End of an Era
coach, poses with his predecessor, Bob Higgins, in the
latter's home Saturday afternoon following the College's
official announcement of the change in the gridiron ad-
Lions Reject Proposal
To Expand Party Politics
The Lion party will not support a proposal to introduce party
politics into student council and other college elections not now
affected by open political campaigns.
Accepting the recommendation of 44 - sw,ing committee, a
plenary session of the Lion clique voted Sunday night to support a
motion "to keep political parties openly out of student council, hat
society, and honorary elections."
This means that the Lions will
openly campaign for party nom
inees only in those elections
which have ordinarily been dom
inated by campus politics. Such
elections include those for all
college and class officers.
The motion was unanimously
approved after long debate by a
sparse gathering of party repre
sentatives in 121 Sparks. During
the course of the discussion the
motion was first tabled and then
brought back for further recon
sideration after Lois Kenyon, jun_
for class clique secretary-treasur
er, and Lewis Shallcross, all-col
lege clique vice-chairman, ar
gued for its final disposition at the
meeting.
Sunday night's action added one
of the finishing chapters to a pro
posal that has been hanging fire
since last semester.
Last November Robert Keller,
then State Party clique chaxman,
proposed that both parties enter
Continued on page eight
An Hill Plans
In ial Mixer
than 1000 persons are ex
pected to attend the Ag School
student-faculty mixer in. White
Hall at 8 p.m., Friday. Dr. Ken
neth Hood, extension specialist in
agriculture economics, will act as
master of ceremonies. This .s the
first event of its kind ever at
tempted on the Hill.
Heading the student subcom
rnitees for the mixer are Carroll
Howes, entertainment; Edgar Loy,
arrangements and publicity, and
Eugene Wolff, refreshments. As
sistance will be lent these com
mittees by representatives from
departmental clubs.
Prof. Paul H. Margolf, faculty
adviser to Ag Student Counc.l,
Vice Dean Harold K. Wilson, Miss
Mable Satterthwaite, and Miss
Sara Warren will represent the
faculty.
Supervising planning will be
the standing Ag Student Affairs'
Committee composed of Dr. An
thony C. Richer and Professors
Paul K Margolf, Glenn 0. Bress
ler and Elton B. Tait.
ministration.
See editorial pare 2
Five O'Clock Theatre
Five O'Clock Theatre will
present "A Family Story," by
Edward Breining, in the Little
Theatre, Old Main, this after
noon.
The cast is composed of Shir
ley Betts. Inge Hoffmann.
Thomas Lyon, Daniel Wargo
and June Wiley. Sieve Perialas
is student director.
WSSF Earmarks Part of Funds
For Textbooks In Philippines
A portion of the funds the campus committee of the World Stu
dent Service Fund expects to raise in this year's campaign was
earmarked for use in the Philippines.
The action followed a clash with All-College Cabinet which
refused to turn over to the committee funds to be raised from the
Spring Week carnival March 31, should the money be slated-for use
behind the "iron curtain."
Plans Changed
Originally the committee had
been given the job of operating
the carnival, but when it planned
to use funds raised for a project
in Bulgaria, Cabinet handed re
sponsibility for the carnival to the
Spring Week committee. WSSF
was to receive funds from the car
nival if the allocation was ap
proved by Cabinet.
Before voting to earmark funds
for the Philippines, the commit
tee voted to drop the Bulgarian
project from consideration. The
vote on the Philippines, where the
money is to be used for textbooks,
was without dissent.
$3OOO Expected
The committee hopes to raise
$3,000 this year through the carni
val, a faculty talent show and per
sonal solicitation. It voted to send
$2,400 to the Philippines and the
remainder to the WSSF general
fund, with the proviso that it not
be sent to countries behind the
"iron curtain."
Cabinet approval of the new al
location was almost assured, since
Cabinet, at a meeting last week,
had expressed sympathy toward
the plan.
The committee also heard re
ports on plans for its regular
drive, April 4 to 9, and saw a film,
"This Is Their Story," on interna
tional student problems.
