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University Daily Kansan Wednesday, Jan. 13, 1965
No Smiles for Army Jayhawk As Bird Gets Military Look
The friendly bird is out, and the warlike bird is in.
By Suellen McKinley
The flat-footed little bird known to all Kansans as the "Jayhawk" has raised quite a rumpus in Stuttgart, Germany.
There he is mascot for the U.S. Army VII Corps.
Since World War II, the term "Jayhawk" has served as the communications call-sign for the Corps. Last September, however, a smiling caricature of the bird, which bears a startling similarity to the KU Jayhawk, met with severe criticism from the VII Corps' commanding general.
Lt. Gen. Louis W. Truman felt the cartoon Jayhawk that has symbolized the Corps on letterheads, signs, and publications since 1957 was not ferocious enough for his outfit.
AN ARTICLE IN the "Overseas Weekly," a newspaper for servicemen, summed up the general's thoughts:
"The caricature of a Jayhawk has no claws, his wings droop un militarily, and he's got a stupid-looking smile on his beak. . ."
Thus the friendly little bird was "ruled too tame" by the commanding general and "finally had to go." Replacing the old Jayhawk is a more warlike bird, designed by Sp5 Elmo Barrett.
THE MORE formidable-looking fowl is "complete with talons, erect wings, and a set of choppers straight out of a toothpaste ad," the "Weekly" said. "That makes him the first bird in captivity with teeth."
The first time the general and mascot ran "afowl" was when Truman visited the airstrip to discuss a repainting job for his staff plane.
As the general gazed at the hawk beaming at him from the plane's fuselage, where it was painted, Truman "apparently decided it looked more like a chicken than a bird of war," the "Weekly" said.
THE NEWLY-DESIGNED version of the Jayhawk met with the general's approval, however. It now adorns the surface of almost everything on which it can be painted or printed at VII Corps headquarters—even on the warm-up jackets of their champion Jayhawk football team.
The story actually began 115 years ago, when the term "Jayhawk" was coined. A cross between a jay, which is a chattering bird, and a hawk, which is a bird
of prey, Jayhawk took on the questionable meaning of "freeboater, maudra or pirate."
During the Civil War, the word was attached to southern sympathizers, who made border raids on Kansas. It eventually lost its undesirable implications, and came to be used at a nickname for the state and as a part of the "Rock Chalk" chant of KU.
HOW SUCH A "local" bird could make migratory flight to Stuttgart is still surrounded by some mystery.
George B. Smith, vice chancellor for institutional planning and dean of the University, said that at the time the call-sign was assigned to the VII Corps there was some correspondence between the Corps and the KU Alumni Association. This correspondence now cannot be found.
"When the call-signs were arbitrarily designated to units for methods of communications, during World War II. I believe that the commanding officer dreaming up code names for all units was a Kansan," Vice Chancellor Smith said. "I think the general sent an ash tray with a Jayhawk on it to Fred Elsworth and the Alumni Association from the VII Corps."
MAJOR PHILLIP RAMSEY, assistant professor of military science, said it would have been possible for a corps commander at that time to request a special call-sign assignment.
"I frankly didn't know, however, that the word "Jayhawk" is a combination of the names of two birds to distinguish an irascible type of flying animal," Ramsey said.
"This portion of the news article at least enlightened an old Kansas." Ramsey added.
ENLIGHTENED KANSANS or not, Vincent Bilotta, field secretary of the Alumni Association, was something less than delighted when he read the reference to KU's beloved Jayhawk, describing its drooping wings and a stupid-looking smile.
"I'm sure it satisfies their military needs, but I think we'll stay with our own true, happy Jay-hawk," Bilotta said, looking at the tooth-filled beak of the VII Corps' new cartoon hawk. "I'm glad it's their mascot and not ours."
Thus, Kansas shares its mythical bird with the VII Army Corps in Germany — even if the two caricature versions differ somewhat.
"THE FACT THAT General Truman took license to adopt a fierce look upon the face of the Jayhawk is not at all inconsistent with his habits." Major Ramsey said. "The consensus is, I believe, that General Truman is an excellent corps commander and this is the type of thing he would do to increase esprit de corps and morale."
What the general's reasons were and how the Jayhawk got to Germany remains enclosed in a cloud of mystery.
The biggest question is still unanswered after 115 years, however. One non-commissioned officer stationed in Stuttgart with the VII Corps put it this way:
"There's one thing I've wanted to know ever since I joined this outfit—what the hell's a Jayhawk anyway?"
Meyers said he did not believe in Medicare because it meant his children were being taxed for his comfort.
"It IS PRIMARILY A FRAUD when an individual nearing 65 starts to pay for Social Security. This individual may pay only during a period of six quarters, or a total of $165. At 65 he will start receiving payments and if he lives to be 85, he will have received over $20,000," Mevers said.
Meyers told the forum that in 1962 Robert Meyers, chief executive of the Social Security plan, told Congress that Social Security would be $298 billion in debt if no new members were taken.
"Statistics compiled by the government show that the average net worth assets, less the debt, of the average family who head is over 65 are over $30,000." Meyers said.
