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Inge Surprises Sigma Nus
By Ron Gallagher
I was on phone duty at the fraternity during the dinner hour when a middle-aged man opened the front door and casually ambled in.
"Im William Inge," he finally said.
THUS BEGAN AN unexpected visit to the Sigma Nu fraternity by a man whose writing talents have engineered four hit plays and as many movies in the last decade, and whose name is legend in the entertainment world.
"I'm Ron Gallagher," I said introducing myself to the man who at first had identified himself only as, "an old alum."
Forty-seven-year-old Inge was soon at home in the house he had lived in while earning his bachelor degree at KU. In just a few minutes he was surrounded by a group of his fraternity brothers interested in the life of a playwright.
He also inquired of their interests. "Anyone here interested in writing?" he said.
"OUR ENGLISH instructors don't think we can write," one fellow said jokily.
"I wasn't much of an English student myself," the quiet spoken Pulitzer Prize winner said. "I was a pretty poor student. It took me three semesters to make my grades to be initiated. Sometimes you change a lot when you get out."
He talked about the movie he will be working on when he reaches Hollywood. It will be based on his recently published book "All Fall Down."
"Most of the work is done," he said. "I just have to turn it into a shooting script."
HE SEEMED TO BE glad to be away from New York, where he lives most of the time. "I get awfully sick of New York," he said. "I'm kind of a small town guy." Mr. Inge was born and lived in Independence for several years.
"When I was in school none of the present houses were here," he said speaking of the homes
and Greek houses in the area west and south of the Sigma Nu house. "It was just open nature."
"I used to have to walk along there late at night because I was always in a play," he said. "All that lonely way back with the coyotes yipping all around."
MR. INGE SQUELCHED a rumor that had been floating around the Sigma Nu house for some
William Inge
time. According to the story Mr. Inge was voted least likely to succeed by his fraternity brothers because of his continual but fruitless efforts at play writing.
"I wasn't interested in writing at all when I was at KU." he said. "I wanted to be an actor."
He lost his desire to be an actor after graduating from KU and went to Tennessee to earn a masters degree in English. He taught and worked for a St. Louis newspaper for several years after that. He wrote his first play in 1945.
His first real success was "Come Back Little Sheba" which opened in New York in 1950. It was followed by "Picnic," "Bus Stop" and "The Dark at the Top of the Stairs."
"PICNIC" won a Pulitzer Prize in 1953.
Several of his plays have also been produced as motion pictures. "The Dark at the Top of the Stairs" is currently appearing on movie screens throughout the country.
Wednesday. Jan. 18. 1961 University Daily Kansan
Mr. Inge has written an original movie, "Splendor in the Grass," which will be released next July.
Mr. Inge stayed in Lawrence overnight and spent the day at the University. He plans to leave soon for the rest of his trip to Hollywood.
Items for the Official Bulletin must be brought to the public relations office, 231 Strong, before 9:30 a.m. on the day of publication. Do not bring Bulletin material. The Day Kansai National Office should include name, place, date, and time of function.
Official Bulletin
German Ph.D. Reading Examination,
Sat. Feb. 11. Candidates must sign up
in 306 Fraser between Jan. 25 and noon
Feb. 3.
Jay James. 5 p.m. Room 306. Kansas Union.
Episcopal Holy Communion. 9:30 p.m.
Danforth Chapel.
TOMORROW
Catholic Daily Mass, 6:30 a.m. St.
Labors Church, 19th & Kentucky
Episcopal Holy Communion, 12 noon.
Canterbury House.
Foreign Students: At 3 p.m. a representative of the United States Internal Revenue Service will be in the Forum Room of the Kansas Union to discuss tax identification and tax form preparation and how to make the necessary preparations for leaving the United States.
Poetry Hour. 4 p.m. Browsing Room,
Kansas University. Dr. Harold Orel. Assoc.
Prof. of English will read miscellaneous
Victorian Humorists.
Phi Delta Kappa. 6 p.m. Kansas Union.
Episcopal Morning Prayer and Holy
Catering Mass last follows. 6:45 a.m.
Canterbury House.
Mathematics Department Lecture and Coffee. Coffee, 3:50 p.m., 113 Strong, Lecture, 4:15 p.m., 103 Strong, Dr. Don Morrison and Dr. Joe G. Hankin, Sandia Corporation. Sandia Problems of the Mathematics Research Department of Sandia Corporation."
Philosophy Club. 4 p.m. Sunflower Room, Kansas Union Dr. Alfred Lande, Emerging Professors. Ohio State University will present "Dualism: Science and Hypothesis."
Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship, 7:30 p.m. p.82 Mississippi Bible study and informal discussion. Refreshments. Call VI 2-0298 for more information or a ride.
On Ice
OXFORD, Ohio —(UPI) —Patrons of a local theater were forced to sit through two evening performances with their coats on recently when the heating system broke down. The movie: "Tee Palace."
Ask a Silly, Etc.
BOSTON — (UPI) — "What is mother's native tongue?" was one of the queries on a questionnaire submitted to first-graders at a Dorchester grammar school.
One boy's answer was: "Red."
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