TICK TICKER TICK TICK TICK TICK 2 YUM TICK TICK Welcome editors THE UNIVERSITY DAILY The University of Kansas KANSAN Vol.88, No.19 Special Issue Saturday September 24,1977 Lawrence, Kansas W.L. White joins Editors Hall of Fame W. L. White passes a moment in his office at the Emporia Gazette, the newspaper made famous around the world by his In his element W. L. White, selected by the state's editors as the newest member of the Kansas Editors Hall of Fame, at work. White was the author of several books, a member of the Kansas Legislature and active in civic and professional organization$^{a}$ father. Known by friends as a super story-teller, White often recounts his experiences with famous writers and politicians. Honoree 'Young Bill' had varied career By CALDER M. PICKETT Professor of Journalism Some of us, who are members of what William Manchester calls "the swing generation," first encountered today's honored editor in the forties, when his name jumped off the dust covers of best-selling books of war corroborated about his exploits on the Mannerheim line of Finland, or in bomb-briddled England. We encountered him again, if we taught at the University of Kansas, as the son of the world's most famous small-town editor, and importantly as one so distinguished in journalism that he had made it in quite his own way, without leaning on the father's reputation. We knew him as the brother of a young woman celebrated in one of the most memorable books of her life, by that most famous of all small-town editors, the brother whose Harvard classmates sent a bouquet of red roses to the funeral. Newspaper Editors Hall of Fame 1931; one daughter, Barbara, and both of their honor us with their presence. 1921 Solomon Miller Kansas Child-Troy 1940 Ewing Harbert Haidwaah Daily World Mc Jalton Kennedy Hodson Tupelo Dale Capital O. V. M. Ceadr, Sr. Marshall M. Murock Wichita Dale Capital O. V. M. Ceadr, Sr. David Ruckelman Laceworth Times Henry J. Allan Aly Entreprise Noble L. Prentz Atchison Champion Gene Ruckelman Wichiba Beacon Noble L. Prentz Atchison Champion Gene Ruckelman Wichiba Beacon Edward Wallin Hoch Martine Record Arthur U. Capper Tupelo Dale Capital Edward Wallin Hoch Martine Record Arthur U. Capper Tupelo Dale Capital William Elmer Blackburn Hartington录 John Nedmond Burlington Daily Republic Moses Milton Morgan Hartington录 John Nedmond Burlington Daily Republic William W. Morgan Hartington录 John Nedundo Burlington Daily Republic Frank P. McLeaslan Topeka Dale Journal Paul A. Jones Abelson Daily Reflector George W. Morgan Topeka Dale Journal Paul A. Jones Abelson Daily Reflector John S. Glinneer Wilton County Citizen-Fredon Frank W. Boyd Jewellery Court-Mankato John S. Glinneer Wilton County Citizen-Fredon Gene Hone Mahathai Mercury Thomas B. Hickory Newton Journal Lawrence B. Hickory Athabasca Nationallist John B. Mack Newton Journal Lawrence B. Hickory Athabasca Nationallist Thomas E. Thompson Topeka Dale Capital Earl G. Miller Belville Telescope Egger W. Moore Fresno Register Earl G. Miller Belville Telescope Charlie F. Scott Iola Register Earl G. Miller Belville Telescope Bernard James Sheridan Western Spirit-Poola Arthur J. Carvuthr. Jr. Tupelo State Journal Elmore B. Sheridan Western Spirit-Poola William Mayberry Tril State News, Kearn Leslie Hall Tulley and Laredo-Larredo L. F. Valentine Clay Center Deposit and Times Clark Cummings Tulley and Laredo-Larredo L. F. Valentine Clay Center Deposit and Times William L. Kewley Great Bend Tribune Angela Scotts Jack Register Iola Register William Ales White The Emergence Games John Scotts Jack Register Iola Register Charles Cameron The Emergence Games John Scotts Jack Register Iola Register J. Frank Jarrell Topeka State Journal Arthur U. Capper Tupelo Dale Capital David L. Pierce Wichish Eagle W. L. White Empruga Gazette HE WAS AN overwhelming figure, as I’ve realized in compiling the material for this September morning eulogy, this 1977 admission of William Lindsay White; of Fame, William Lindsay White; W. L. White; “Young Bill” White, as I heard him called, even when, at least by the standards of our students, he was scarcely young. Son of William Allen White; brother of Mary White. AND THEM THE journalistic details from Who's Who: Gazette reporter, circulation manager, managing editor, editorial writer, associate editor and publisher. Washington Post staff, 1985; Fortune magazine, 1987; The New York Times newspaper; represented Columbia Broadcasting System as European correspondent, 1939-40, and a detail here There was no problem in justifying his inclusion in our famous gallery—he was elected, as you probably know, by his colleagues in Kansas; there was so much that I had a good deal of pr.-blem in selecting and writing. William L. White, and the information in Who's William I. In America is thorough, and informative, but it scarcely gets to the heart of the man. Newspaperman, it says. Born in Emporia June 17, 1900, son of William Allen and Sallie Lindle White. Student at State University of Kansas, rapidly the University of Kansas—for KSU was the designation in his time—1918,1920, but bachelor at Harvard, 1924. Married katrine Klinkenberg April 29, Adversary role called essential By JOHN HOHENBERG Gannett Professional-In-Residence One day, Ed came into the office with a story about the growing costs of public welfare. That wasn't yesterday, by the way. It was in 1960—17 years ago. But even then Ed had the idea that the administration of public welfare was terribly inefficient, too costly, and often actually took up a lot of the time and money by spending too much on paper work and other red tape. He was actually angry about it, a rare and wonderful quality in any reporter. whenever I consider the American press and its adversaries, I always remember a lanky, tough-looking kid with challenging blue eyes whose principal goal in life was to be a good investigative reporter. His name is Ed May and he worked at the Buffalo Evening News up in New York's snow belt, which is where he made his reputation almost by accident. The paper gave Ed permission and he got right on the job. At the end of three months, he wrote a series called, 'Our Curriculum', which contained