Monday, Dec. 9, 1985
Campus/Area
University Daily Kansan
7
Anniversary prompts book
By Jill White Of the Kansan staff
Social welfare, as a separate area of study at the University, turns 40 in July, and to celebrate the anniversary, two professors are writing a book about the history of the School of Social Welfare.
The book, "Transitions: the Emergence, Growth and Development of the University of Kansas School of Social Welfare," is fairly well explained by the title, Shirley Patterson, associate professor of social welfare and co-writer, said recently.
Co-writer Ben Zimmerman, professor emeritus of social welfare, said, "We hope this is going to be an informal history — anecdotal, resting on faculty and alumni recollections."
"What we want to focus on is the idea of change cast in the context of the times." Patterson said. "We want to look at what was going on nationally, regionally and at the University."
Using a chronological approach, Patterson and Zimmerman plan to start the historical account in 1937 when Esther Twente joined the KU faculty.
At that time, social welfare was only a division within sociology. Twente's job was to develop a department of social welfare, Patterson said.
In 1946, social welfare emerged as a separate department within the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. That is the anniversary the school will celebrate in July.
Zimmerman said he and Patterson would try to set social welfare's early years in context with the rest of the nation's experience during the Great Depression
Likewise, they will attempt to include the accounts of World War II's effect on campus in relationship to the school, and also will include the student unrest of the late 1960s with the transition of social welfare from a department to a school, he said.
Social welfare became a school in 1971. Later, the school moved into Twente Hall.
"I've been interested in writing a history of social welfare for several years because people who know about the early years of the school have died and we have no real record of our transitions." Patterson said. "Had we waited until the 50th anniversary, it would have been too late."
Patterson and Zimmerman hope that the book, to be completed by the end of 1986, will be of enough interest to students and alumni that the sales will pay for the cost of publication. Any extra money earned will go toward scholarship funds for students, Patterson said.
"The school has a really rich, varied kind of history in terms of its contributions to the community, the state and the University itself, which grew out of social welfare practitioners in Kansas City who were concerned that the University have a department and a school of social welfare," she said.
So far, the two professors mostly have researched archival accounts of Twente's life and written rough outlines of the book. But they expect to have that preliminary work completed by April 18, which is Social Work Day.
At a banquet on Social Work Day, they hope to collect some of the anecdotal recollections from alumni and faculty.
"It's a really enormous undertaking because you have to be in touch with a lot of people and have to get a lot of people's cooperation," Patterson said.
By Bengt Ljung Of the Kansan staff
Candidates for the Journalist in Space Program must be chosen fairly and objectively, Del Brinkman, dean of journalism, said Saturday.
KU to help pick space reporter
"The journalists will be chosen on their ability to communicate with the public." Brinkman said.
The University of South Carolina, which coordinates the application process, already has received more than 3,000 requests for applications, Brinkman said. CBS alone has requested 30 applications.
The University of Kansas is helping the National Aeronautics and Space Administration look for a great communicator who can describe life on the space shuttle. Brinkman will lead a regional review committee and Marilyn Yarbrough, professor of law and associate vice chancellor for research, graduate studies and public service, will serve on the national panel.
Well-known professionals always have an advantage in attempting to prove their competency, he said.
"But anyone who can prove he will do a good job has a chance," Brinkman said.
Even critics of the space program will have a chance.
"I can't see why not," Yarbrough said. "None of the qualifications is appraisal of the space program."
Brinkman said criticism of the space program would not be a factor in his evaluation of the candidates.
Aboard the space shuttle, which will be launched in September, the journalist will help with scientific experiments and preparing food. Brinkman said previous experience in either area was not necessary.
"It will be highly competitive," he said.
"People regard this as a unique opportunity. It's like exploration of new land. People want to be the first. There's only going to be one first."
Although Brinkman said it sounded interesting, he had no desire to orbit the earth himself.
"I doubt that anyone who isn't a strong practicing journalist will be selected," he said.
To apply, candidates must be U.S. citizens employed full-time as journalists and have five years of experience covering contemporary events. All applications must be sent to the Journalist in Space Program coordinated by the Association of Schools of Journalism and Mass Communications at the University of South Carolina by Jan. 15.
Then the selection process starts, with a chain of regional committees reviewing the candidates.
Brinkman said he would organize panels at four cooperating journalism schools in KU's region before Christmas.
Brinkman said he expected to set up KU's committee, consisting of seven to 15 professional journalists and educators, in January. The committee will interview the candidates and select eight by March 21. Coordinating schools in the four other regions will do the same.
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