Page 16
University Daily Kansan
Tuesday, Jan. 16, 1962
'The Shack' Becomes Kansan's Home
Fifty-one years ago, a year before the Kansan became a daily newspaper, the faculty members and students in the department of journalism moved into their new home in "The Shack."
There were minor problems at first. For example, odors often drifted into the Kansan newsroom from the third floor, where the medical students who formerly occupied the building had stored their laboratory animals.
On the whole, however, the building was a big improvement over the Kansan's former home in the southeast basement of Fraser Hall, and the expanded quarters made it possible to publish a daily newspaper.
FOR THE NEXT 40 YEARS, the Kansan stories were written in a large room with a high ceiling on the first floor of "The Shack." The printshop was located directly under the newsroom, and the Kansan business office was located in the basement next to the printshop.
This arrangement had one big advantage. Copy was dropped down a chute from the newsroom to the printshop, and when the linotype operator needed some more copy he
would merely bang on the pipes.
would merely bang on the pipes. The second floor contained a large lecture room, and the third floor, or "sky parlor" as it was called, contained an office, meeting room, and women's lounge.
THE PRESS IN THE basement dominated the entire building. When the Kansan went to press each afternoon, the press caused the entire building to vibrate.
Other disadvantages came from the fact that the newsroom was also used as the laboratory for the reporting classes, and the class would often be meeting at the same time UDK staff members were working on the paper. In addition, students and faculty members had to pass through the newsroom to get from one part of the building to another.
The worst handicap in "the Shack" was the heating system. The uncovered pipes popped and banged as they filled with steam, and the heaters in the classroom also gave a boiler-room effect.
In 1952 the Kansan moved, with the School of Journalism and the University Press, into remodeled Fowler Shops, now known as Flint Hall.
At the same time, the equipment of the Daily Kansan was improved. A new $25,000 Model E Goss press was installed, doubling the number of copies which could be printed each hour. The old press, installed in 1924, printed 3,000 copies per hour; while the new press printed 5,500 per hour.
"There was a closer relationship among the students and faculty members in the old building," Prof. Beth recalls today.
In addition, $10,000 worth of new equipment was purchased for the typography laboratory, and new photography equipment was purchased. The new photography laboratory was a vast improvement over the old facilities in "The Shack."
Facilities also were included for KU's new FM radio transmitter, which had been given the School two years earlier by John P. Harris and S.F.Harris, Kansas newspapermen.
ALTOUGH FACULTY members and students undoubtedly were glad to move into the new building, they continued to have a sentimental attachment to "The Shack."
Clarke Keys, instructor in journalism, was a member of the UDK staff
"I think the lack of space and equipment in 'The Shack' gave the students a common point to complain about," Mr. Keys said. "This seemed to bring about closer relationships."
during its first year in the new building. He agreed with Prof. Beth on the closer relationships in "The Shack."
"Lots of the sentimental stories have grown through the years," he added. "People remember 'The Shack' not as it really was but as they like to think it was."
The Shack
Ten years ago, when the University Daily Kansan, the School of Journalism and the University of Kansas Press moved from "The Shack" east of Watson Library into Flint Hall, one nationally prominent journalism alumnus exclaimed in a letter of congratulations that the "shoestring" of 1912 had grown into a full-scale "tannery" in 1952.
Daily Kansan: A Big Business
His figure of speech was quite correct, for in his day the Kansan was a small operation in contrast to the $60,000-per-year business that it is today. But in another respect things had not changed between 1912 and 1952, nor have they changed in this respect between 1952 and 1962—the Kansan in 1912 was a laboratory newspaper for students majoring in journalism and it remains so today.
In 1906 the University Kansan, then a semi-weekly, became a laboratory newspaper for students taking journalism courses in the department of English. When Merle Thorpe was appointed chairman of the new department of journalism in 1911 the Kansan was converted to daily publication, he added new courses, and the university printing plant was expanded under his direction into what long since has become the large University press operation. Ever since then journalism students have had what journalism students at few universities have possessed — a complete newspaper production plant under the same roof with classrooms and laboratories.
During World War II, under the direction of Prof. Elmer F. Beth, who was acting chairman of the department of journalism at that time, direct laboratory experience on the Kansan was incorporated in a number of courses in which it had not existed before. Before then, for instance, the editing class had been primarily a discussion course; since then editing students have had, in addition to classroom discussion and exercises, many hours of work editing reporters' work and writing headlines in the Kansan newsroom. Advertising courses also were tied in more closely with the Kansan, and today students in Retail Advertising sell all of the large volume of local display advertising appearing in the newspaper.
Immediately after the department became the William Allen White School of Journalism and Public Information in 1948, detailed plans for remodeling of Fowler Shops were completed under the direction of Dean Burton W. Marvin, and in 1952 the Kansan moved into the larger and more modern quarters it occupies today.
During the last 10 years emphasis in the Kansan's function as a laboratory has been placed upon modernization of business management procedures; increase in specialized cultural content such as book reviews and outstanding writing by students throughout the university; expanded participation by students and faculty in the exchange of opinions through letters to the editor and guest articles; and a trend toward more reporting in depth on campus subjects both controversial and non-controversial.
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We sincerely want to thank the Kansan for its help in bringing so many of you to our place.
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Congratulates
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
on
50 Years of Service as a Daily
904 Mass. Lawrence, Kan.