Wescoe-his decision to stay
By JOAN McCABE, Managing Editor and DAN AUSTIN, Asst. Managing Editor
As he tells it, change, strategy and fund raising were the factors that kept W. Clarke Wescoe at the University of Kansas.
In an interview yesterday, Chancellor Wescoe explained his reasons for suddenly rejecting the presidency of the University of Minnesota last Friday.
One of those reasons was the effect his resignation might have on KU.
"IF CHANGE IS A GOOD THING, this was not the time," the Chancellor said. "Too many people were concerned with me and with the future of the University and the Program for Progress. I felt I owed a great deal to that.
"As things were developing, time was becoming awfully short," he added. "Because of my affection for the University of Kansas, I cannot think that I could ever do something in an unseemly way or at an unfortunate time."
However, the Chancellor explained that change even in the chief administrator's office—could be beneficial to KU.
"Any university becomes stronger with a change in its administrative direction from time to time," the Chancellor said. "This probably has been one of the
strengths of the University of Kansas, since in a period of 100 years there have been ten people in the position of chancellor."
ADDING THAT HIS REJECTION of the Minnesota offer did not involve rating one university over another, Chancellor Wescoe said that his decision was a consideration of "whether the time has come when a change in the administrative position could be of benefit to the University and, as well, to the individual."
Another factor that influenced the Chancellor's decision to stay at KU was his involvement with the Program for Progress, a fund-raising drive calculated to bring in more than $18 million from KU alumni.
"The fact is that a substantial goal has been announced and it is my responsibility to meet it," he said.
"KU is looked upon as the leading institution in this area of the country for this reason, and gifts have made it possible for us to do things other institutions couldn't do," added the Chancellor.
CHANCELLOR WESCOE SAID he made the final decision not to accept the Minnesota offer Thursday night as he was returning from a meeting with the Minnesota Board of Regents.
"You don't deeply consider all offers," the Chancellor said. "But I had real reason to talk with regents of Minnesota. We have a home there and spend a great
deal of time there and are as fond of the people there as we are of the people here.
"A university of that kind has a greater attraction than any other, if you have some roots there already." he added.
SPECULATION HAD ARISEN that Chancellor Wescoe was considering the Minnesota offer because of conflicts between himself and the Kansas Legislature.
Denying such allegations, the Chancellor said that there were no politics involved in the situation.
"My relationship with the legislature and with the governor are excellent," he said. "There is no way for anyone to try to read into this a political consideration, because none exists.
LOOKING TO THE FUTURE, the Chancellor said that eventually he would leave KU.
"I think we all have to remember that someday, in everybody's better interest, I will have to leave here, and then we will have to look at it from the standpoint that I am not deserting, but doing it for the best interests of the institution," he said.
"There is no one who is indispensable and no one who is permanent," the Chancellor added.
But for the moment, Chancellor Wescoe seems content to keep his Lilac Lane residence.
"I think this is the way it ought to be. I am very happy, and relaxed."
'High' spirits in NCAA crowd
By WILL HARDESTY UDK City Editor
Like pilgrims to Mecca or tourists to the White House, they came to Lawrence.
They are the fanatic fans who drove or flew 500-750 miles to see the Midwest Regionals. Most of them left Friday morning and returned yesterday morning.
"We HAVE RIGHT AT 1000 here," said Dick Panther, president of the University of Louisville Associates (U of LA). "The U of LA brought 700. We brought three chartered planes, and a chartered bus, that I know of."
The student body of UL is 8,000.
The U of LA is a group of interested townspeople who like UL and like its sports—basketball especially.
PANTHER DESCRIBED the Louisville group at the regionals in the following manner: "We're a very spirited bunch—about half bourbon."
During the KU-Louisville game, the PA announcer said the officials had requested that whoever in the crowd had the whistle and was blowing it to quit because players thought it was an official whistle.
One vocal U of LA stood up and roared, "Ah hope HE quits blowing that gawd day-day whistle. He's the one—that idiot over there in the striped shirt. Make him quit blowing that whistle."
This met with instant approval in the Louisville section.
LOUISVILLE BROUGHT its 12-piece pep band. During the Louisville-SMU game, the time-outs were just as action-filled as the game as the Louisville aggregation locked horns with the SMU 15-piece band.
SMU's band knew it was coming only at the last moment. Jack Rohr, assistant director of bands, said the Greeks at SMU staged a fund-raising campaign last week to come up with enough money to send the band.
bough money to SMU brought 300-400 fans from a university of about 8,000
Continued on page 6.
Continued on page 6
Light due Friday
Traffic lights will be operating at 15th and Iowa Streets by Friday, exactly one year after the City Commission called the intersection "a problem."
George Williams, public works director, said, "We have all the parts, and barring unforeseen problems, the lights should be working by the end of the week."
Support poles for the lights were installed last week on all corners of the intersection.
The State Highway Department and the City Commission approved the installation of the lights last fall.
A shortage of parts because of the Vietnam war was blamed by city officials as the cause of the delay.
The intersection has been the scene of numerous accidents since the construction of residence halls on nearby Daisy Field. Fifteenth Street is the only outlet from the residence hall area to Iowa Street.
77th Year, No.102
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY kansan Serving KU For 77 of its 101 Years
LAWRENCE, KANSAS
'Big Texans'
Monday, March 20, 1367
By STEVE RUSSELI Assistant Managing Editor
Tall wall holds KU
They grow everything big in Texas—even basketball players.
Just ask KU Coach Ted Owens, he'll tell you. The Jayhawk mentor and his teams have had their aspirations for a berth in the NCAA basketball finals spoiled two years in a row by big fast Texas teams in the Midwest Regionals.
A year ago at Lubbock, Tex., the Jayhawks were defeated in the final game of the regional by Texas Western. This year the Hawks were again blasted out of NCAA tournament play by the Houston Cougars—only this time it was a larger score margin, 66-53, in the first round of action, in KU's own backyard at Lawrence.
HEIGHT COMBINED with speed on the part of the Cougars, and a poor night offensive-wise for KU brought the Jayhawks' hopes for a ticket to Louisville, Ky., for the national tournament to a quick end.
The defense Houston displayed against the Jayhawks surprised everyone watching. The Cougars built a six and a half foot high wall around the basket, stopping or inhibiting passes or shots through or over it with a network of waving arms.
Coach Owens said after the game Friday night, "We couldn't get the ball inside."
He said he planned to play Rodger Bohnenstiehl on a high post and Vernon Vanoy on a low post and work the ball into either. But, the Cougars' tight zone defense prevented this.
COACH E. O. "DOC" Hayes, whose Southern Methodist University Mustangs lost to Houston in the finals Saturday night, 83-75, said after the game, "Houston was too good for us. They were too big, too talented and too good."
He added, "Their (Houston's) defense, big, hands up, caused us to have to shoot higher." He explained this hurt the Mustangs' shooting percentage, their prime asset, and led to the defeat.
HOUSTON now heads to Louisville next weekend to take on the much lauded UCLA team.
team.
Head Coach Guy Lewis said his Cougars will not play a controlled game against the formidable Uclans. "We're just gonna go up there and play 'em," he said.
—UDK Photo by Mike Okun NCAA TOURNEY STANDOUT
Elvin Hayes, 6-8 super-star for Houston, was voted the top player in this weekend's NCAA Midwest Regional.