Flu Epidemics Once Rampant
Bv Jane Larson
The usual shuffle of students' feet was not heard. The buildings were empty and void of life. Everywhere one turned, University life had come to a halt.
The University was still.
Snow for the Christmas holidays was starting to fall but the usual merriment of the first snow was missing.
Within three days over 400 cases of flu had been diagnosed. The flu had grown into epidemic proportions at a fantastic rate.
SUCH WAS THE winter of 1928—the winter when KU was seized by an influenza epidemic, unparalleled in the University's history.
Fearing that conditions would become even worse the University was closed for three weeks to eliminate all contact between students. Not only were classes closed but all meetings and social functions, even the library, were strictly forbidden. All activity was brought to a complete halt.
The epidemic was first introduced to the campus when students returning from various places in the country, brought the flu germs back to KU en masse.
Within days an epidemic had broken loose on the campus which surpassed even the near-epidemic of 1918.
Located at 1408 Tennessee, the hospital had only 22 beds and a staff of two, badly underequipped for the situation.
To accommodate the rapidly rising number of patients, Watkins set up beds and facilities in the nursery and Sunnyside, former barracks near the hospital.
AS THE NUMBER of cases soared, the hospital and its staff were occupied beyond capacity.
FACILTIES, doctors' energy, students' morale, everything was ebbing when finally the number of cases reached a peak. From that point on the epidemic was on its way out.
Only the worst cases were admitted to the hospital, the others depending upon calls from the doctor whenever he could spare the time.
After Christmas vacation classes were again resumed and life was back to normal at KU.
The University was not to see another flu epidemic until 29 years later in the fall of 1957. However this time it did not rise to the fantastic proportions in the small amount of time as did the previous epidemic.
Halting the growth of the epidemic was the influenza vaccine. In three days over 4000 students were vaccinated because of fear of nearby epidemics.
EVEN THOUGH almost half the students were vaccinated the epidemic claimed a total of 457 influenza-cases.
By putting extra beds in Sunny-side, Watkins was able to accommodate 120 patients. As before these were only the most severe cases.
Sick quarters were set up in the large residence halls and friends had to take care of those in sorority and fraternity houses.
Each day groups of nurses were sent to living groups where there seemed to be an excessive number of cases.
Figures Released For Fall Enrollment
The official fall enrollment figures, released today by James K. Hitt, registrar and director of admissions, show a 26 per cent increase over last year in the size of the freshman class.
The official KU enrollment is 13.475.
Enrollments of 12,344 at Lawrence and 1,131 at Kansas City are both new records and each represents an 8 percent gain over 1963.
THE NEW FRESHMAN TOTAL of 2.505 is 511 more than the 1963 figure. The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences had a 27 percent increase in freshmen and a trend was reversed when engineering freshmen increased by 17 percent.
The new student total reached a new high of 4,085, surpassing the 1946 record. The gain of 430 over 1963 was produced wholly by new freshmen as the totals of new students with advanced standing and at the graduate level were down slightly.
HOWEVER THE University was able to handle all ill patients, Vaccination stations set up on campus helped break the back of the epidemic.
Unlike the phenomenal epidemic of 1928 the University did not close.
But the University was forced to close during an outbreak of Spanish Influenza at the Student Army Training Corps in 1918.
Chancellor Frank Strong ordered the University to cease functioning for 10 days only as a preventative measure.
business or social, were forbidden. Students were not even allowed to leave campus for fear of either spreading the flu or perhaps bringing it back to KU.
ALL GATHERINGS of any kind.
Although 1F1 cases appeared in the SATC only 10 cases of flu resulted at KU.
Friday, Oct. 30, 1964 University Daily Kansan
Another near-epidemic hit KU in March, 1947, when the flu reached epidemic proportions at both the University of Missouri and Kansas State University.
As a precaution over 5,000 students were vaccinated against the disease. As a result KU experienced only 151 cases of influenza.
Campus Bus Service To Start Night Run
Night bus service to the campus will be offered once again by the Lawrence Bus Co.
The night service, which is not a new practice, has been attempted nearly every year at the request of the students, the administration and the student government.
This time the buses will run during a 10 day trial period on the weekdays of November 1 thru 5 and November 8 thru 12.
THE NIGHT BUS route will run from the freshman women's residence hall complex to the Daisy Hill complex. The schedule calls for a bus to leave the two residence hall areas at 20 minute intervals which start at 7 p.m. and end at 10 p.m.
Stops will be made at the Union, Green, East Strong, Snow and Murphy on the route from the freshman residence hall area; and at Marvin, Hoch, the Information Booth, Fraser and the Union coming from the Daisy Hill area.
"There seems to be some interest," Duane Ogle of the Lawrence Bus Co., said. "We know there is a need. Whether the students will take advantage of it we shall see."
"ENOUGH STUDENTS have to ride the bus to make it worthwhile for us," Ogle said. "It has not been successful in the past, but in all fairness we thought we would give it a try with the new bunch of students on campus," he said.
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