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University Daily Kansan
Thursday, Nov. 12, 1953
Kenton Native Kansan, But Went to California
Stan Kenton, director of "The Festival of Modern American Jazz" appearing in Hoch auditorium Dec. 5, is a native Kansan. He was born in Wichita in 1912.
His mother, a piano teacher, was responsible for helping him develop an interest in music. He studied the saxophone, trumpet, and banjo before his music interest developed. He began studying the piano seriously when he was 14 years old.
Kenton graduated from Bell High school, Los Angeles, in 1930. Unable to attend college because of financial difficulties, he began playing the piano on the West coast until finally he became assistant musical director at Earl Carroll's theater restaurant.
While Kenton was working at Earl Carroll's restaurant he conceived the idea of having his own band. He spent his spare time developing arrangements for the band he hoped to have.
Finally, in 1941, a Stan Kenton orchestra was formed and did a stand at the Rendezvous ballroom in Balbon, Calif. It remained there four months, during which time word spread along the West coast of the unusual type of music he played. This "progressive jazz" type of music gained popularity during the next few years until, in 1946, the Stan Kenton organization was named the "Band of the Year" in a popularity poll.
In late 1947 Kenton decided to abaudon ballroom playing in favor of the concert stage. He did a 3-month tour and then was forced to disband his orchestra because there was no possibility of any more concert tours that year.
However, Kenton's desire to play his music led him, in 1950, to form another band and do another concert tour. That tour included 77 cities, ending in the Hollywood bowl. To keep the nucleus of his concert band together until the next year, he formed a 20-piece dance band.
Since that time, Kenton has realized that he can be successful in both concert and ballroom playing. Thus, he has kept his band working the entire year and still made it possible to continue to present yearly concert tours of jazz.
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Engineers to Hold Dinner Meeting
The annual "Get-Acquainted" dinner of the members of the staff in the School of Engineering and Architecture will be held at 6:30 p.m. today in the Kansas room of the Student Union.
Dr. H. A. Ireland, professor of geology, will show movies of a recent field trip.
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STAN KENTON
Grange Lines Up For Benson Row
Burlington, Vt.—(U.P.)—Delegates to the 87th National Grange convention began choosing sides today for a bitter debate over the national soil conservation program that has plagued Secretary of Agriculture Ezra T. Benson.
Already two resolutions were in separate committees, one endorsing Secretary Benson's elimination of regional Soil Conservation offices and the reorganization of his entire department.
This resolution, backed by farmers from the Pacific Northwest, was denounced by a Southwest delegation that also had a resolution scheduled for debate on the convention floor next week. Both groups were seeking to woo eastern farmers into their camps.
Veterans Organize Chapter
The Southwest delegates agreed with Waters Davis of League City, Tex., president of the National Association of Soil Conservation Districts, that Benson's elimination of the regional offices was the "work of a dictator operating behind an iron curtain of secrecy."
"University Veterans organization, Kansas chapter" was the name chosen by a group of campus Korean and World War II veterans which met yesterday. The UVO will meet again at 7 p.m. Monday in the Pine room of the Student Union and will elect officers at 5 p.m. Wednesday in the Jayhawker room.
It's
Time For Anti-Freeze
WE HAVE A COMPLETE STOCK
Robert W. Dickerman, who recently joined the staff of Museum of Natural History will leave next week on an extended field trip to Mexico for the Museum.
The purpose of Mr. Dickerman's trip will be to collect animals, principally mammals, to complete the University's collection of vertebrates of North America and to furnish specimens for special research work being done by graduates.
"The trip is financed by funds provided by the National Science foundation and other funds obtained from persons interested in this work." Mr. Dickerman said.
To travel over rough terrain, the trip is being made in a specially-equipped truck which contains all necessary equipment; camp out for long periods of time.
PRESTONE
ZEREX
ZERONE
MOTOR IN
Mr. Dickerman will journey to remote parts of central and southern Mexico, expecting eventually to Guide him in a field trip, which will take two years.
He will return occasionally to Kansas to bring back the specimens he has collected.
Convocation Friday For Debate Teams
SKELLY PRODUCTS CHRYSLER - PLYMOUTH
—SERVICE ALL MAKES OF CARS—
827 VERMONT Phone 607
Debate teams from Kansas university and Oxford university will discuss the "Attempt to Outlaw the Communist Parties of the Free World" at an all-University convocation Friday, Nov. 13, in Hoch auditorium.
Mr. Dickerman is a graduate of Cornell university. He received his master's degree in ornithology and wildlife management from the University of Arizona.
Aide at Museum To Make Trip To Mexico Wilds
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The usual convocation class schedule will be followed. Eight o'clock classes will meet from 8 to 8:30; nine o'clock classes will meet from 8:40 to 9:10; ten o'clock classes will meet from 10:40 to 11:10; and eleven o'clock classes will meet from 11:20 to 11:50.
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The nation's only Anti-Aircraft Artillery Replacement Training center at Fort Bliss, Texas, has trained more than 40,000 soldiers since its re-activation in August 1950.
SEE THESE FAMOUS STARS IN PERSON AT Hoch Auditorium
Wed., NOV. 18
8:20 p.m.
I.D. Cards Do Not Admit
Tickets $2.81, $2.55, $2.04
$1.28 ( tax included)
at K.U. Fine Arts Office
Washington—(U.P.)—President and Mrs. Eisenhower leave by train today for a three-day trip to Ottawa where they will be guests of Canadian Prime Minister Louis St. Laurent
Star of 'Courtmartial' Scored in Rustic Roles
Ike Prepares Canada Trip
Mr. Eisenhower was scheduled to address the Canadian House of Commons Nov. 14.
Henry Fonda, who appears here as the star of "The Caine Mutiny Courtmartial" Nov. 18, has been typed by Hollywood as a man of the soil, after numerous roles as a farmer or as a Western star.
The President told his news conference yesterday that his address will give him an opportunity to pay his respects to the Canadian people to whom Americans feel so close. He said it will be a general discussion of problems common to the two countries.
The President emphasized that his trip was purely a social call returning the visit last May of St. Laurent to Washington.
Javhawker Seeks Pictures
The Eisenhowers are scheduled to arrive in Ottawa at 11:30 a.m. tomorrow. They will return here by train Nov. 15.
Party pictures are needed for the Jayhawker. Houses having pictures from parties held this year are asked to turn the pictures in at the Jayhawker office as soon as possible.
For the record, Mr. Fonda played a farmer in only three of his pictures, but his first big hit was in the play called "The Farmer Takes a Wife." The same play, adapted to the movies, was his first film.
Actually Mr. Fonda has played everything from a busboy to a millionaire screwball, and his stage characterizations in "Mister Roberts" and "Point of No Return" are evidence that his talents are not limited to Western movies.
Grand Island, Neb., is Mr. Fonda's home town. He once worked as a clerk with the Retail Credit company of Omaha before going to the University of Minnesota for his college degree.
Beginning in the theater with the Omaha Community Players, he worked with that group for three years. In 1928 he moved on to New York City, arriving just as theaters were closing for the summer. A theater manager advised him to try a summer stock company on Cape Cod.
John Hodiak and Lloyd Nolan will appear with Mr. Fonda in "The Caine Mutiny Courtmartial." Tickets for the production are available at the fine arts office, but ID cards will not admit students.
After several more years of summer stock, including five with the University Players of Falmouth, he was given the male lead in Broadway's "The Farmer Takes a Wife," which started him on the way to a Hollywood contract.
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