:Tilt Daily :::,;) Tottrgiatt
VOL. 49-NO. 27
Bedenk Succeeds Higgins
As Head Football Coach
For the first time in 19 years, Professor of Physical Education Robert A. Higgins concluded
his classes yesterday on the opening day of spring football practice and then continued his activities
as professor instead of donning his coach's uniform.
Higgins, who resigned Saturday morning, said, "I haven't felt as good as I should the last few
years, and I think that football has been largely to blame. My family has worried about me, and I
haven't liked that."
Push-Button Age
Hits College
Classroom
It won't be long 'til teacher will
technically be able to read a stu
dent's mind..
A new "mechanical tester"
known as th e Classroom Com
municator, now enables a student
to flash the answer to a problem
to the teacher as soon as he knows
it.
The device, developed under
the sponsorship of the Special
Devices Center, Office of Naval
Research, provides each student
with a private, "response station".
Within the station are five keys,
much like those of a piano, and
the student indicates his answers
to classroom questions by select
ing and pressing a key.
Electrical connections between
individual respons e stations and
a control panel at the front of the
classroom enables the instructor
to follow the performances of in
dividual students or the whole
group'; to obtain all types of scores
and to control the time students
are given to answer their ques
tions.
At the front of the classroom is
a display which flashes the cor
rect answer after the question has
been answered by the pupil.
The tester was developed by
Frank T. John and J. B. Cannon
of the Instructional Film Research
at the College. Dr. Clarence R.
Carpenter, director of the film
project, explained that it will be
used at Penn State to help re
search workers study the effect
iveness of educational films.
Penn State Club
Plans Activities
The Penn State Club will spon
sor a roller skating party March
19. The club will pay one-half
the admission price for members
but not for guests.
Other activities for March in
clude attendance at the Centre
Theatre Stage production and
preparations for a booth for the
Spring Week Carnival.
April events planned are a
bowling party, cabin party, in
itiation of new members, and a
semi-formal initiation dance.
Ernest Sladics, president, ap
pointed George Armstrong, chair
man of the initiation committee
to replace James Richards who
resigned. Robert Richardson acid
William Zaker were also appoint
ed to the committee.
Belles Lettres Club
"Why Art?" will be the topic of
discussion at the Belles Lettres
Club meeting in the Northeast
Lounge of Atherton at 7 p.m. to
day. Dean Ben Euwema, Profs.
Andrew Case and Aaron Druck
man, will lead the discussion.
'TOR A BETTER PENN STATE"
STATE COLLEGE, PA., TUESDAY MORNING, MARCH 15, 1049
By Elliot Krane
The 55-year-old Nittany coach had considered dropping out of
coaching for some time, but did not submit a written resignation to
James Milholland, acting College president, until last Wednesday.
Milholland approved the recommendation of the personnel
committee of the Board of Trustees. He then appointed F. "Joe"
Bedenk to the role of head coach after Higgins resigned. Bedenk
will continue his duties as professor of physical education and head
Seniors Submit
Last Gift Ideas
Tomorrow is the final day for
senors to submit suggestions for
disposition of the senior class gift
fund.
Terrell Ruhlman, senior class
president, announced yesterday
that only suggestions turned in
to Student Union before 4 p.m. to
morrow will be considered by the
senior gift committee for recom
mendation to the class when it
meets Sunday.
Ruhlman appointed Ric hard
Weaver, a senior in the School of
Home Economics, chairman of the
committee. Anna Mae Addy,
Frank Burnstein, Cynthia Doan,
Dennie Hoggard, Albert Shein
feld, and Malcolm White were
named members of the group that
will screen gift suggestions.
The senior class prey added
_Apt h at a meeting
gairrr of the entire sen
••, 4 .ior class has
- • ' , h' been slated for
*
.i, ' • : Schwab auditor
„' . '.. 0 ium at 6:45 p.m.
