R. E. Hightower, Textile Executive, Dies Suddenly Robert E. Hightower, '12, president and treasurer of Thomaston Mills, Thomaston, Ga., died unexpectedly March 12, 1952, in the Upson County Hospital. He was 62. Mr. Hightower was also president of Thomaston Broadcasting Co. and Community Enterprises, Inc., past president of Thomaston Kiwanis Club and Thomaston Country Club, Upson County representative in the state legislature, member of the Board of Trustees, Robert E. Lee High School, director of the Central of Georgia Railway Co., member of Capital City and Piedmont Driving Clubs in Atlanta, Sigma Nu Fraternity and many other organizations. "Mister Rob," as he was affectionately known, was a brother to the late William Harrison Hightower, '09, succeeding him to the presidency of Thomaston Mills, and of Julian T. Hightower, '19, now a member of the Georgia Tech Alumni Foundation. George Hightower, '37, executive with Thomaston Mills, is a nephew. All of the Thomaston Hightowers have figured prominently
PRESIDENT'S REPORT PROVIDES INTERESTING STATISTICS Figures given in the Annual Report of the President show that there were 5,174 regular day-time students in Tech during 1950-51. The senior class was by far the largest of those enrolled, numbering 1,630. During 1950-51, Electrical Engineering continued to have the largest enrollment of any school with 856. This was followed closely by Industrial Management, 849; Mechanical Engineering, 703; Industrial Engineering, 509; Civil Engineering, 500; Architecture, 472; Chemical Engineering, 465; Textile Engineering, 312; Aeronautical Engineering, 270; Chemistry, 87; Physics, 81; Ceramic Engineering, 48; miscellaneous and unclassified, 24. The geographical distribution of enin Georgia Tech affairs and in the Textile Industry of the state. Robert E. Hightower is survived by his wife, the former Ruth Akin, and two daughters, Mrs. Alfred Kennedy and Mrs. Ruth Roberts; as well as his brother, Julian, and two nephews, five grandchildren.
CAMPUSONALITIES JESSE W. MASON Dean of
Engineering
rollment comes close to following alumni distribution. Georgia, naturally, leads with 2,566. Other states are as follows: Florida, 452; Tennessee, 287; New York, 266; Alabama, 173; New Jersey, 151; South Carolina, 106; Miss., 103; Virginia, 99; North Carolina, 90; Pennsylvania, 78; Kentucky, 57; Massachusetts, 57; W. Va., 54; Ohio, 48; Arkansas, 46; Maryland, 43; Louisiana, 40; Conn., 36; Illinois, 34; Texas, 33, Dist. of Columbia, 22; Missouri, 20, etc. The only states not represented are: Montana, Oregon, Utah, and Vermont. There are 35 foreign countries represented. The largest number comes from Cuba, which has 51 representatives on the campus. Other countries represented are: China, 18; Puerto Rico, 13; Venezuela, 10; Argentina, 9; Columbia, 9; Greece, 8; Mexico, 8; Israel, 7; Hawaii, 5; Brazil, 4; Canal Zone, 4; Costa Rica, 4; England, 4; Turkey, 4; Panama 3; Boliva, 2; B. W. I., 2; Egypt, 2 France, 2; Honduras, 2; Nicaragua, 2 and the balance of the countries have only one each.
Among the administrative positions at the Georgia Institute of Technology is that of the Dean of Engineering. This office exercises supervision over the degree granting engineering schools, Architecture, Drawing and Mechanics. The current Dean is Dr. Jesse W. Mason, who is 43 years old and has held the position since 1948. Dean Mason was born in Louisville, Kentucky, and attended high school there. He received his bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from the University of Louisville in 1930 and his doctor's degree from Yale in 1935. He received an honorary degree of Doctor of Engineering from the University of Louisville in 1950. He was associated with the Girdler Corporation in Louisville, Kentucky; the Palmer Asbestos and Rubber Corporation of St. Mathews, Kentucky, and the Connecticut State Water Commission prior to entering teaching. He became assistant professor of chemical engineering at the University of Florida in 1935. While there he served under B. R. Van Leer as Dean from 1935 to 1937. Dean Mason came to Georgia Tech in 1938 as assistant professor of chemical engineering; was made associate professor in 1940, and in 1941, on the death of Dr. Harold Bunger, he became professor and head of chemical engineering which position he held until being promoted to Dean in 1948. He married Camille Fanelli of Louisville, Kentucky, in 1935. His son, Alfred, is a student in the Decatur Public Schools. THE GEORGIA TECH ALUMNUS