16B the university daily kansan
homecoming
1960-1979
friday,october 17,2003
divided by This Week. In KU History, www.kuhistory.com, a project of the KU Memorial Unions.
GOING NUCLEAR — 6.23.1961 A 10-kilowatt nuclear reactor on the KU campus, supervised by chemical engineering professor Russell Mesler, becomes operational.
LET US RAZE HISTORIC HALLS1 — 2.17.1962
The Kansas Board of Regents votes funds to replace the original Fraser Hall, claiming it had "outlived its usefulness."
"We SHALL OVERCOME" — 3.8.1965 The KU Civil Rights Council holds a student sit-in in the office of Chancellor W. Clarke Wescoe, the country's second largest demonstration to date.
Students protested the ROTC and the Vietnam War in the late 1960s. Protests, also for the civil rights and and women's movement, were rampant in this time.
The University of Kansas was a hotbed of political activism and protests during these turbulent times. Protests surrounding the Vietnam War, the civil and women's rights movements shaped and changed the atmosphere then and now.
During the '60s and '70s, many students participated in protests and they didn't always remain peaceful. In 1969, Chancellor W. Clarke Wecoe was
forced to cancel the annual chancellor's review of ROTC cadets after student protesters arrived at the site with signs, baseball bats and other club-like weapons and refused to leave. Out of over 175
the roof had caved in and $1 million in damages had been caused. The week following the fire was full of racial confrontations, student protests, bomb threats, arson and incidents of sniper fire directed at firefighters. University officials decided to cut spring semester short and suspend finals in hopes that an early summer vacation would help calm the high levels of tension on campus.
In 1962, Nebraska native and
Protests surrounding the Vietnam War, the civil and women's rights movements shaped and changed the atmosphere of the University then and now.
protesters, 33 of the 71 identified students were suspended from the University for one semester.
In April 1970, a firebomb at the Kansas Union set off a week of chaos known as the "Days of Rage." About 10 p.m. on April 20, a fire started in the women's bathroom on the sixth floor of the Union, sending flames bursting through the roof The Lawrence Fire Department, along with more than 100 students, fought the fire for more than three hours. By the time the fire was put out, part of
Kansas football player Gale Sayers was gaining popularity from a performance where he rushed for 283 yards against Oklahoma State. During his junior year at Kansas, he set an NCAA
record for the longest rush from the line of scrimmage, going 99 yards for a touchdown against Nebraska. After graduating, Sayers was drafted to the Chicago Bears and played there until an injury forced him to retire from football in 1972. Afterward, he spent the next four years serving as the Kansas athletics director. In 1977 at age 34, he became the youngest person and the first Jayhawk to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
"The Queen is Dead"
announced a Topeka newspaper in 1969, referring to the University's crowning of the last student body homecoming queen the Jayhawks would ever see. Jannet Merrick, Shawnee senior, was crowned the last queen because the homecoming committee decided that "It seems inappropriate in a multicultural environment, such as a university, to select one or a group of women to represent that community."
In 1968, along with having its best season since 1908, the Kansas football team celebrated its invitation to the Orange Bowl for the second time in University history. On New Years Day of
1969, the Jayhawks set out for victory against Penn State University in front of 78,000 fans. In the final minutes of the game, Kansas was ahead by one point, and it looked as though the game was over until the referees threw a flag onto the field announcing that Kansas had twelve men out on the field, giving Penn State another opportunity to score. Kansas ultimately lost the game.
- Story by Anna Zahler.
1970 was raucous year of unrest on campus
By Zach Coble correspondent@kansan.com Kansan correspondent
Campus in the spring of 1970 was almost a war zone.
The atmosphere was thick with tension on the campus in April 1970. Racial conflicts, student protests and bomb threats ignited an uproar on many levels. Social activist Abbie Hoffman visited the campus during the month and encouraged students to demolish the campus.
Arson was ruled the cause of the fire at the Kansas Union, which occurred on April 20, 1970. Martial law went into effect for four days afterward.
David "Scoop" Thorton, Springfield, Mo., resident, remembers this era well. He was a campus radio DJ during this tumultuous time. His nickname,"Scoop," came from reporting news for KANU, the public radio station at the time, during the days of martial law. Because he had access to the Associated Press and the United Press International news wires people called and asked him what the news of the day, or scoop, was.
"It was pretty tense, walking
into your classroom and having the National Guard standing outside the door." Thorton said.