• ':..,' '•.• , gb Sunday to d is
- cuss the commit_
t,,, • k t ee' s proposals
..and vote on their
t ' y.,:, ,
`" acceptance.
'` , ',4, A motion sup
' *rhlported by a ma
jority of the
Ruhlman class members
present at the
meeting is needed to add a gift
suggestion to the committee's list
at that time.
Actual voting by ballot for the
gift will be held April 4,5, and
6. Only eighth semester students
will be eligible to cast votes for
disposition of the sum estimated
at approximately $B,OOO.
Arringements have been made
to have seniors who graduated
in January and those who are
prractic e teaching vote by post-,
card. Over 2,500 students, 1,900 1
in the June graduating class and
700 who have already graduated,
will be eligible to participate in
the electlon.
~
~
a...
Research Director
Returns from Trip
Dr. Eric A. Walker, head of the
department of electrical engi
neering and director of the Ord
nance Research Laboratory, re
cently returned from a short trip
to England where he took part in
a conference on joint Anglo-
American research and develop
ment.
Accompanying Doctor Walker
were Admiral C. M. Bolster of
the Office of Naval Research, Sir
Charles Wright of the British
Scientific Commission, and J. S.
Coleman of the National Research
Council.
The group met with Sir Wil
liam Tennant and Captain McCoy
of the British Atlantic Naval
Forces to consider the problems
of sites, personnel, and methods
of operation. The object of the
joint operations is to prevent du
plication of effort, with the pres
ent shortage of scientists.
baseball coach.
PREVIOUS RUMORS
The announcement of Higgins'
retirement was not a complete
surprise to most sporting circles
since newspapers published a
guess to that effect in January.
Higgins denied the rumor at that
time.
Both Higgins and Bedenk rose
to football fame at Penn State
through the All-American route.
Bedenk was named to this high
est honor in undergraduate foot
ball in 1923 and Higgins received
his All-American title in 1919.
Higgins' coaching record at
Penn Stat e is one that is expect
ed to stand unchallenged for
many years.
The Nittany Lion pilot has
amassed a record of 91 wins, 57
losses and 9 ties since he took
charge of the Penn State grid
team in 1930. In his last ten
years of coaching, the "Hig" has
built up the enviable record of 62
wins, 17 losses and one tie for a
.726 average, one of the most re
markable coaching marks in the
country.
With Higgins will go one of the
longest present coaching reigns
in the East. The 55-year-old
World War I mentor has served
the Blue and White team during
more than one third of the entire
grid history of the College.
1947 HIS BEST
Th e Golden Year of his 19 sea
sons on the gridiron was 1947
when his undefeated and untied
team, the first in the history of
the College, played Southern
Methodist University to a 13-13
Continued on page five
Finalists Enter
Reading Tryouts
Thirteen finalists were selected
Sunday to take part in the final
tryouts this afternoon to select
five representatives of the College
in the Pennsylvania Intercol
legiate Reading Festival.
Edward Armsby, Anthony
Bowman, Marjorie Brunner, Ted
Breining Joanne Kapnek, Doris
Lighty, Theodore Mann, Gladdy
Lou Miller, Marjorie Opel,
George Rhoad, Francine Toll,
Dan Wargo, and Eleanor William
son were those selected from 47
students that registered for read
ings.
Students who entered the
events were permitted to register
for any two events, including a
long poem; a lyric; a Shakes
pearean sonnet, a scene from a
play; or a short story reading.
From those 13 who were se
lected Sunday, five will be select
ed at tryouts of seven minute
readings of prose and poetry in
2 Sparks at 3 p.m. today.
Those students selected to rep
resent the College in the Penn
sylvania Intercollegiate Reading
Festival will each be entered in
one of the above types of read
ing.
Seventy-five colleges in Penn
sylvania have been asked to send
five representatives to the festi
val May 4 and 5. Mrs. Harriet
Nesbitt, assistant professor of
public speaking, is chairman of
the festival, the first of its type
to be held in the F.tatf.