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Friday, April 20, 1973
University Daily Kansan
Nichols Was KU's Right-Hand Man
By ERIC MEYER
Kansan Staff Writer
"He always stood at the right hand of the chancellor with specific, authentic, detailed instructions."
That's the way Chancellor Raymond Nichols says he wants to be remembered after his death.
Nichols has worked for the University of Kansas for almost 44 years. After serving under five chancellors, he was appointed acting chancellor last summer following the resignation of E. Lawrence Chalmers Jr. and then leaving after removed "acting" from Nichols' title
A native of Larned, Nichols graduated
Kansan Staff Photos by PRIS BRANDSTED
from KU in 1928 with a bachelor's degree in journalism. While a student here, he was editor of the University Daily Kansan, editor of Jayhawker yearbook, president of the student council and president of KU's Phi Beta Kappa chapter.
He returned to KU in 1927 after working on two Kansas newspapers, the Larned writer and the Kansas City Kansan. KU graduate degrees a degree in journalism two years later.
After receiving his degree, Nichols began working for the University as executive vice president of a financial institution.
Nichols said his selection as executive secretary probably went back to his tenure in the White House.
"I had made some contacts with the office of the chancellor, with the dean of men and with the assistant to the chancellor," Nichols said. "The assistant to the chancellor was working on a master's degree in administration and he was trying to develop a questionnaire that would effectively detect executive or management abilities.
"I never found this out at the time, but his widow--he was later killed—told me that I was the one student for whom the indication of executive abilities seemed to show up very high on that questionnaire. He never did tell me."
Nichols said he eventually was hired as executive secretary to the chancellor and permanent secretary to the budget committee and budget committee secretary for 20 years.
The committee was composed of three deans and Nichols, the retiring chancellor said. The group met each year to discuss the University budget with all departments and
offices. Thus, Nichols was concerned with budgetary matters from the start of his KU career. His long-standing connection with the University as vice chancellor for finance in 1962.
Nichols' original appointment as executive secretary came from the chancery.
"He caught me while I was playing handball at the YMCA in Kansas City, Kan," Nichols said. "I was down there working on the Kansas City Kane He. We were in town and like an exciting opportunity and I accepted it and started to work in July of 1929."
Before coming to the University, Nichols had worked on the Kansas City Kansan for six months as a reporter and editorial writer. When he left, he was writing the entire editorial page without assistance seven days a week.
"This was rather demanding," he said,
"because it involved a lot of reading. But I didn't leave there because of that, I just had a certain feeling for the University."
As the years passed, Nichols became increasingly involved in budgeting and marketing for the company.
preparation of budgets for the Kansas
Board of Regents, and for the屋建业
Board of Regents and the legislature. Nichols said there had been many changes during his 43 years at the University.
Physically, the size of the plant has increased, he said, and the number of students has mushroomed from about 3,000 to over 18,000.
Nichols said he also found growth in the curricula; the founding of new schools, programs and degrees; increasing involvement in research (and of funds with which to conduct research); changes in the philosophy of education and changes in the composition of schools.
"The high point for the University occurred in the great development and the approach to quality and excellence following World War II," Nichols said. "There was a very definite change under the leadership of Prof. Becker, who became to be recognized as more than a provincial state university. This was the great search for excellence."
The University's low point, Nichols said without hesitation, was the Depression.
"We held ourselves together with bailing wire and binding twine," he said.
Nichols said salaries were cut 10 per cent in 1933. The next year, he said, they were reduced to 8 per cent, while the chancellor's salary, which was cut 25 per cent. The University also was forced to return a portion of its appropriations to the Treasury, as much revenue had fallen short of expectations.
"It was just unbelievable," he said. "And we could not get the money to bring the salaries back until the end of the war. Part of the reason that this was a lack of appreciation for education. There was an image problem quite a bit more serious than the one which we faced a couple three years ago."
Nichols said the most difficult years in which to operate the University were from 1984 to 1992, when being filled with protests, demonstrations and threats of violence. Those were the years in which the union suffered an ex-commissioner was planted in the computation center.
"It was the resultant misunderstanding by the public that caused the real problems," Nichols said. "Our image was badly tarnished and the restoration of confidence in the University has taken some time."
While the chancellor was finishing that sentence his telephone rang in constant request.
Nichols strolled across his spacious, nobil- and gold office and accepted the call he wanted. "I'll take you."
"That involves a lot of travel and talking and meeting people. If the average person says, 'That is my university, I want to have you, the chancellor, tell me about it,' I think it is very important that we are as its possible within his strength and calendar, to meet these requirements."
The chancellor's life is not an easy one. At least eight hours are spent in his office very day. And his evenings are filled with social obligations and University events,
Nichols predicted a bright future for KU.
He said he expected the state to realize KU.
"My philosophy is that the chief administrative officer must have the confidence and respect of the students and the faculty," Nichols said. "I think he must also have the understanding and support of the public, especially the alumni.
was the keystone to higher education in Kansas. The University has developed a program of quality and excellence, he said, because it is necessary to maintain and improve it.
"I think the future will see the level of support we don't have now increased to the point that we can once again operate at the table," Nicholas said, used to have 10 years ago. "Nicholas said,
"This quality has been eroded quite
definitely, and he decoded," he said,
shifting his hat flat on his stomach.
Nichols said that he had not expected to be appointed acting chancellor last summer and that he had reservations about accepting the position.
"I questioned my ability to do the job that the University deserved," he said. "But I felt that if the faculty and the Board of Regents had enough confidence in me to ask what should I have confidence enough in myself, I would meet the challenge. So I said 'Yes.'"
The retiring chancellor said he would not deliver a farewell address.
"My only message in the way of a farewell," he said, "would be to hope that the faculty and students will give to my successor the same understanding and support that I had. I'm confident that if that's so, the University will move forward to its rightful place of national leadership and service to the people of Kansas."
What happened to that brash, young editorial writer for the Kansas City Kansan who is now the chancellor of the University of Kansas?
"He still thinks it's a dream," Nichols said. "It's one of those things that couldn't have happened. He has been happy to the right-hand man to the chancellor over all the matters. And he's flattered and honored to be serving the University as chancellor."
Nichols' plans for retirement are indefinite. If Chancellor-elect Archie Dykes requests him to remain with the University, he will be unable to be available. If not, he said he might retire
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