1954: TWC Engineering Students Cling To Old College Of Mines Name

07/25/1954

The cold war continues over the change of the name of Texas College of Mines to Texas western College. Now and then, the cold war becomes hot.

A line of demarkation recently has been drawn on the campus of TWC, admittedly by mining students. Drawn on the only road that leads to the engineering buildings on the campus, the letters TCM appear on the side of the engineers and TWC on the academic side of the campus.

Early in 1949 when the name change first came in for heated discussion, mining students at the college immediately protested, and on March 15, 1949, representatives of the college of Mines Scientific Club appeared at a downtown meeting to protest a change for the college. The Scientific Club carried placards with the inscriptions, "T is for Texas, C is for College and M is for Mines and Metallurgy."

CHANGE APPROVED

On April 29, the University of Texas Board of Regents approved changing the name to Texas Western College of the University of Texas. Beauford Jester, then governor, signed the bill on May 20 and May 31, 1949, was the last day the school operated under the name given the institution when it was primarily a mining and engineering college.

Five years later, the "peasants," (engineering students) are still battling the "pee-doggies," (academic students), and each have their own traditions.

Carrol Stayton, president of APO Engineering Fraternity on the campus, said the group takes the stand that "the name change was regrettable, but is just one of those things."

MANY TRADITIONS

"Of course," he added, "there are many traditions, but our stationery does carry TWC, and we are taking the change in our stride, although there is occasionally some feeling about it."

Coy Harrison, who is one of the engineering students' representatives on the Student Council said:

"I do not think it should have been change. A degree carrying Texas College of Mines wold have more bearing than one just carrying Texas Western College. The TCM would imply that you were from a mining school. In addition, there is the tradition."

Eugen Thomas, dean of engineering, said he did not know who had painted the "line of demarkation."

"I went home one night. When I returned the next day, there it was," he smiles.