information new published in some 20 installments. It showed specifically where public welfare was costing the taxpayers much more money than was necessary. And Ed also demonstrated, his own experience, how millions of dollars could be saved. See 'YOUNG BILL' page 12 THE CITY EDITOR was interested. After making his report, Ed proposed an investigation of public welfare services in the state of New York and asked for a three-week stay in one of a case worker for the State Public Welfare Department. FOR THAT PIECE of investigative reporting, he won a Pulitzer Prize in 1981, but to me, the significant part of the story was the revelation that he had been involved. official whom he had investigated—the Commissioner of Public Welfare of the State of New York. Why is it so rare? Having been associated with the Pulpitzer Prize for 22 years as Administrator, I can tell you with some authority that I know of very few other causes in which a government agency takes an investigative reporter in such a spectacular way. True, a lot of governors, mayors and DA's have nominated newspapers, editors and reporters, but usually it is for work that exposed their political opponents, not to get the job done. I think the Nixon Administration being overcome by admiration for the press and nominating a reporter for a Pulitzer. And to date, for that matter, I don't find much enthusiasm for the press' investigative work in the Carter Act. But the late Lert Lawf affair might have something to do with that. SELDOM DO you find anybody in government actually supporting an investigation. I remember one other case—a very young reporter. Bill Sherman of the New York Daily News and the cooperation of the city's Health Department, which gave him a Medicaid card and helped him find out why taxpayers were being robbed of millions of dollars by unauthorized individuals. The Pulitzer Prize, which ought to tell you something about rarity of government-press cooperation. There has been a lot of discussion in the most theoretical areas of higher education about the tension that exists between the American government and American newspapers. Whenever I have attended college, I am not much used to philosophyizing about the news), it has struck me that nearly all nonjournalists assume that tension exists between press and government primarily because we newspaper people—and I was one for 25 years—are a lot of old meanies. WE ARE BLAEMED by our critics for forcing the issue on pure, selfless, high-minded public services in order to boost our newspaper circulations. When Sen. Abraham Ribicoff, D-Conn., concluded his Governmental Affairs Committee's second investigation of Bert Lance in July, for example, he told the budget director that he had been unwilling unconscious and unauthorized and. And I also recall an incident after exclaiming over NBC, "Today, the name of the game in the press is to get every1." Yet on September 5, after a lot of newspapers dug into Mr. Lance's background, Sen. Ricibro changed his mind and called for Lance's resignation—something that President Carter eventually had to decide. IN CONSEQUENCE, I'd like to examine the theory of press responsibility for the adversary relationship with government this morning—and I'm surprised that nobody in our business has bothered to do it within recent weeks. We just take it for granted that democratic governments are elected government are bound to be adversaries and we seldom worry about the consequences. 1. recall, on the day that President Carter was inaugurated, Ben Bradice of the Washington Post said on the "Today" show that he was concerned about reporters' being too aggressive and investigating areas of governmental intrigue, and this is the real threat to him; he a lot more worried by reporters who didn't investigate enough and weren't aggressive enough. Also included on the Editors' Day program was a speech by John Hohenberg, Gannet professional-in-residence at KU, former administrator of the Pulitzer Prizes About 270 Kansas editors attended the program, which was sponsored by the KU School of Journalism. This Editors' Day issue of the Kansas was prepared for distribution today by the KU Press. The journalists, Sigma Delta Chi. About 560 copies were printed after the first and 12th pages of Friday's Kansas were repaired. or to this mean, then, that the press is totally to blame for creating a continual state of tension with government in these times? I do not think so. Sometimes, in fact, quite the opposite is the case. See ADVERSARY page 12 The Kansas Newspaper Editors Hall of Fame was begun in 1931, and inductees are announced at Editors' Day each year. W. L. White is the 834th member of the hall. Father, son share tribute of induction White, who died in 1973, was selected by Kansas editors in secret balloting. The announcement of his selection was made by Calder Pickett, professor of journalism, during Kansas Editors' Day activities at KU. W. L. White, late editor of the Emporia Gazette, CBS war correspondent, magazine writer and author of several best-selling books, today was named to the Kansas Newspaper Editors Hall of Fame at the University of Kansas. wrote into his celebrated father, William Allen White, in the ball of fame. William Allen White, longEditor of the Gazette and Pulitzer Prize-winning editor writer, was elected in 1944. The School of Journalism at KU is named in his honor. W. L. White advanced from reporter to publisher of the Gazette. He also was on the staffs of the Washington Post, Fortune, and the North American Newspaper Alliance. As a CBS European correspondent on the Finnish front, he delivered a Christmas broadcast from the Mannheim Line that was broadcast in Germany and Club for best European broadcast of 1999. He wrote several books, and two—Journey for Margaret and 'They Were Riding the Moon' At ease Staff Photo by GEORGE MILLENER John Hobenberg, Gannett professional-in-residence at the University of Kansas, relaxes with a newspaper after a full day on campus. Hobenberg, whose career has included work as a foreign correspondent and 25 years on the faculty of the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, will teach at KU through May 1978.