1925- . US Republican politician, a senator
from Texas 1961-83. Despite having been a
paid arms-industry consultant, he was
selected in 1989 by President Bush to serve
as defence secretary, but the Senate refused
to approve the appointment because of Tower's
previous heavy drinking. Tower, in 1961 the
first Republican to be elected senator for
Texas, emerged as a military expert in the
Senate, becoming chair of the Armed Services
Committee in 1981. After his retirement from
the Senate in 1983, he acted as a consultant
to arms manufacturers and chaired the 1986-87
Tower Commission, which investigated aspects
of the Irangate arms-for-hostages scandal.

town and gown

Term describing the relationship between a
university and the town in which it is
situated. The presence of a university has
often created local conflict. Early British
universities originated in small settlements,
which eventually came to resent the
university's dominance. Conflict occurred as
the towns tried to establish an independent
existence. An added problem was the presence
of a large and sometimes unruly body of
students. Newer universities have been sited
either in well-established towns or on
out-of-town campuses.