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University Daily Kansan Thursday, March 10, 1955
Former Kansas Football Heads Sports Publicity
By KENT THOMAS
Kansan Sports Writer
A man whose journalistic prowess features informative and colorful sports writing is Don Pierce, University sports publicity director since October, 1945.
Pierce, a graduate of Topeka High school, attended KU as journalism major and received his A.B. degree in 1941. While at the University, he played center on the football squads of 1938, 1939 and 1940. In 1940, as Jayhawker captain he was selected on the all-Big Six first team.
For two years after graduation, Pierce was employed by the Topeka State Journal, Kansas City Journal and The Kansas City Star.
...In the fall of 1942, the big 6-footer once again doubled a playing uniform, that of the professional Brooklyn Dodgers. He continued his gridiron career in 1943 with the Chicago Cardinals.
Retiring from pro football in 1943, Pierce took over as sports editor of the Topeka Daily Capital, remaining there until February. 1945. He then joined the sports staff of the Oklahoma City Oklahomba and was stationed in Oklahoma capital until assuming his present duties in October of that same year.
As sports publicity director, Pierce furnishes stories for schools, newspapers, and press associations, mostly through releases and articles concerning future games or meets
and feature material. Often, when an opposing team has to travel a long distance to Lawrence, the distant city or school newspaper relies upon the dependable Pierce for the on-the-spot coverage.
Running the press box is another duty that falls upon the broad
Standout Department
shoulders of Pierce. This involves mailing tickets to reporters, handling of complimentary admittances, and the never-ending trouble of keeping "deadheads" out of the press box.
Not only does Pierce send out a steady stream of KU facts and figures, but also writes for the Capital and the Oklahoma a great deal of the time. Recently he completed a series of articles on state basketball history for the Capital.
Eight years ago Pierce produced the first printed brochure the Big Seven had ever known, since then he has written one every year on each of the major sports—track, football, and basketball. His 1955 track brochure will be printed soon.
When asked his greatest sports thrill, "Big Don" hesitatingly replied, "There are lots of them, but I suppose the greatest thrill, as a reporter, was the anchor carry of Wes Santee, when only a sophomore, in which he overcame a 40-yard lead by Georgetown's Joe LaPierre in the last 220 yards to win the four-mile relay for KU. It was a new American record for KU and was Santee's first mile under 4:10.
DON PIERCE
Pierce and his wife, Vivian, have three children—Ann, 8; Wayne "Ripper"," 3, and Bobby, 11 months. They reside at 1126 Highland drive.
Play Tonight In Prep Meet
With the KU cage season completed, high school basketball moves into the local spotlight tonight as Lawrence high school plays host to the first AA regional tournament ever held in Lawrence.
Tonight's opening game will match Highland Park and Atchison, both pool time at 7:30. Lawrence and Hale will play in the second game, starting at 9:00.
Friday night, top-seeded Topeka will play the winner of the Highland Park-Atchison game at 7:30, and Leavenworth will oppose the winner of the Hayden-Lawrence tilt. The two winners of Fridays games will meet in the finals Saturday night, with a trip to the state tournament in store for the winner.
Assistant Chosen At Kansas State
Manhattan — (U.P.)— Only one vacancy remained on the football coaching staff at Kansas State today following the signing of Pat Naughton. Detroit University assistant, as line coach vestayd.
Athletic Director Larry (Moon) Mullins announced the hiring of Naughton, a 33-year-old graduate of DePaul who coached at DePaul High school in Chicago and Fenwick High school in Oak Park, Ill., before moving to Detroit.
Head Coach Bus Mertes, named to succeed Bill Meek here, said he hoped to fill the one remaining vacancy before March 16, when K-State will open spring practice.
Volleyball Schedule
FRATERNITY "A"
7:30 Sigma Chi-Theta Chi (E)
7:30 DU-ATO (W)
8:15 Beta Pi-Kappa Alpha (E)
6:45 Battenfold-Nu Sigma Au (E)
6:45 Liahona-Stephenwood. (W)
INDEPENDENT "B"
4:00 Air Force -ASME (W)
4:45 Theta Tau-AIA (E)
6:45 Newman-Schizos (E)
FRATERNITY "B"
4:45 Phi Gam-SAE (W)
6:45 Chi Gamma Chi (W)
7:30 DU-Beta (E)
7:30 Phi DL-Phi Si (E)
FRATERNITY "B"
FRATERNITY "C"
4:00 Delt I-Beta (E)
Use Kansan Classified Ads.
