In 1937, FDR came to College Station and reviewed the Corps (then probably 3k students) at Kyle Field. This trip is historically important to Aggies, because it led to Reconstruction Finance Corporation financing of the "New Area."

The presidential yacht Potomac had tied off at Galveston, and a delegation including Governor Allred (he was All-Red) had traveled with FDR by train to College Station.

Among the group traveling with the President on this junket was a Congressman-elect, LBJ, who had been elected in a special election a few weeks earlier. LBJ continued through both the visit to the College and on to Fort Worth with FDR.

Is the guy with the big ears in the background of this picture LBJ (to the right of the President, white hat, speaking)?

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3340/3534701858_97d8f2943a_o.jpg

Here is a contemporary picture of LBJ for comparison.

http://lbjlibrary.tumblr.com/post/16473814805/lbj-with-the-pedernales-electric-cooperative-pec

[This message has been edited by Vestal_Flame (edited 2/27/2014 1:08p).]

I think this is the same guy, with his head turned. Doesn't look like LBJ.

[/url]
Roosevelt Visit to A&M by [url=http://www.flickr.com/people/cushinglibrary/]Cushing Memorial Library and Archives, Texas A&M[/url], on Flickr

But I think he's in this photo. Look just to the left of center, past the post. There are two military men in light-colored jackets. He can be seen between them in the back row. You should be able to click the photo and get to where you can enlarge the photo.

It appears to be a review on the (now) Simpson Drill Field. I think the reviewing stand is on the north side. That would mean the buildings in the background are Law/Puryear.

Largest version of photo below


[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/cushinglibrary/4755730658/][/url]
[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/cushinglibrary/4755730658/]Roosevelt Visit to A&M[/url] by [url=http://www.flickr.com/people/cushinglibrary/]Cushing Memorial Library and Archives, Texas A&M, on Flickr

Nice find, Canyon. That is definitely LBJ.

Bingo! Canyon, you definitely found him.

before he "earned" his silver star.

**** LBJ.

Get those two commies out of Kyle.

Is that LBJ in the back, behind the two officers? I wonder if the fellow between Roosevelt and the fellow in the straw boater could be a young Sam Rayburn? Or maybe Coke Stevenson?

[This message has been edited by jickyjack1 (edited 3/2/2014 11:29p).]

Sam Rayburn would have been 55 in 1937, so it would have been a real trick to be "young" in that photo. He was still 3 years away from becoming Speaker, so probably would not have been a honored guest. Though as a long-serving Democrat congressman, it seems likely he would have been there. Possible the guy in the white suit with the boater is Rayburn, I can't tell.

Coke Stephenson was just a Texas house member, still a few years out of the governor's mansion, so he probably wasn't a VIP yet, either.

James Allred was the Texas governor at the time. My guess is that he is standing to the right of FDR (our left) on the other side of the cadet. White hat and light colored suit. My guess is the cadet is the Corps Commander, one could probably find his name in the Longhorn for that year.

FDR to cadet: "Doing anything in 4 years? I'll have a job for you then."

Based on the 1937 yearbook, I think that the guy to FDR's right is T.O. Walton.

Allred is to FDR's left, the first man beyond the cadet. My wife, who has made a film about LBJ and spent some time staring at this set of pictures for work, confirms this identification of Allred, as well as the identification of LBJ on the second row.

quote:

---

Get those two commies out of Kyle.

---

Alas, though it pains me to admit it, each of those two commies was instrumental in funding the construction of the modern College as we know it.

Jesse H. Jones is on the left next to the lady with the white hat in the reviewing platform picture.

quote:

---

Allred is to FDR's left, the first man beyond the cadet.

---

Isn't he to FDR's right, our left?

The Cushing Library Flickr account identifies the people below as (L to R)


(Not named, but probably Allred as already guessed)
FDR
T.O. Walton
William P. Hobby

[/url]
Roosevelt Visit to A&M by [url=http://www.flickr.com/people/cushinglibrary/]Cushing Memorial Library and Archives, Texas A&M[/url], on Flickr

FDR & Walton

[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/cushinglibrary/4755727312/]
Roosevelt Visit to A&M by Cushing Memorial Library and Archives, Texas A&M, on Flickr



[This message has been edited by CanyonAg77 (edited 3/3/2014 5:03p).]

FDR, Walton, Hobby


Roosevelt Visit to A&M by Cushing Memorial Library and Archives, Texas A&M, on Flickr

This is identified as Walton, and dated 1943.

A torpedo???



Walton by Cushing Memorial Library and Archives, Texas A&M, on Flickr

quote:

---

Alas, though it pains me to admit it, each of those two commies was instrumental in funding the construction of the modern College as we know it.

---

Coincidence?

quote:

---

Isn't he to FDR's right, our left?

---

Correct. My bad.

Is that General Moore '08 of Bataan and Corigedor fame ( white gloves ) to left of FDR on reviewing stand ?

According to the Corps of Cadets Assn. web site, Moore was commandant from 1937 to 1940. Colonel Frank G. Anderson preceded him from 1935 to 1937.

It's logical that the Commandant would be on the reviewing stand. I guess it depends when in 1937 the change of command occured, to know who was in the post at the FDR visit.

There are two men in uniform, it's hard for me to tell anything of their rank, branch, decorations, etc.

Have to say that neither of those officers resemble General Moore that I see.


Col. Moore & George B. Sears by Cushing Memorial Library and Archives, Texas A&M, on Flickr


G.F. Moore by Cushing Memorial Library and Archives, Texas A&M, on Flickr


G.F. Moore by Cushing Memorial Library and Archives, Texas A&M, on Flickr


G.F. Moore by Cushing Memorial Library and Archives, Texas A&M, on Flickr


Farley & Gen. Moore by Cushing Memorial Library and Archives, Texas A&M, on Flickr

Note in the closeup that the microphone is from KRLD radio, the Dallas CBS station.

Not a torpedo, but probably one of the recovered Japanese mini-subs from the Pearl Harbor attack. In fact, probably the one now at the Nimitz Museum in Fredricksburg. It was taken on war bond tours, and I suspect the lady in the picture is buying a war bond.

Good call.

Photos from Nimitz museum:







Image above:





[This message has been edited by CanyonAg77 (edited 4/2/2014 4:12p).]

Man, that's a great call and a great museum.