1964–65 Volume 89 No 1–5 - Phi Delta Theta Scroll Archive

THE ALUMHI FIRING LINEJohn V. Homer (Randolph-Macon '30), a memberof the Washington Star staff for seventeenyears, has been named manager of press relationsfor the Washington (D.C.) office of InternationalTelephone and Telegraph Corp. He was presidentof the National Press Club in 1958 and servedpreviously on newspapers and magazines in Lynchburgand Warrenton, Va., and with the AssociatedPress in Baltimore.All Phis, along with other Americans werethrilled late in 1964 when the first flight of theU. S. Air Force SR-71, the new long range strategicreconnaissance aircraft, took place at Palmdale,California. But probably not many Phis knewthat the test pilot for the Lockheed aircraft wasRobert J. GilUland (Vanderbilt '49).Existence of the new aircraft was announcedin mid-July by President Johnson. Powered bytwo J-58 jet engines, the aircraft is said to becapable of flying more than three times the speedof sound and to operate at altitudes in excess of80,000 feet.Under Robert J. Gilliland's handling of the testflight all test objectives were met. The plane exceeded45,000 feet altitude and 1,000 miles perThe Brothers BraniginELBA BRANIGIN, JR. Franklin '30, left,administers the oath to Indiana's incoming GovernorROGER D. BRANIGIN, Franklin '23, center,as ED BRANIGIN, Franklin '25, looks on, inthe January 11 ceremony in the rotunda of theIndiana Statehouse in Indianapolis.The three Branigin brothers are sons of thelate ELBA BRANIGIN, Franklin '92, and are allmembers of the legal profession as was theirfather. Before his election as Governor, Rogerpracticed law in Lafayette, Indiana. Ed is WayneCounty clerk in Detroit. Elba, Jr., is an attorneyin the Branigin home community of Franklin.[342]hour speed. There were no incidents or problems.The aircraft is being assigned to the StrategicAir Command at Beale Air Force Base, Marysville,California.Recently Brother Gilliland was awarded the IvenC. Kincheloe Award by the Society of ExperimentalTest Pilots, awarded annually to the nation's outstandingtest pilot.• * *Henry B. Bass (Missouri '19) of Enid, Okla„ wasone of a group of distinguished devotees of Lincolnand the Lincoln period who were invited to aluncheon at the White House on Friday, February12.His recital of the events as they transpired fromthe time he received his. telegram invitation untilhis return to Oklahoma are recorded in a sevenpage printed open letter addressed to "Dear Everybody."The first page contains reproductions ofthe invitation, menu, admission ticket, and placecard. The publication is labeled simply "A Day Atthe White House."The events themselves are interesting but aremade even more so by the easy style of writingused by Brother Bass in describing them. Duringthe luncheon. Brother Bass was seated at tablenumber three and among the other distinguishedguests at that table was Mrs. Johnson.Of all the reminders of that thrilling experience,it is obvious that Brother Bass treasures most theback of his menu card for he had the foresightto get the autographs of all those at his tableincluding "Lady Bird Johnson." A little later.Brother Bass asked for and received the autographof Lyndon B. Johnson.• * •Arthur P. Miller Jr. (Penn State '47) is currentlyserving as assistant editor of National Geographic'sSchool Bulletin, an attractive publication issuedweekly, during the school year, October throughMay, by the School Service Division of the NationalGeographic from its offices in Washington,D.C.Like its parent, the Natiorial Geographic, theSchool Bulletin specializes in beautiful photographsand well prepared feature articles on world communitiesand areas of special interest to schoolchildren.Brother Miller is the son of Arthur P. MillerSr. (Penn State '18).Donald A. Mclntyre Jr. (Michigan '48) has beenelected 1965 president of the Detroit Auto DealersAssociation. Brother Mclntyre is associated withSuperior Oldsmobile, Inc., Detroit. His electionmarked the first dme in the association's fifty-yearhistory that the president's post is being held by