10
Wednesdav, August 22. 1990 / University Daily Kansan
Old times
Continued from p. 1
Former students said the Granada,
1020 Massachusetts St., Varsity, 1015
Massachusetts St., Patee and Dickinson
theaters were among movie
houses in town. The Patee was at 830
Massachusetts St., now occupied by the
Antique Museum and the Massachusetts St., stands where Dickinson Theater was in 1940
Bangs said, "We didn't go to the movies that often. They were too expensive."
Most movies cost 25 cents, but movies at the Patee and the Varsity, where second-run films were shown, cost 10 or 15 cents, they said.
Clofdelter said that students did a lot of walking in 1940 because cars were too expensive.
Bus rides cost only five cents, Mosser said.
Dating in 1940 usually consisted of sharing a Coke, or if the gentleman had enough money, dinner and a movie.
“If we were going to go to a movie, we would eat at the courthouse, where you could buy a peanut butter sandwich or a dog for five cents,” Mosser said.
Bangs said that men would ask the women to go to the mid-week dances at the Union, where a band usually would play.
"The girls would wear angora sweaters, and by the end of the night, the guys would have angora all over their suits" he said.
The fox trot, the waltz and the tango were popular dances.
Clyde Byson, a KU student in 1940 who lives in Lawrence, said that famous big hands like Tommy Dorsey, Jimmy Dorsey and Count Basie would play at the formal dances.
In 1940, KU and Kansas State University were involved in a musical rivalry. Gilland said that bands would play in the Kansas City area.
"String of Pearls," "Tuxedo Junction" and "Chattanoga Choo Choo" were the most popular songs in 1940, Gilland said.
Although dancing and listening to big band music played a major role
in students' lives in 1940, sports did too. In 1940, the KU basketball team lost to Indiana University in the final of the NCAA championship.
"I never missed the K-State versus KU basketball game, because it was the most exciting game," Clodfelter said.
In 1940 Forrest Phog Allen was head coach of the basketball team, and the games were played in Hoch Auditorium.
Bangs said that the basketball games, football games and Kansas Relays were more widely attended than they are today.
the more popular inTERNAL sports. He also said that swimming was popular among women.
"There were some very good women swimmers," he said.
Before the 5,000 to 6,000 students enrolled at KU in 194 would spend time on their extracurricular activities, they had to attend classes. The typical class size ranged from 20 to 30 students, Mosser said. Some of the larger classes, like psychology and chemistry, had 100 students.
"Teachers were more formal then," he said. "the bulk of them wore suits. Professor Howey, a businessman, was the best dressed."
The women mainly wore skirts, bobby sleeves, blouses, angora sweaters and dirty, black and white saddle shoes. Clofleter said.
"You wanted your shoes to look dirty. A brand new pair stuck out like a sore thumb," she said. "Women didn't wear pants. They certainly weren't as free dressed as they are today."
Beige corduroy pants and saddle shoes were the popular dress for men. Bangs said. They also wore sweaters and neck ties.
"It wasn't nearly as casual as it is today," he said. "We were just a little more restrained."
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