Jeangerard Tops Selections For All-Conference Squad
Bob Jeangerard, sharpshooting Colorado forward, was the only unanimous choice on an all-Big Seven team selected by University Daily Kansan sports writers. On the last five with Jeengerard were Med Park of Missouri at the other forward spot; Burdette Halderson of Colorado at center, and Lester Lane of Oklahoma and Dallas Dobbs of Kansas at guards.
Jeangerard was a standout for the Buffaloes in their drive for the league crown posting an overall shooting average of 16.5 for the season. The other forward, Med Park of Missouri, rounds out a four year varsity career with the Tigers. A tireless hustler, Park averaged around 15 points a game this year.
Haldorson, Colorado's 6 foot inch pivotman, averaged 21.3 points for the season and had a total of 33 against Nebraska Feb. 7, the season's high for individual points in one game by a Colorado player.
Two capable performers hold down the guard spots on the Daily Kansan team with Lane being a repeat from most of last year's all-conference squads. Dobbs, a junior from Bartlesville, Okla., scored 36 points against Kansas State in a game held at Manhattan on Feb. 12.
Pachin Vicens of Kansas State, Chuck Duncan of Iowa State, and Norm Stewart of Missouri all received first place votes but wound up on the second team. Vicens took one of the guard spots on the second string, Duncan was picked as center, and Stewart at a forward position. Rounding out the second team are Gary Thompson of Iowa State at guard and Rex Ekwall of Nebraska at forward.
Ficked for honorable mention were: Dick Stone, KS; Jimmy Peek, OU; Bill Brainard, KU; Charlie Mock, CU; Gene Eslun, KU; Lever Bacher, OB; Bob Reiter, MU.
The KU football team moved through its third heavy workout in as many days yesterday, as Coach Chuck Mather divided the squad into six teams and conducted three simultaneous 45-minute scrimmages.
All groups worked at both offense and defense, with rookie quarterbacks Tom Slaymaker, Al Jaso, and Wally Strauch getting lengthy opportunities on offense while veterans Bev Buller and John MacFarland were working on defense.
Mather praised the defensive line play of guard Dont Pfutzenreuter and center Dick Reich, and complimented the passing of Slaymaker and Strauch and the receiving of halfbacks Ralph Moody and John Traylor.
The only change in Mather's first unit was the promotion of tackle Jim Hull.
The squad will practice again today, then take a day off Friday in preparation for the game-condition scrimmage scheduled for Saturday.
IM Volleyball
INDEPENDENT "A"
Jim Beam 15-15, AFROTC 1-9
YMCA won by forfeit over Don
Henry
INDEPENDENT "A"
FRATERNITY "A"
FRATERNITY "A"
Triangle 15-14-15, Sig Ep 11-15-17
FRATERNITY "B"
Sig Ep won by forfeit over Acacia
Phi Gam II won by forfeit over
FRATERNITY "C"
Phi Gam II won by torter over Delta Chi
Phi Gam 15-15, Deltil II 5-4
SAE I 15-15, Phil Delti 6-8
Phi Psi I 15-15, TKE 8-3
Beta won by fortest over SAE II
Sigma Chi I won over Acacia
Kansas Athletic Director Dutch Lonborg holds the Kansas records for punt returns in a single game, single season, and in a career on a Jayhawk squad.
should be examined today, Call for appointment. Any lens or Prescription duplicated.
LAWRENCE OPTICAL CO.
Phone 425 1925 Mass.
THE BALLAD OF DAVY CROCKETT
Fess Parker Ernie Ford Walter Schumann Bill Hayes
925 Mass.
Louis "Sachmo" Armstrong Saturday, March 12 Student Union BALLROOM
All School dance sponsored by IFC. Tickets on sale NOW in the Student Union. $1 per ticket