Although the time of martial law did raise some concerns among students, many people found it had its advantages as well. Thorton said a large number of students just bought beer and went to a party and had fun all night because they weren't allowed on the streets.
Martial law didn't last long, but civil instability continued for the rest of the school year. In an effort to end the conflicts, University officials decided to cancel finals that year so that summer vacation could start early and campus would calm.
The question remains if something like that could ever happen again. Thornton's son, Matt, Springfield junior, doesn't think so. He said that society as a whole was more accepting of people's beliefs and ideas, so civil unrest wasn't as rampant as his father's college days.
"I don't think we would get to that point again just because we as students are more passive," Matt Thorton said.
Past campus activist groups live on today
— Edited by Shane Mettlen
By Jael Hall
correspondent@kansan.com
Kansan correspondent
An era riddled with protests and war brought about a stunning rise in student unity.
Student-led governments, for example, started as early as 1909 after severe cases of inter-class rivalry and fisticufs presented the need for self-government. But it wasn't until September of 1969 that the first Student Senate sat down to a meeting. Between these dates, several other groups were formed including a Men's Student Council and a Women's Student Government Association. In 1943 they united in an All-Student Council, but still there was the need for more representation and student control.
Student Senate, currently under student body president Andy Knopp and vice president Catherine Bell, continues with projects such as the online book exchange and the Jayhawk Express, a free bus route for students.
In an attempt to further student rights, a group of women came to be known as the February Sisters. Spearheaded by Emily Taylor, former dean of women, occupied the East Asian Studies building on Feb. 2, 1972, until the group's demands were met by the former Chancellor E. Laurence "Larry" Chalmers Jr. Among the demands were a university-paid daycare center and women appointed to the positions of vice-chancellorship of academic affairs and the head of the Affirmative Action Program. Several women also asked to
University Archives, Spencer Research Library
be hired into the Office of Admissions and the Office of Student Financial Aid. More health care services, "an autonomous department of women's studies," and the end of unfair employment practices were also on the list. After sixteen hours in the building, the Sisters evacuated, sure they had made their point.
then point.
Everything was done rapidly. The Sisters had only three days' worth of planning before they made their move. They were firm in their position, and refused to speak with any of the men, including the chancellor. Marilyn Stokstad, a faculty member at the time, was a designated "communicator," relating information to the Sisters in the building. She, however, refused to communicate a word.
The Black Student Union held a rally in front of Strong Hall in 1970. The organization continues at the University of Kansas with meetings every Monday night.
"in retros_ect," she said with a laugh. "it was funny."
Though the Sisters' situation looked grim at time, Stokstad said they believed their demands would be met.
"You have to. You think you're going to. You're determined," she said. "Otherwise, you're not going to have the guts."
The February Sisters became an official campus organization in 2000.
The tension did not stop with the end of Sisters' occupation, though. On Feb. 12, a group calling themselves the March Brothers distributed leaflets that described its plans for a peaceful march around Allen Fieldhouse during
the Kansas-Oklahoma game. Their movement was satirical in nature, and the group had no other demonstrations planned. According to Joel Goldman, a sophomore at the time, the brothers sympathized with the February Sisters but were opposed to its method of demand.
The Black Student Union also made several profound inroads into equality on campus. Groups like Committee on Racial Equality, which staged a peaceful sit-in at a cafe in 1948 to help bring prejudice to the forefront of the minds of Lawrence citizens, spurred its efforts. Meetings, influential speakers, and a continual push to give black students equal rights paid off in the end. The first union ended up dispersing in 1974, going inactive until 1978 when students revived the cause in hopes of rallying campus activities geared towards black students.
Black Student Union has Monday night meetings at 7:30 in the Ellsworth Conference Room. According to Black Student Union President and Wichita sophomore, Trey Allen, the ultimate goal of the organization is to promote higher diversity awareness around campus. Current projects include sending delegates to the Big 12, a convention where Black Student Unions from other campuses meet to discuss current situations. The delegates then bring back the information and ideas to their campuses and go from there.
University Archives, Spencer Research Library Christine Leonard talked about the February Sister's demand for a child care center at a press conference at the Jayhawk Room in the Kansas Union in 1972.
The overall atmosphere of the Black Student Union meetings is relaxed, warm and friendly. Many describe the group as a family or a small niche.
small man.
"I keep going because I see BSU as a vehicle," Kriston Guillot, cop programs chair and Shawnee
— Edited by Michael Owells
Additional material for this article was supplied by This Week In KU History, www.kuhistory.com, a project of the KU Memorial Unions.
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