May 10, 2002

Big Names Are Presidential Finalists at Texas A&M; Bennett College Names Johnnetta Cole as Leader; Head of 2-Year College Quits After Faculty Vote

By PIPER FOGG, ANNE MARIE BORREGO, and JAMILAH EVELYN

A POLITICAL RUNOFF? Sen. Phil Gramm, 59, a Texas Republican, and Robert M. Gates, 58, a former CIA director, are considered top contenders for the presidency of Texas A&M University at College Station.

But one man is an official candidate, while the other is a stealth competitor. Mr. Gates, who served as the interim dean of Texas A&M's George Bush School of Government and Public Service from 1999 to 2001, is one of three original candidates named by a presidential search panel