touched Mt. Oread
Perhaps, the most famous of writers and poets who have been here was the late Robert Frost
JOHN F. KENNEDY . . A Young Senator
EDITH SITWILL . . . "Power of Life"
in May, 1939. He spoke to 800 persons in Hoch on modern poetry, read some poems including "Birches," "The Road not Taken." His quips included objections to the world's preoccupation with its own confusion as "if any age is more confused than any other."
Other literary people who have visited KU include William Inge, playwright, a frequent visitor to his old alma mater, class of '35 and Dame Edith Sltwell, English poet, who talked on poetry needing the "power of life" in December, 1950. Sinclair Lewis was on campus in 1926 and in 1937.
In 1926, Lewis was here to do research for his book Elmer Gantry which, when published a year later, caused a scrambling among some Lawrence and Kansas City residents who thought they were portrayed in the book. In 1937, he lectured in Hoch.
Many of KU's visitors have been entertainers. Pablo Casals, cellist, performed in the newly built Hoch Auditorium in February, 1928. He said "I marvel to see such a wonderful building in such a small town, New York has nothing better and I don't think Carnegie Hall has your building bested." Issac Stern, violinist, presented concerts to a culture-oriented audience in January, 1947. Jacha Helfetz, violinist, appeared in Hoch twice, in March, 1933, and December, 1937.
John Phillip Sousa, band leader and composer of "Stars and Stripes Forever," rounded the
KU circuit twice once in 1925 and, again, in 1927 when he directed the 100 piece KU band in a few numbers at intermission.
The woman whose life was portrayed the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, "Sound of Music," Maria Von Trapp, was here March 13, 1944, for a concert in Hoch. She and her daughters played ancient instruments and sang folksongs of the Austrian Alps and yodelled.
CLARENCE DARROW . . A Quiet Visit
In April, 1945, Sigmind Romberg came with a choral group and a 50 piece orchestra for the
main attraction at KU's Music Festival week. He played tunes from his hit musical "Up in Central Park" and from Student Prince and Blossom Time."
Moving into the modern swing bands, Duke Ellington and his group came in January, 1948; Spike Jones and his gang clowned and entertained in October, 1949, and, Harry James appeared in October, 1930, for a homecoming dance.
Burl Ives presented a folk song show before the fad actually hit the colleges in November, 1949. He then went over to Corbin Hall for a reception at which, a Kansan article notes, he downed four turkey sandwiches and a half-gallon of coffee.
In the last few years, the campus has rocked and swayed to the Kingston Trio, the Smothers Brothers, Peter, Paul and Mary, Robert Goulet, Harry Belafonte, Glenn Yarbrough, Henry Mancini, Peter Nero.
Miss America, Debbie Bryant and former Miss Kansas, stopped by last August while she was still a possible KU enrollee for the fall of 1965 and toured Hashinger Hall where she picked out room 436 to live in.
The names and faces could go on, Aldous Huxley, Katharine Cornell, Henry Fonda, the then-senators Hubert Humphrey, Estes Kefauver, Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas, Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., Cornelia Otis Skinner, opera Star Helen Traubel, Margaret Mean, James Restou as the past rises up.
JASCHA HEIFETZ . . Performed In Hoch
WILLIAM H. TAFT
... Needed 2 Chairs
KU's second century of visitors, beginning with the Centennial notables, are only the vanguard of another list of names to be added to the memories on Mount Oread; who will they be?
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