24
JOURNALISM IN THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS.
most of the Courier advertisements. The Courier appeared on November 3d, '79, with an editorial against consolidation, and death notice of the Collegiate. R.W.E. Twitchell was editor, Gertrude Bullene and Edmond Butler, assistants, A.P. Connor, business manager. One or two more numbers were issued, one certainly in January, 1880. Then the Courier, having lost most of its advertising support, and lacking capital in the company, went under.
The Kansas Review first appeared in November, 1879, Colin Timmons editor-in-chief. In March,'80, W.H.Carruth took the place of Timmons.Many of the best literary productions in this and the succeeding volume, came from the pen of Florence E. Finch.
Great rivalry almost immediately arose in the Review company between Beta Theta Pi and Phi Kappa Psi. Stock went to a high premium, and the Chancellor was once or twice called in to preserve the peace. The parties were very evenly divided, but the Phi Kappa Psi eventually obtained control. In November, '80, the new staff for the second year went on without an editor-in-chief. But in January,'81, they elected C.F.Scott, one of their number,to that position. By this time the Review was an assured success, and had gotten into a pretty steady track of work.
The next year W. C. Spangler was elected editor-in-chief. The Review had fallen by this almost wholly into the hands of Phi Kappa Psi. Many students disliked this monopoly of a college paper by one fraternity.
During the summer of 1882, Edmond Butler, L. H. Leach, Albert S. Riffle, C. C. Dart, B. K. Bruce, G. L. Miller, J. D. McLaren, and a number of others worked up the revival of the old Courier. The plan was successful, stock was sold quite largely, the paper became popular almost immediately. It had no editor-in-chief, guaranteed half of its stock and half the positions on its staff to the non-fraternity element, was issued fortnightly, and more devoted to news than the Review.
This year the Review celebrated its
fourth birthday by enlarging to its present size. It also secured a charter, and following the example of the Courier, gave a fairer representation to all parties.
At the beginning of the present year the Courier appeared in an entire new dress, and changed to magazine form. The year has been remarkable for the enterprise displayed by both papers, the Courier presenting its readers with photographs of the new professors, and a cut of the new chemical building, while the Review brought out photographs of our three Chancellors and an extra Christmas number.
Although experience had shown that both papers could be successfully carried on, yet to very many of those experienced in the work of a college paper, it seemed well to concentrate the talent and combine the strength of both in one. It was thought to be to the advantage of the University for it to send forth one excellent paper rather two only fairly good. Consolidation was discussed privately, informal meetings of representative members of both companies held, and after considerable talk, a plan was agreed upon and ratified by both companies The University Courier suspended, having issued seventeen numbers in the second volume, the Kansas Review did the same with the tenth number of its fifth volumeThe history of both is ended. That of the UNIVERSITY REVIEW begins.
The UNIVERSITY REVIEW seeks to combine in one magazine the excellencies of both its predecessors. How well it may succeed is for the future to tell. It is now a little over ten years since the first paper was issued by our students. During the next decade the prospect seems fair for journalism in the University of Kansas.
NOTE. My thanks are due for information and files to Rev. Wm. Osburn, '77, W. E. Stevens, '74, Prof. W.H. Carruth, '81, Edmond Butler,' 83. I am conscious that this article is far from including all the facts of the subject, but have thought it best to bring together all the points I could now obtain, in order that this "Preliminary Sketch" might be the more readily corrected and added to from the recollections of old students.
PERLEE R. BENNETT.