Michigan State University - Red Cedar Log Yearbook (East Lansing, MI)

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IIMIISYJ' Profile, 1959 For Michigan State University, 1959 can be characterized, but not isolated. The scene can be recorded, but the story must be as various as the people who will remember and tell it. It is a time of scientific and technological explosion with no fore- seeable end. Space satellites have skirted the shore of infinity for over a year, and seven American service men are in training to follow. It is a time of crisis from Lhasa to Little Rock. John Foster Dulles, unfailing before the power of nearly half of the world. has fallen to cancer, while Berlin and Iraq await the verdict of history. It is a time of change and re-evaluation, as the nation moves from recession to possible inflation. Alaska and Hawaii become new states, while several of the older and more populous Flounder with antiquated tax structures. Mich- igan is one of these. The state supported universities are among the lirst to feel the pinch. Only skillful piloting by MSU's administrators keeps the huge university running smoothly. Relief is inevitable, but seems pain- fully slow in coming. Winter of the big snow. A record freeze leaves inches of ice on every sidewalk. Snow in four foot drifts defies plow and shovel. while autos Hounder and temperatures drop to 17 below. Skiers and skaters revel in the weather, but few students dawdle on the icy paths between classes. '. 4, S Some pessimisls expected opposition to the new parking gates this year, but there was very little as this fair, though sometimes inconvenient ar- rangement went into effect. 7

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INCIDENTS AND CHANGE One small dividend to come from the harsh winter was a few weeks of free parking. The new parking gates in- stalled during the summer could account for cars, but not snowdrifts. As a result, lots which should have been auto- matically closed for lack of space, remained open, and many hapless commuters drove innocently in. only to pay a dime for nothing more than the drive. As dimes and tempers ran short, the Department of Public Safety con- sidered its own safety and opened the lots to free parking until the snow could be cleared. The only other problem encountered by the mechanical sentinels was that of the wily sports car. Until winter term, when guard bars were installed on each gate, the small, imported auto could pass under while its driver thumbed his nose at the greedy coin boxes. Otherwise the gates functioned smoothly, and if not over- whelmingly popular, were at least received without much complaint. Certainly there was none when the registration fee for cars on campus was reduced from 15 to 2 dollars because of them. Other changes and some lack of change, however, were not so quietly received. The increased academic demands of the university which became so apparent last year were reemphasized by the announcement that graduating seniors would take spring term finals for the first time. The Senior Council challenged the decision, but could not change it, in spite of the compromise suggestion that only students with a B average for the term be exempt. Far noisier, and perhaps less considered. was the ques- tion over compulsory ROTC raised for the first time in over 20 years. Proponents and opponents beat their respective drums, but reason prevailed, and President Hannahis sug- gested Hlong, hard lookw was begun. Some students on campus this year were so hungry for knowledge, or so it seemed, that they stole for it. By winter term the library reported nearly 5,000 books missing. a loss amounting to over 540,000 Several hundred of these were recovered when IFC with their book drive separated the borrowers', from the thieves, but the main problem, that of operating with open stacks and only limited check- ing, remained. In contrast to the delinquent bibliophiles, the members of the Veterans Association. Blue Key and several other student groups gave instead of took, and hundreds of less fortunate Lansing families had a little happier Christmas. During fall term Sparta Claus gathered campus-wide contributions for the project. The money was then spent on food baskets which were distributed by the vets to the families over the holidays. Another successful project completed, but one much longer in the process, concerned married housing. With over 1,900 brick apartments on campus occupied by mar- ried students fall term, the number of temporary barracks units had dwindled to less than 500. During the summer hundreds of others had been torn down, or were sold and hauled away, until the once cluttered views from Harrison Road and Shaw Lane were completely leveled. The 500 survivors were spared only to accommodate student fami- lies leaving this year. The demise of the barracks completes a plan that has been nearly 14 years in the process. Beginning with only the crowded and scarcely adequate trailer village of Fer- tile Valley' 'in 1946, MSU has developed the finest married housing program of any university in the nation. THE BIG NAMES Michigan State alumni, students and stafl' attained na- tional notice in many ways this year. Heading the list of distinguished alumni was Frederick Mueller, class of '14, who in November was sworn in as Undersecretary of Commerce. second in command only to the secretary, Sinclair Weeks. As such, he now super- vises such federal ofiices as the Weather Bureau, the Bureau of Census and the Patent Oflice. More recent alumni to participate in matters of national and international interest include W. Dennis Barton, class of i38, and B. F. 'fSandy Coggan. class of ,39. Barton, a pioneer in the field of structural plastics, designed and supervised construction of the unique and beautiful translucent plastic roof of the U.S. pavilion at the Brussels World's Fair, while Coggan. a vice-president of the Convair division of General Dynamics, played a major role in the Air Force Atlas ICBM program. Paul D. Bagwell, former head of the department of communication skills and currently director of scholar- ships remained leader of Michigan's Republican Party after his vigorous and unexpectedly powerful guberna- torial campaign against the state's popular incumbent, G. Mennen Williams, while President Hannah continued in his role of national service as chairman of President Eisen- howerfs Civil Rights Commission. In spite of a discouraging season for the football team, Sam Williams, team captain and end. became State's 25th All-American, while John Green, co-captain of the uni- versity's brilliant basketball team, took the honors for his championship play. Prominent visitors to campus during the year reflected the university's interest and involvement in the times. From Adlai Stevenson. who spoke at the i958 commence- ment, to Linus Pauling, who brought his controversial cru- sade against radioactive fallout to campus spring term. each visitor found an interested and comprehending audience. It was not the first visit for many. Eleanor Roosevelt. popular at Michigan State since her first appearance over 20 years ago, returned fall term for an informal talk on world affairs and the United Nations. These. then, are a few of the events and names that highlighted the year at MSU. Many more are touched upon in the following pages. But at best. we can only set the scene. The story must be your own. 9