WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 6; 1950
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN, LAWRENCE, KANSAS
PAGE THREE
Members Of Beta Theta Pi Are Extra Proud Of Their House
Actives and alumni of Beta Theta Pi are downright proud of their fraternity house at 1425 Tennessee. And they should be.
The large gray stone house was built soon after the Civil war by John P. Usher, secretary of the interior in President Lincoln's cabinet, and the Beta's have lived there since 1912.
Draperies, carpets, and furnishings are carefully selected in keeping with the history and architecture of the home. And the house has several antiques that are valued highly.
There's the brown and white marble fireplace in the music room that's carved from a single piece of stone. It was a gift from the Lincoln cabinet.
And there's the clock in the library which has ticked off the time since the day Gen. U. S. Grant gave it to Mrs. Lincoln. She gave it to the Usher's and the Beta's have now fallen heir to it.
The walls of the old home were made unusually thick because Mrs. Usher was afraid of Kansas cyclones. She was born in a log cabin in Indiana and, although she was used to Indians and didn't fear them, cyclones were a fearful unknown.
The house was rumored to have an underground tunnel extending west from the basement, but no trace of it remains today. Another rumor has it that rods forced into the hillside keep the house from sliding down hill and yet another rumor says that Mr. Usher was buried for a number of years in a crypt in the basement.
Mrs. Usher remained in the home after her husband's death until her death at 93. Many persons consider her as Kansas' first grande dame. She entertained groups of students and townspeople over a number of years.
The stone fence that once surrounded the Beta house is gone now, but the wide steps and stone door sill are still there. The right side of the walnut double doors at the front of the home is the one now used for all ordinary occasions. Thousands of passing feet aave worn the sill on that side into a concave "soup bowl."
Yes, the Beta's are nearly as proud of their home as they are of their organization. Beta Theta Pi has expanded from an original seven members in 1872 to 52 active members and 11 pledges today. And in 25 of the past 29 years they have won the fraternity scholarship prize.
Present officers of the Beta's are Jerry Waugh, education senior, president; William A. Champion, business senior, vice-president; business junior, secretary; and James S. Francis, business junior, treasurer.
The housemother is Mrs. Burt A.
Weber.
Forty-Four Swing, Sway To Texas Star
The Union rocks and reels each Wednesday night as 44 members of the square dance club swing their way through the Texas Star.
The club is bigger than ever, "There are never quite enough girls, but with the situation as it is at the University we do very well. The boys and girls are almost evenly matched," Robert Heins, club president, said.
Meetings of the club feature squares, polkas, the schottisches, and an occasional waltz. The club uses recorded music but has "live" callers. Leon Lee, business senior, Dick Callabresi, engineering sophomore, and Robert Hein, College freshman, call the dances.
The past year the club was ousted from the Union recreation room in favor of the ping pong players. After a period of shutting around the campus it has been reinstated and meets there every Wednesday. Square dancing requires much floor space and noise.
More than half of the club members were beginners in September and are now skillful dancers. It is necessary to close membership to beginners after the members learn the dances.
Membership is open to all students at the beginning of each semester. Square dancing is easier to learn than social dancing, Heins said. The club hopes to have informal classes in square dancing at the Union during the spring semester.
Lehmann-Quinn Pinning Announced
Alpha Delta Pi sorority announces the pinning of Miss Anne Lehmann, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Leo Lehmann of Dodge City, to Mr. Michael Quinn, son of Col. and Mrs. M. A. Guinn of Ft. Leavenworth.
Miss Lehmann is a College sophomore. Mr. Quinn is a College senior, and a member of Phi Kappa
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A set of dancers from the club will present a program of folk and square dances at the Winter General hospital in Topeka Monday, Dec. 18. Tentacles plans are being made for an all school dance sponsored by the club and a barn dance.
McClenny-White Pinning Announced
Alpha Delta Pi sorority announces the pinning of Miss June McClellan, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Dean McClellen, Topeka, to Mr. Paul White, son of Mr. and' Mrs. Don White of Coffeyville.
Mrs. Thomas A. Clarke, Alpha Delta Pi housewoman, announced the pinning Dec. 3. She was presented a corsage of white and blue carnations.
Miss McClenny's attendants were Misses Nancy Taggart, June Porter, Pat Swan and Joan Mausolf. They wore corsages of red carnations. Miss McClenny's corseg was of lilies.
Miss McClenny is a fine arts sophomore. Mr. White is a business senior and a member of Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity.
Television Faces Talent Famine, Comedian Says
New York—Eddie Cantor said today that television faces a talent famine.
The banjo-eyed comedian said TV will go "stale" within five years unless the networks "stop pressing buttons" and start an immediate and vigorous search for new entertainers.
Cantor was particularly concerned about the dearth of new comedians. He contended that not more than a half dozen have become stars in the last 15 years.
talent on the shortsightedness of the TV and radio moduels.
