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'Mickie' retires, but not to relax
After 26 years, Thomas C. "Mickie" Rythe has retired as superintendent of the University of Kansas Printing Service.
But he's not sitting back to relax. Instead, at age 65, he's beginning a new career—well, at least somewhat new.
Ryther will become a full-time teacher in the School of Journalism this fall, a change from the part-time status he's held for years. In addition to teaching history and art of printing, the course he's taught in connection with his duties as printing service superintendent, he'll also instruct a new course in offset and other modern printing methods and teach newspaper administration.
HIS MOVE to full-time teaching marks the first time he's been out of the printing business since his vouth.
He began his training as a high school student in Newburg, Mo., and later held part-time jobs on
Kukuk will head Printing Service
A 32-year-old former student employee of the University of Kansas Printing Service has returned to the plant—this time as superintendent.
Bill Kukuk replaced the retiring T. C. "Mickie" Ryther July 1. Kukuk also will be an instructor in journalism and will assist Ryther in laboratory sections of the course in history and art of printing.
Kukuk worked in the University printing plant from 1958 to 1961 while studying for the B.S. degree in business and industrial management. He returned to KU in December to work with Ryther until the latter's retirement.
Before returning to KU, Kukuk was assistant manager and sales manager for General Printing and Paper, Inc., in Topeka, a subsidiary of the Fleming Company.
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newspapers in Richland, Mo., and Alton, Kan.
In 1920 he went to the Logan (Kan.) Republican, where he purchased a half-interest in the paper. "mostly on credit."
Then, in the fall of 1922, Rythe made his first connection with the University of Kansas, enrolling as a freshman and working in the campus print shop to finance his education. He was graduated from KU in 1926 and took a job as plant foreman of the Newark (Del.) Ledger, where he also served "in emergency periods as editor, reporter and editorial writer."
BUT HE DIDN'T stay away from Lawrence long. He returned to KU in 1928 to work full-time as printing plant foreman and part-time toward an M.A. degree, received in 1932.
In 1937 Ryther left again to become printing plant superintendent and printing instructor at South Dakota State College in Brookings. Again he returned—in 1940 as supervisor of KU's printing plant and instructor in journalism and later professor, the jobs he's held continuously since that time.
In looking back over those 26 years, Ryther sees "a parade of editor's sons and others who have worked in the plant part-time while attending KU—many of whom, like me, could not have attended without part-time employment. Many since have gone on to become prominent editors themselves.
"Too, I'll always be especially grateful to the late Guy M. Pennock, Ned Barnes, Everett Stith, and Dorwin Hart, now a Topkea Daily Capital employe, who worked with me days, nights, Saturdays and Sundays to he'n meet the stepped-up demands for printing brought on by the campus war-training programs."
"I also recall the World War II era, when all of our printers were called into service, leaving behind the old men and women to operate the plant the best we could," he says.
"AMONG PRESEST employees who went, and returned to pick up their line gauges and composing sticks, were Ted Gray, John Verburg and George Barnes.
Though Ryther's given name is Thomas, he's better known as "Mickie."
"That started when I was working in Alton as a high school student," Ryther explained. "The editor ran a syndicated series of one-column cartoons in which the one and only character was 'Mickie—the Printer's Devil.' The strip was carried in several weekly newspapers, and all youngsters working as printer's devils in those plants became known as 'Mickie.'
"FOR ME. the tag stuck."
Mr. and Mrs. Ryther have two sons, Thomas E. has B.S. and M.S. degrees from KU and M.A. and Ph.D. degrees from Stanford University and now is teaching sociology at San Francisco State College. David, who has a B.S. degree from KU with advanced study at Exeter University in England, is a research analyst for the First National Bank in Albuquerque, N.M.
The largest center for Slavic studies between Chicago and the West Coast is developing at the University of Kansas.
The Slavic program received a boost last summer when KU was designated one of the nation's 12 Slavic language and area studies centers for both graduate and undergraduate study. The center is supported in part through the National Defense Education Act.
It's all part of a nationwide demand for Russian - speaking Americans, says Prof. Herbert Ellison, director of the Language and Area Center for Slavic and East European Studies.
KU Slavic study is up
In the mid-50's KU Slavic program consisted of a single faculty member and a handful of students.
Next fall, by contrast, Ellison anticipates 310 students in Slavic courses and another 60 students in an intensive 10-week summer program conducted jointly by KU and the University of Colorado.
Eighteen faculty members will teach 59 courses in the Slavic area, including courses on the economy, language, political science and geography of Russia.
Hart would serve without being paid
"I wouldn't predict further incidents and I wouldn't predict they wouldn't occur. There are a number of cities where the same basic conditions exist, where there are gangs, where there may well be hot weather, where all of the other conditions that can lead to an explosion exist and where it could happen."
Tuesday, August 2, 1966 Summer Session Kansan
KATZENBACH said the causes of riots "are much more complicated, much more difficult than simply to say that they are part of a conspiracy and a master plot." But one evident ingredient is unemployment, especially among the young.
WICHITA — (UPI) — George Hart, a former state treasurer and current candidate for governor, would serve without pay if elected.
Hart so announced in a speech at Joyland Park, declaring he would contribute his salary to children's hospitals if he wins at the polls.
"It must be very difficult to see other people with good jobs, with television sets, with new cars, with all of this, see stores well stocked and a prosperous society and feel you are not getting your fair share of this," he said.
"Who needs a salary? I don't," Hart said.
The outlook for the rest of the summer is unforeseeable, according to the attorney general.
Ellsworth wants strike ended
BUT HE ADDED, "this does not mean that there are not people in any situation of that kind who seek to stir up trouble. They do. We know who they are. We keep an eye on them."
WICHITA —(UPI)—Rep. Robert Ellsworth, a contender for the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate, called yesterday for congressional intervention to end the 25-day airline strike.
Speaking before a group of Republican women at the Lassen Hotel, Ellsworth said he will introduce a bill Wednesday to put the workers back to work for 60 days while talks continue.
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It would be a "tragic mistake" to blame the riots in New York, Chicago, Cleveland and elsewhere on some sort of "national conspiracy," Katzenbach said in a television interview.
WASHINGTON—(UPI)—Atty. Gen. Nicholas Deb. Katzenbach says there is no evidence of organized conspiracy behind recent big city Negro riots, although the Justice Department knows of troublemakers who try to stir such disorders.
No pattern in Negoriots
SUA
Special Film
"LILITH"
Starring: Jean Seberg
Dyche Auditorium
35c
Wednesday, Aug. 3
7:00 and 9:00 p.m.