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University Daily Kansan Thursday, Dec. 4. 1958
Christmas Seals
Fifty years ago, Christmas seals went on sale to fight one of the most deadly diseases of mankind—tuberculosis. TB Christmas seals were the first to be used in this country for raising welfare funds.
It takes 80 carloads of paper to print the seals each year. Because the NTA believes in making the money from the sale of seals go as far as possible, it buys the paper when it can get the best price. Then, in order to save storage the organization ships the paper to the four areas—Eastern, two Central Areas, and Western—where printers are equipped to print the seals.
Each year of the Christmas seals' existence has brought forth a new pattern. From 1908 to 1919 the Red Cross sponsored the sale of seals and allowed its cross to be used as the symbol. In 1919 the National Tuberculosis Association assumed complete responsibility for the sale of seals and in 1920 began the use of the Lorraine Cross as its symbol.
Many artists submit themes each year for the seal design. A single seal was used until 1954. Since then a double seal has been in vogue.
The idea of attaching Christmas seals to letters was started by a Danish postal clerk, Einar Holboell, who in 1904 started doing this to spread
good cheer and to fight tuberculosis. Jacob Riis, a newspaper man, wrote about the Danish Christmas seals in 1907. After reading the story, Miss Emily Bissell, a Red Cross worker in Wilmington, Del., used this plan to raise money for a charity tuberculosis sanatorium.
Of all Christmas seal sales 94 per cent is retained for local and state programs and services. Six per cent is allocated to NTA for research and for its services to state and local associations.
More than 13,000,000 persons purchase Christmas seals each year. In 1957 contributions were $25,974,000.
"It is a sad thing that Kansas people think all cases of tuberculosis are cured," said Dr. Ralph I. Canuteson, president of the Kansas Tuberculosis Association and member of NTA committee.
"Kansas ranks in fifth or sixth place in its control of tuberculosis, yet our state has 600 new cases a year. The death rate is five in 100,000," Dr. Canuteson said.
Tuberculosis is a concern of college students, who live in close contact. Students can help to stamp out this "most fatal of all contagious diseases" by having regular checkups, by reporting known cases, and by buying Christmas seals.
Dorothy Brewer
Dean Thomas Gorton
The Music Man
By Robert Harwi
Will the composers of America ever rank with the musical giants of Europe?
Dean Thomas Gorton of the School of Fine Arts is confident they will. He does not agree with critics who say American youth is able to appreciate art but unable to create it.
"America will come to the fore in all the creative arts," Dean Gorton said. "Our composers are producing music which compares favorably with that of any European country. The musical health of the nation is excellent. There are more orchestras, more record sales, more people attending concerts, and more students of music than ever before."
Dean Gorton, the handsome, soft-spoken man who guides the schooling of the University's musicians, painters, and actors, said the most important aspect of music today was the creation of new music and getting an audience.
"What a composer wants in life is to be heard," said Dean Gorton. "And he would like also to be paid for it."
Dean Gorton said a performance of a new composition is difficult because the boards of directors of
symphony orchestras are composed of conservative men who want their orchestras to perform the old standbys.
"And most conductors are European," he said. "They have little interest in new musical literature."
The solution to the problem of the serious composer is more frequent performances of his works, with higher royalties.
"Often a composer will allow his work to be performed without payment," he said. "It is that difficult just to be heard." Only a handful of men can earn a living by serious composition.
The University will be host next spring to a symposium that will employ a symphony orchestra and smaller groups to give performances of works not yet heard or published.
"The works have not yet been selected for this event," Dean Gorton said. "We will try to provide a tape recording of the performance for the winning composers and additional tapes to send to leading conductors." Robert Baustian, associate professor of music, will conduct the orchestra.
'Dean Gorton, who will amiably take on any question about music, was asked to give a brief description of how a serious composer undertakes a major work.
"A composer must have the necessary musical background," he said. "He needs to have studied the music and techniques of the past so he will have something to build on."
Then, when ready to write a mature work, the composer must come up with a musical idea from his imagination.
"This process is difficult to describe," said Dean Gorton. "The source is the mind and spirit of the man."
From this point, the ideas are clothed with harmony, counterpoint and orchestral coloration. A musical architecture must be erected.
"The theme or idea is only the first step."
Dean Gorton's own compositions include "Piano Concerto," "Symphony," and a suite for orchestra, "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow." He has written incidental music to Eugene O'Neill's play, "Marco Millions," as well as "Variations in Fugue for Symphonic Band," piano pieces, and songs.
Dean Thomas Gorton
He has appeared as piano soloist for the St. Louis Symphony orchestra, the Rochester Symphony orchestra, and the Houston Symphony.
He now has little time for composition, and he misses it. He works best if uninterrupted. His present busy schedule will not permit such a luxury. Among the composers who have influenced his work are Stravinsky and Howard Hanson.
Dean Gorton feels that Stravinsky and Bela Bartok are the outstanding 20th century composers. He considers George Gerschwin a very gifted man, whose undeveloped technique was more suited for the Broadway stage than for the concert stage.
Dailu Hansan
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