled.
University of Texas ex-students-
apparently figuring anything would
be an improvement-immediately an-
nounced they would support and en-
courage a change in the name of
A&M's hometown.
The UT Ex-Students Association
president, Charles Coates of Houston,
offered to sponsor a contest to select
a new title for the community.
Coates told the press, "The Aggies
have a point-there is neither a college
nor a station in College Station. If
the students feel the town would
benefit from having a name that more
accurately describes what it really is,
University of Texas alumni want to
help
The Texas exes proposed a world-
wide contest, encouraging students
and alumni of their school (and ours)
to submit their favorite names.
The prize: two end zone seats for
the Turkey Day Texas-A&M football
classic, played this year in wochama-
callit.
Jack Crichton '37, president of the
Association of Former Students, of-
fered to up the ante.
"We're a little shocked that TU
people can only afford two end zone
seats," the Dallas petroleum consult-
ant replied. "Financial need has never
been a characteristic of Texas U," he
noted, "but if this is the case this year
we would like to come to the aid of
our Texas friends and offer the
winner four tickets on the 50
Some of the names that came from
Austin: NOGALS, KEEP THE FAITH,
NEXT YEAR and FARMER'S DELIGHT.
A&M summer student reaction was
mixed but generally opposed to
change.
College Station residents polled by
the student paper seemed to oppose
the change in the town's handle.
New names submitted to the paper
included UNIVERSITY CITY (most fre-
quently mentioned), A&M, UNIVERSE
CITY, AGGIELAND, TAMUVILLE, PROS-
PERITY, UNIVERSITY GARDENS, ACTION
CITY, LYNDONVILLE and RUDDER,
AMUTY (A&M University of Texas)
and MAAN (Marines, Air Force, Army
and Navy).
The City Council of Zip Code
77840 met to discuss the issue and
agreed after short deliberation, to "let
the issue die for the moment."
The status of the contest and the
ticket offers appear uncertain. One
thing is for sure: the trains really
don't stop here anymore ■
AGGIE/OCTOBER 3