MEYERS SAID MEDICARE is supported by the Communist newspaper, "The Daily Worker," in several of their articles. Meyers read an article in the "Daily Worker" in which party members were instructed to go out and support Medicare.
"Communists will support any bills that will increase government control." Meyers said. "This will condition the people for the Communist totalitarian government."
German Graduate Reading Exam: Saturday,
January, 16, 9:30 a.m., 110 Fraser.
Student Nat'l. Education Assoc., 7:30 p.m. Discussion by panel of student teachers and faculty on "Integration in Public Schools." Jayhawk Room, Kansas
Direct Exchange Scholarships: Friday, Jan. 15. is last day for submitting applications. Direct Exchange Scholarships: June 1965-66. Applications should be sent to 214 Strom.
Official Bulletin
TODAY
Teaching Candidates: Interviewer on Campus. All Day. Loren Halvorson, Bd. of College Educ. Cooperative College Registry. Minneapolis. Sign up in 117 colleges.
Faculty Recital, 8:00 p.m. Richard Reber, pianist. Swartwhatch Recital Hall. Episcopal Evening Prayer, 9:30 p.m. Dennis Chapel.
Gekken.
Cinema Film, 7:00 p.m. "Dr. Caligari."
Fraser, Theater.
Meyers said the public should be given a choice of either receiving Social Security or not receiving it.
Teaching Candidates: Interviewer on Campus. Wed. and Thurs., Jan. 13 and 14. Charles Romine, Lakewood Colo. Jefferson Co. School Dist. and L. Bowen, Albuquerque Public Schools, Albuquerque, N. M. Sign up in 117 Bailerque.
Kansas Adult Education Conference,
All.Day, Kansas Union.
Meyers said many of the problems facing the society in the United States were due to moral decay. He said the heroes of today are the
Episcopal Holy Communion, 11:35 a.m.
Cantonbury House, 1116 La.
Carillon Recital, 7:00 p.m. Albert
Gorken
Mathematics Colloquium, 3:30 p.m. m.Richard C. B. Susinger, "Meromorphic Functions of Finite Order." 119 Strong Wesley Foundation, Evensong, 5:00 p.m.
Metuchen Freshman Basketball, 7:30 p.m. Mis-
sison Field, House
Danforth Chapel.
TOMORROW
Meyers, a Wichita attorney and 1964 Conservative party candidate, spoke before the SUA Minority Opinions Forum.
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Episcopal Evening Prayer, 9:30 p.m.
Danforth Chapel.
Kenneth Meyers, unsuccessful candidate for governor of Kansas and a member of the John Birch Society, yesterday described Social Security and Medicare as frauds.
La Pizza
Women 'Lose' Purses From English Room
Steaks — Pizza (Large 14", Small 10") Shrimp — Ravioli — Spaghetti Italian Steak Sandwiches — Chicken Salads — Broasted Potatoes FAST SERVICE — HOT FOOD
Bircher Claims 'Medicare Fraud'
WE DELIVER
Six KU women had purses, billfolds, ID's and other possessions stolen from the English Room of the Kansas Union yesterday between 5:30 p.m. and 7:15 p.m.
KU police searched the Kansas Union and some of the belongings were recovered.
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HOPEFUL AGNOSTIC?
Christianity has more to offer than hope, it has positive proof in the form of a MIRACLE which was foretold, described and is intensely personal. Ask the Religious Leaders or send me a card marked ESP-17. My reply is free, non-Denominational, Christian. Martyn W. Hart, Box 53, Glen Ridge, N.J. J.0720 (USA).
DOUBTING THOMAS?
Watch For . . .
Watch For . . .
"Pleasure Seekers"
"Americanization of Emily"
"36 Hours"
"(H) How to Be a Wife."
"How To Murder Your Wife"
NOW! Shows 7:00 & 9:00 Cary Grant Leslie Caron "Father Goose"
Starts TONIGHT! 7:00 & 9:00
The most astounding of all
H. G. Wells'
astounding adventures!
Soon — "Fall Of The Roman Empire"
prostitutes, rogues, street archms, and it is "art for art's sake." The psychotic and the pervert are the subject of TV shows.
"Too many people think society owes everyone a real good living no matter what." Meyers said. "We have liberated ourselves from God. The more we tamper with economics, the worse the situation will become."
MEYERS ILLUSTRATED HIS point by using the Dependent Children's Program as an example. Meyers said 40 per cent of the children who collect money from this plan are illegitimate. Twenty per cent of the mothers who have illegitimate children have more than one illegitimate child, he said.
"We are not forestalling illegitimacy when we set up a program to reward it" Meyers said. "The fathers of the illegitimate children should be found and penalized. The mother and the father should provide for these children to the best of their ability. Children without fathers don't have the opportunities they are entitled to have."
Meyers said many of the problems of illegitimacy, slums, crime, and divorce could be solved if people could re-evaluate themselves. Everyone should carry the burden of his own responsibilities and not leave it up to the government to solve his or her problems.
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