"Laughter is the most important commodity we have to offer in the entertainment world," he said. "The comics are the roast beef of the dinner. The variety acts and playlets are just the hors d'oeuvres and dessert.
"If television loses the handful of old timers now performing it will go to pieces. There are no new c.mics to replace them."
"Television is already doing 'repeats'," he said, "and it's only a pup. What's going to happen when it grows up? It has the most voracious appetite for new material of any medium known and nothing is being done to prepare to handle it."
Cantor blamed the lack of new
Cantor said it would be relatively simple to dig up enough good entertainers to satisfy the demands of TV.
"It it just takes a little money and a little organization," he said.
"But it would have to be a talent
French Honor Group Set Up
La Confrerie, junior honorary society in French, has been established at the University by Pi Delta Phi, national French honorary fraternity. The group was founded Nov. 9 by Mrs. Edith Kern, associate professor of Romance languages, and sponsor of both organizations.
Clark, vice-president; Elmar Myers,
secretary, and Jean Bush, treasurer.
Members are: Dwight Chambers, graduate student; Wilson O'Connell, Jane Lyon, Betty Reif, Lorraine Thiessen, Robert Vignery, Faye Wilkinson, and Emily Clark, College seniors.
Members of La Confrerie and Pi Delta Phi have planned a series of lectures on the French language and culture for the joint meetings of the two groups.
Ruth Heilbrum, K. Bruce Joseph,
and Marjorie Ward, College juniors;
Ann Wagner, education sophomore;
Lois Bradfield and R. C. Broadstone,
fine arts juniors; Sue Swartz,
education junior, and Anne Longsworth,
College sophomore.
Klaus Berger, associate professor of art history, gave the first lecture Nov. 30 on "The French Artist Looks at French Literature."
The next meeting of La Conferrie will be at 7:30 p.m. Thursday in the Little Theater in Green hall. The University players will present Maurice Mauretellink's "The Intruder."
The officers of the society are:
Jack Griggsby, president; Wesley
Variety Of Articles Sold At YW Bazaar
Everything from popcorn balls to luncheon sets made from pineapples was sold at the Y.W.C.A. bazaar Dec. 1 and 2.
Approximately $16 was made from food sales. Money from the general bazaar includes profit percentages on consignment articles which have not been announced.
ation junior. Margo Taylor, fine arts sophomore, was chairman of the food committee. Y.W.C.A. members served as saleswomen.
Food profits will be used to send delegates to the Y.W.C.A. national assembly while bazaar profits will go into a general fund.
Organized houses donated food, knit baby clothes, shell jewelry, and kitchen items for the sale. Other articles came on consignment from Kansas, Missouri, Colorado, Vermont, and Washington. Christmas greens, maple sugar, and syrup from Hawaii and seed, shell, and sterling silver jewelry from the Philippine Islands were featured.
Mrs. Ralph Collins is the advisory board member in charge of the bazaar. Student co-chairmen were Virginia Mackey, College sophomore, and Carol Donovan, edu-
search that would be promoted on a wider and more comprehensive scale than the movies ever dreamed of.
"First of all, if I were running a network I would have my station managers conduct auditions in their respective towns. When talent is found, it should be nursed along. A $200 a week performer should be given a chance to develop into a $2,000 a week performer.
Annual Banquet Of Pershing Riffles
Nine to twelve
Memorial Union Ballroom
Pat Elliott, Donna Hicks, Rita Carl, Ruth Wells, Nancy Turks, Frances Menningson, Darlene Clark, Jan Willis, Jane Bock, Mary Hook, Dorothy Becker, Martha Carpenter, Carolyn Cunningham, Gretchen Anderson and Dorothy Watson.
The annual banquet of company E-7, Pershing Rifles, was held Dec. 1 in the Hawk's Nest with Lt. Col. L. R. Moore, professor of air science and tactics for the University of Kansas, as guest speaker.
Nineteen hundred fifty
Other guests were Capt. Phillips, faculty advisor for the Pershing Rifles, Mrs. L. R. Moore, Col. and Mrs. E. F. Kumpe, Major and Mrs. R. W. Matz, Major and Mrs. C. G. Whitley, Major and Mrs. R. A. Sydron, Capt. and Mrs. A. H. Wilson.
Lomelino-James Pinning Announced
Corbin Hall announces the pinning of Miss Betty Lomelino, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Russell Lomelino of Modesto; Ill., to Mr. Robert James, son of Mr. and Mrs. A. H. James of Belleville.
Miss Lomelino is a College sophmore and a member of Sigma Sigma Sigma sorority. Mr. James is a business senior and a member of Sigma Pi fraternity.
Friday, December the eighth
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" 'Twas the night before Christmas—
Phone 425 1025 Mass.
The Independent Student Association
Annual Christmas Semi-Formal
cordially invites you to attend its
at the University of Kansas
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