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THE TEXAS COMPANY Abilene, Texas, March 4, 1953 Dear Truett, According to the paper you people in Austin are exoecting an avalanche of letters in regard to A&M goirg coed. May I be one of the first to give a female’s point of view. Truett, I’m just as serious as I can be in saying that I think the worst thing that could happen to A&M would be to admit women. As the school stands now it is second to nene in the state if it is made coeducational, it will be just another coed school its drawing card will be lost. If you’ll check the records at the school I beleive you’ll find that A&M has as large, if not the largest, out- of-state enrollment.as any school in the state. Being a true Texan,. I think the best thing that can happen to anyone is to come to Texas and.to some few thousand men in years past and years to come, I hope their only reason for coming to Texas will be to get an education in’ a school with a tradition like that of A&M’s. 1 only know what I have read in the Abilene paper, but I believe they are in error when they say the enrollment has dropped considerably. I’m quite sure it has dropped some but no more than any other school as far as male students are concerned. Don’t the people realize that a good per cent of our young men are going fran high school into Uncle Sam’s services and pushing any further academic education off into the future about two or three years. Now for the financial angle of this matter. I can not see how the school can be changed without a good deal of the tax payer’s money being spent. There will have to be new dorms built, because no woman would consider living in the buildings they have now for housing. I’ve been through some of the dorms when they have had open houses—the arrangements are fine for men, but not for women. The buildings would have to be completely remodeled and that costs money. The class rooms would have to be changed some and if I may be frank—- when the class room structures were erected they didn’t see fit to put in powder rooms J Another added cost will be in the faculty and curriculum that must be added before the college can handle women. honestly believe that a great school and a fine tradition will be destroyed if this drastic change comes about. I hope that you in your capacity as a representative, will have the opportunity to help prevent this mistake and will see fit to do so. Good luck, Truett, and Abilene. come by to see me when you come to Sincerely yours, Mildre'd Marsh1
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