“Strap on yore hawg laig, Pardner, Western Week is jest ‘roun’th’ corner!”
That’s the word from J.D. Wallace, elected by the Interclub Council to serve as chairman for the second annual celebration of frontier days on the Lamar Tech campus.
Law, custom and dress of the Old West will replace Robert’s Rules of Order with a full-fledged jail house waiting to accommodate any and all culprits who fail to conform to Western Week traditions.
And there will be a full force of deputy sheriffs working with Head Sheriff Ben Whitaker to make sure that rules are observed.
Western Dress Required
It’s all in great fun—but every campsite will be required to wear western clothes with beards as an option for men, or face a day in jail or a fine.
There will be something brewing every minute in addition to the snack bar coffee pot.
Each campus club and organization will present some sort of entertainment at various hours during the day at any odd place they can find, barring interference with classroom work, to stir up the western spirits.
WRA Carnival
Monday night the Women’s recreation Association will stage its annual carnival in the Student Union. Tuesday evening that notorious “Gunfighter,” Gregory Peck, will make his appearance on the silver screen in a genuine talking movie at the “Cardinal Gap Opry House,” perhaps better known as the auditorium. Wednesday evening the Zeta Chi and Revelers social clubs will present a show at the Opry house.
Western Week Dance
Thursday night comes the grand climax—the Western Week Dance in the SUB Gymnasium with music by a bonafide hillbilly band, Slim Watts and his Hillbilly All-Stars. Dancing will be from 9 to 12.
Preceding the dance, the Wesley Foundation will hold a chuck wagon supper, featuring spaghetti and meatballs, at 6:30 p.m. at the center on E. Virginia Street. Fee will be 35 cents.
A highlight of the dance will be the selection of best “Joe and Jane” of Western Week, with appropriate prizes. In addition, prizes for contests held during the week will be presented at that time.
Contests to be Held
During the day contests for both men and women will be staged. Major events for men will be cigar smoking, tobacco spitting, distance and accuracy, and cigarette rolling. Sack racing will be the feature event for women. Girls are eligible for the men’s events if they feel qualified.
Several other contests will be staged. Ted Brandt heads the contest idea committee as well as the committee to construct the jail.
Henry K. Pitts will serve as master of ceremonies for the Western Week Dance. Hardy A. Dodd is dance chairman.
Committee Chairmen
Other committee chairmen are Dixie Harvey, booths; Sara Greer, prizes, and Ronald Guidry, finance minister.
Gordon Chesson, collector of antique automobiles, will give contemporaries a look at horseless carriages of the western era. He will park his 1901 Hupmobile and 1903 Buick, along with various and sundry other old-style autos.
Sheriff Big Ben Whitaker will call on the following deputies to assist in policing the area during Western Week:
Deputy Sheriffs
Gene (Gabby) Bates, Physical Education Club; Douglas (The Drunkard) Thibodeaux, Pre-Med Club; Marion (Sleezy) Braquet, Zeta Chi; Charles (Healthy) Westmoreland, Kollege Klub; Victor (Wicked Vic) Gail, Newman Club; June (Juney Belle) Turner, Revelers; Robert (Bullet) Mauer, Texas Society of Professional Engineers.
Ronnie (Dead-Eye) Holt, APO; Gwen (Queenie) Park, Women’s Recreation Association; Ward (The Man with the Unclad Spur) Beckom; Dick (Dirty Dog) Goerlich, Future Teachers Association; Henry (The Kid) Pitts, Redbird; Ted (Reddy) Brandt and J.D. (Tex) Wallace, Vets Club.
Monday—1p.m., Whip Popping, Coed, in front of SUB; entry fee 10 cents.
Tuesday—10 a.m., Girl’s Sack Race, entry fee 5 cents, south side of SUB; Men’s Tobacco Spitting (distance and accuracy), entry fee 10 cents each, south side of SUB; Three-legged race, coed, entry fee 10 cents per couple.
Wednesday—1 p.m., Cigaret Rolling, coed, entry fee 5 cents.
Thursday—After Assembly (in auditorium), judging in Pie Baking contest (girls bring pies Thursday morning pies to be auctioned in union); Cigar Smoking, coed, entry fee 15 cents; At Dance, Shaggy Beard and Pretty Beard prizes; Best-dressed Joe and Jane; Potato Dance.
(Note: Entry fees are to defray expense of prizes only.)
Compiled from the archives by Ja'Leigh Cerf.