Tuesday, July 12, 1966 Summer Session Kansan
Page 5
Centennial display recalls thrill of celebration
Chancellor W. Clarke Wescoe began his "State of the University" message June 5 with a quotation: "not, as you may have thought, from the Alumni Magazine nor from the latest brochure prepared by our public relations people (but) from Time, the weekly news magazine."
Wescoe was referring to the national impact of KU's centennial celebration in 1965-66: "We are not surprised . . . to have this effect on strangers. . . If we can but bring to this campus . . . those parochial editors of the East or those parvenu reporters from the West. We have won them for KU.
THOSE WHO DID not hear his words at the dinner preceding Baccalaurate may have noticed a display of newspaper and magazine clippings at the west end of the south lounge in the Kansas Union.
We must depend upon the words and impressions of those who do come, and for this 1966 has been a good year."
The chancellor described its purpose in an accompanying statement: "... one way in which the University can indicate its appreciation to the publishers, editors, and reporters whose understanding of the significance of the University's centennial and the news value of higher education made the coverage possible and the University's task of meeting the challenge of the second century a little easier."
Wescoe's statement adds that the display is "a way of letting the many members of the University family enjoy the experience of seeing the broad coverage received."
AN ARRAY of articles featured on the colorful geometric forms revives for the observer events which received publicity from New York to Los Angeles and even in Rome. The II Messagero di Romo reviewed "Carry Nation" in its May 29 edition.
Wescoe has called the opera coverage "incredible," as he has that of the Inter-Century Seminar, which took place earlier in April. Such criticism, he has said, "point to ourselves as well as others, how well we are doing with what we have, but they also call attention to our needs."
James Gunn, who heads University Relations, says the clippings in the display represent "only a small part" of those on file. Publicity staffers now often refer to these files but when the new Spencer Research Library is completed, the files will be kept in its archives. "The celebration may live on for years," Wescoe predicted in his "State of the University" address.
FOR WESCOF, reading these records is "exhilarating." His appreciation was shared this year by students' parents who read various national publications supplied with KU news by international wire services.
In November a weekly series entitled "100 Years on Mt. Oread," covering the development of KU's traditions and physical plant, was offered to Kansas subscribers of 34 weekly and 17 daily newspapers. It will continue through next fall.
Alumni read the texts of a few seminar addresses in their own publication. They were first to read an interpretation of the Centennial Medallion, two-and-one-half inch bronze copies of which are now on sale. It was designed by Prof. Elden Tefft "to emphasize the University's concern with all phases of the lives of the people of Kansas."
FUTURE JAYHAWKERS will be listening to tapes of the "Carry Nation" world premiere and of the Inter-Century Seminar, reading a book containing seminar addresses and discussions, or watching motion picture films of
centennial activities in color and in black-and-white. A San Francisco institution has requested tapes of the seminar for classroom use.
Planning for the centennial began "years ago," said Gunn. "Td almost hesitate to say how many years." He had been working on it actively more than a year prior to the 30-day centennial period, but he said the real preparation of copy began when Stewart Newlin joined the staff last July.
NEWLIN AND LANCE Gilmore, KU News Bureau employees who wrote most of the "100 Years" series, were "primarily involved in implementation of the program although a lot of other people contributed." Gunn said. Ideas came from "a lot of different sources, many out of staff discussions, and the chancellor gives us some good ideas when he has time."
Gunn produced a booklet which was published by the KU Endowment Association and has been sold on campus, "What Is a University?" Chancellor Wescoe wrote a number of articles expressing his personal observations on the centennial, one of which appeared March 27 in the Kansas City Star's feature section on KU.
Many individual efforts were involved in the promotion of the school, its practices, and its principles. Members of a centennial committee, representing various departments, were organized by Prof. George Anderson, the chairman, about a year before the activities began. Six months later a few student members were added to the committee.
THE UNIVERSITY Daily Kansas printed a centennial issue April 12. Gunn also cited the Wichita Eagle, the Topeka Daily Capital, and the Lawrence Journal-World for a "great amount" of comparable feature articles. "We tried to send out at least one historical feature every couple of weeks," Gunn said.
Much of the basic information was often provided by the University Relations staff,but reporters and photographers also visited the campus to get their own. Wescoe referred to a November "visit from a select group of educational writers representing papers and publications in all parts of the nation, and the picture they painted later for their readers glowed with appreciation for what they had seen."
TWO FEATURE PAGES were used by 15 to 20 Kansas daily papers in March and April. Prepared in both offset and stereotype form, one was historical and the other based on the celebration.
They are one attraction of the Union display, and another is the Kansas University Centennial Issue of Kansas! a magazine published by the Kansas Department of Economic Development. It also may be seen in a display case on Jayhawk Boulevard.
Publicity on various phases of the centennial program had to be coordinated by University Relations. Posters and tickets were designed and distributed to each of eight Kansas towns included in the Concert and Lecture Series.
A KICK-OFF EVENT, this student tour also received "excellent" radio, television, and press
German exam slated
The Ph.D. reading exam in German will be given on Saturday, July 23 a.m. in room 106 of Blake Hall. Registration for the exam will end at noon Friday, July 15.
coverage, said Gunn, "and reactions were very fine." Wescoe told his audience Baccalaurate eve that "already we have plans for continuing some parts of our celebration on an annual basis—our statewide Concert and Lecture Series for one."
Programs for "Carry Nation" productions at KU, in Wichita, and in Kansas City were also the
responsibility of Gunn's office, as were programs for the Ecumenical Institute early in May.
Flyers of identical design are available to the public through University Relations. They contain comments from the press, the seminar program, an agenda for the entire celebration, and a reprint of Wescoe's "State of the University" message.
SUA SUMMER COMEDY SERIES
Announces a change in their schedule —
July 14th
"Never Give A Sucker An Even Break"
W. C. Fields
July 21st "Monkey Business" The Marx Bros.
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