Boudreaux's Final Exam At College Station

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Boudreaux's Final Exam At College Station

by Hardy Parkerson, J.D.

Mar 27, 2012

While Boudreaux was growing up in the swamps of South Louisiana, they hit oil on his family’s land and his family became rich. When Boudreaux was about a senior in high shool, his parents were both lost in a hurricane, so Boudreaux inherited all his mother and daddy’s land and oil royalties. When he graduated from high school, he said, “I ain’t a-gonna go to dat L S and U, me no; me, I goin’ over dere to Texas and be one dem Aggies at Texas A & M." So, sure ‘nough, he enrolled at College Station, where he stayed for ten years, but he never got his diploma. A & M would not give him his diploma, but they kept taking his tuition and letting him enroll for another semester.

One day Texas A & M hired a new president, and he received a call from a reporter with the the Dallas newspaper inquiring about an Aggie named Boudreaux from Louisiana that had been going to Texas A & M for ten years, but who had never received his degree; and yet the University had...See MoreWhile Boudreaux was growing up in the swamps of South Louisiana, they hit oil on his family’s land and his family became rich. When Boudreaux was about a senior in high shool, his parents were both lost in a hurricane, so Boudreaux inherited all his mother and daddy’s land and oil royalties. When he graduated from high school, he said, “I ain’t a-gonna go to dat L S and U, me no; me, I goin’ over dere to Texas and be one dem Aggies at Texas A & M." So, sure ‘nough, he enrolled at College Station, where he stayed for ten years, but he never got his diploma. A & M would not give him his diploma, but they kept taking his tuition and letting him enroll for another semester.

One day Texas A & M hired a new president, and he received a call from a reporter with the the Dallas newspaper inquiring about an Aggie named Boudreaux from Louisiana that had been going to Texas A & M for ten years, but who had never received his degree; and yet the University had refused to flunk him out; they just keep taking his tuition and allowing him to continue in school. The President told the Dallas newspaper reporter that he was new at College Station and did not know anything about this student Boudreax from Louisiana, but that he would check into this matter and get right back with the reporter. Not wanting any bad news stories during his new tenure as Texas A & M University President, the President called an urgent meeting of the Faculty.

When the President broached the subject and inquired about this student Boudreaux from Louisiana, the Faculty began to clear their throats and chuckle under their breaths, until one faculty member rose and spoke up and explained to the president that indeed Boudreaux had been there at A & M working on his degree for ten years, and that he was really too dumb to pass his courses and graduate; however, they, the Faculty just did not have the heart to flunk him out; for, first of all, Boudreaux was rich and he always paid his tuition in advance, and as tight as money was, the University had already spent the money by the time Boudreaux had failed his courses for the semester, so they just let him go another semester, rather than having to dig up money to refund him his tuition; and further, whenever A & M had a fundraiser, Boudreaux was always the number one contributor; that he gave to the football, the basketball, baseball, track team, debate team...you name it. As a matter of fact, Boudreaux was Texas A&M’s number one contributor; so they just didn’t have the heart to flunk him out. Yet, they could not pass Boudreaux and give him his diploma, since he could not pass his exams.

Well, the president thought it over, and not wanting any trouble from the Dallas Newspaper, advised the Faculty that they were right: that if Boudreaux could not pass his exams, they could not give him his diploma. However, he announced that he was going to appoint a committee to make up an exam that Boudreaux COULD pass--and that he did not care if they showed Boudreaux a copy of it in advance. Further, he said that since Boudreaux was Texas A & M’s number one contributor, that the University was going to honor him by giving him his “final exam” and presenting him his diploma at half-time at a Texas Aggie-Texas Longhorn football game at College Station.

Well, the day came for the big game and half-time ceremonies. The stands were packed: Aggies on one side, Longhorns on the other. At half-time Boudreaux was brought to the middle of the field and the cameras and all attention were focused on him. As Boudreaux stood at mid- field, the announcer said over the PA system, “Mr. Boudreaux, here is your exam. If you pass it, you get your diploma. If you fail it, we MUST flunk you out. Are you ready?” Take all the time you want! Here’s the exam:

“WHAT IS THE SUM OF FOUR PLUS THREE?”

Boudreaux stood and looked at his heels for a long time, as tension in the bleachers mounted, and then he looked up and answered:

“SEVEN?”

Upon which the thousands in the stands on both sides-- Aggies on one side and Longhorns on the other--let up a roar so that nothing else could be heard. Slowly the cheering on the Longhorn side died down, and you could hear the Aggies yelling, “GIVE HIM ANOTHER CHANCE! DON'T FLUNK HIM OUT! LET HIM TRY AGAIN!"

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