Prof Beth scares students while expecting their best
By RICH LOVETT
One day at the beginning of the semester, Elmer Beth, professor of journalism, came to class wearing a large white bib tied around his neck. For about 10 minutes he conducted class without alluding to the piece of cloth.
Finally, after explaining that a statement he had made during the previous class meeting was incorrect, he said, "You're all probably wondering why I'm wearing this. I've just come from eating crow."
BETH'S SHARP WIT, his unorthodox classroom techniques, and his heavy assignments are well known throughout the William Allen White School of Journalism. Many of his students say that "until you get used to him he is liable to scare you to death."
An authority on libel and slander, B came to KU in 1940 as a visiting assistant professor from the University of Idaho. He decided to stay and was made acting chairman of the department of journalism.
The department became a school during his acting chairmanship, the Western Civilization and Humanities programs were developed under the direction of committees on which he served, and the Faculty Club was created through a committee of which he was chairman.
BETH ALSO MADE floor plans for the conversion of Fowler Shops into Flint Hall, which now houses the School of Journalism.
In 1941 he became a University press box statistician for KU home football games and has not missed a home game since.
Beth is a demanding teacher. His students become familiar faces in the reserve room of Watson Library, and on days when he gives no assignment he tells them it's "because I'm getting softhearted."
Thomas Ryther, assistant professor of journalism, says that in terms of useable knowledge, "students probably learn more in one of his courses than in any three other courses."
"I AM TRYING to help students who are in the upper courses of their major," says Beth. "One of my basic concepts is never to be satisfied with anything but the best a student can do."
KU: 8 to 5 for men
About eight men are enrolled at KU for every five women.
But the number of women enrolling each semester is proportionately greater than the number of men.
-UDK Photo by Earl Haehl
"This could be due either to the fact that the proportion of men and women in society is changing." James K. Hitt, registrar and director of KU admissions, said, "or, if this ratio is constant, that more women are planning to go to college."
planning to go out, "Nobody really knows," Hitt said, "although I think it's the latter."
Enrollment for the fall semester of 1965, including graduate and law school, was 8,617 men and 4,948 women.
ELMER F. BETH
A year later, last fall, men's enrollment increased 445 but the women's increased 595.
The spring semester enrollment of 1966 was 8,171 men and 4,783 women; a year later, this semester, there are 361 more men, and 456 more women enrolled.
"A campus this large has a lot of sub-groups," Hitt said, "and each sub-group distribution of men and women is affected by a certain kind of interest. For example, you'll find a completely different distribution in the law school than in fine arts."
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Daily Kansan Friday, April 21, 1967
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