Friday, October 14, 1977
University Daily Kansan
1962 graduate endures changes in campus, city
By RICK LINK
Staff Writer
When Robert Hoyt Jr. came to the University of Kansas in 1955 he parked his car on campus wherever he wanted. He did not have to worry about which zones were open, and he never ate lunch at a ham-ware joint on 32rd Street.
"21st Street was almost a cow pasture at the edge of town," Hoyt said recently in his office at the KU Bureau of Child Research. "I don't even think it was paved.
"There were no guard houses around in the buildings and you could park almost anywhere."
Now associate director of the Bureau of Child Research in Haworth Hall, Hoyt came to the University in 1955, but he did not receive his first degree until 1982.
Hoyt said that in 1955 he had "intended to become another Ernest Hemingway." After three years, however, he returned to a farm where, in the same place, he worked on his family's farm.
1961 WAS THE end of Hoyt's farming years, and he returned to KU to obtain a bachelor's degree from the School of Journalism in radio and television.
"Most students wore blue jeans in 1962," he said. "The sheer number of students was much less, though, and academically might not have been quite so permissive."
Hoyt sat back in a swivel chair behind his desk, as he told of obtaining his master's degree from the University of 1963. Rows of books lined the shelves in his office, many of which he had helped write or
During his 10-year career at KU, Hoyt has either edited or acted as technical consultant for 16 books and has written 12 articles concerned with child research. In addition, Hoyt has been involved in the development of more than 35 films and filmstrips.
The Bureau of Child Research was established by a federal grant in 1967. Hoyt's office is the central point for community-based research and research centers across the United States.
HOYT'S JOB involves documenting the
Looking back ...15 years
bureau's research findings, which "might otherwise end up stacking up somewhere or elsewhere"
Hodyt did not become associated with the parens, however, until several years after he died.
"After graduating," Hoyt said, "many students did not go into newspaper work."
"The news services were paying about $65 a week then, he said," which really wasn't much. "We had to pay $180."
Hoyt decided to apply for a job with the Central Intelligence Agency. He said at that time the CIA was hiring many people and 1963, after the Bay of Pig incidents, marked
the beginning of an active period in CIA history.
THE CIA WAS hiring so many personnel that it did not have time to do total security clearances, Hoyt said, and he began work on the mission of a series of civil service examinations.
Hoyt served as chief of a computer documentation staff at CIA headquarters in Langley, Va., from 1963 to 1967. Some of the intelligence reports supervised by Hoyt went directly to President Lyndon Johnson or members of his cabinet, he said.
Attacks are increasing today on past CIA activities, but Hoyt said at that time Americans viewed national security in a different context.
"I wasn't disillusioned with the CIA," he said, "and I still not."
Now at KU, Hoyt has a parking permit so he can park near his office in Haworth and a lunch at a hamburger joint is never more than a cow pasture away.
Changing campus . . .
From nave one
semester, but in the fall of '62, a young halfback gave fans something to cheer about. His name was Gale Sayers, and as a sophomore he came within four yards of Kline KU's season rushing record.
In All Student Party elections, Jerry Dickson and George Haim of Vox Populi party defeated University Party candidates for the presidency and vice president. Action, a new campus party, was organized in the spring.
Other students tested their diplomatic skills on the international level. Selected members of People-to-People travelled and promoted U.S. foreign policy in Europe during Summer and KU students created a Model United Nations for a weekend in April.
If politics didn't interest the 62 student,
should go to the Granada Varsity or
Susan C. Kline at the College of Arts.
Mockingbird, "lawrence of Arabia" and "the Miracle Worker."
Some students must have studied. Seven
ten seniors won Woodrow Wilson Fellow-
ship.
STUDENTS OF 62 had their zany moments, too, from the 19 Kappa Kappa Gamma pledges who plied into a convertible for a tour of campus to the 20 Owl Society pledges who hosted between classes from a perch in a tree in front of Flint Hall.
KU planners and builders also had their moments in 1962. Students witnessed the dedication of the Nuclear Reactor Building and demolition of the old journalism building. Plans were made to build Ellsworth Hall, replace the religion building and Blake Library, and replace two wives to Wasson Library and 6,500 seats to the west rim of Memorial Stadium.
Hashingler Hall and a 68-mit addition to Stouffer Place apartments housed their first
Staff Photo by PAUL ROSE
Back at school
editing film by matching a script with pictures. Hoyt received his bachelor's degree from KU in 1962.
Robert Hoyt, assistant director for child services, works at
What to do in '62 . . .
From page one
PAY TELEVISION, or cable, was only a topic for discussion in Lawrence and the theatre remained the only place to see a current movie. Lawrence had one drive-in, the Sunset, and two indoor theatres, the Varsity and Granada.
The Granada opened the year 1962 with a Walt Disney feature, "Babes in Toyland," starring Tommy Sands and Annette Funi. The film's opening weekend was lukewarm in for its cavouring in "The Ernest Bay."
films as "Breakfast at Tiffany's" www. Audrey Hepburn, "Pocketful of Miracles" with Glenn Fond and Bette Davis, "Blue Hawaii" with Elvis Presley, "Gypsy" with Rosalind Russell, "The Manchurian Candidate," "Lolita" and "Hatari" with John Keen.
Besides the blockbusters, there were still plenty of other movies to choose from. Such
MOVIE-MAKERS also were quick to capitalize on a phenomenon twisting through the country. If the public would buy the records, then maybe they would go to a movie catering to the same taste. So movies like "Hey Let's Twist" and "Twist Around"
the clock* with Chubby Checker and Dion came to the Varsity.
For five straight weeks in 1962, twist songs were No. 1 on the national charts. First was Checker's "The Twist" followed by Dearborn's "Joy," sung by Jody Dee and the Starlighters.