Game Changer New Book Illuminates Basketball Pioneer John Mclendon’S KU Beginnings

Home , James Naismith, John McLendon, Scott Ellsworth

No 3, 2015 I $5

Game Changer New book illuminates basketball pioneer John McLendon’s KU beginnings

I SWARTHOUT SINGS I FERGUSON STALWART

Contents | Issue 3, 2015

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28 22 36 COVER STORY Ode to Joy The Road Ahead “That’s How You Do It” anks to a oor-to-ceiling Improving conditions in renovation that enhanced troubled Ferguson, Missouri, Hall-of-fame basketball coach Swarthout Concert Hall’s is the focus of city councilman John McLendon was a major sound quality and aesthetics, Dwayne James’ work—at city innovator on the court, and his KU’s 57-year-old music venue hall and beyond. journey began at KU, where he is once again in ne voice. learned the game from James By Heather Biele Naismith and Phog Allen By Chris Lazzarino while also breaking new ground outside the lines.

By Scott Ellsworth

Digital cover illustration by Susan Younger; photograph courtesy Milton Katz

Established in 1902 as e Graduate Magazine Volume 113, No. 3, 2015 ISSUE 3, 2015 | 1 Lift the Chorus ’Nu said Massachusetts Street. I would get hungry about 11 p.m. and I from the KU go to Jim’s. ere I would order quarters of a million visitors a School of Business in 1957 two eggs over-easy, hash year, e Learning Studio is (which is 57 years ago) and I browns, toast and a cup of well-positioned to ensure KU look forward to every issue of coee. When I was nished students succeed academically. Kansas Alumni. Reading it late stoking my furnace, I would Librarians at KU play a vital last night, I was fascinated by pay Jim 53 cents for my late role in retention, and the the prole on Amanda breakfast. Most people who studio serves an important ompson [“Recovery from hear this story think that these cornerstone in this eort. brain injury brings career are the ravings of a lunatic, I appreciate the light Chris calling,” Class Notes, issue demented old man. Jim’s Diner Lazzarino has shed on No. 2]. was a part of my KU this topic. Her determination, positive experience. Rebecca Hurst Pruett, d’73 outlook, forthright spirit, Merle W. Jephson-King, e’59 Houston, Texas amazing attitude and decision Plainville Lively libraries to give of herself through Drumroll call speech pathology says it all! The bard of T for the thought- Harvey Bodker, b’57 ful and comprehensive cover A and Overland Park the Kaw? story on e Learning Studio blues drummer who played in Anschutz Library [“Turn the most every weekend in Kansas Thanks for the I Bill Bryson’s Page,” issue No. 2]. As incom- City during my time in book At Home (that is the ing chair of the KU Libraries Lawrence and at KU Medical memories name of the book, not where I Board of Advocates, I have Center, I immediately noticed was reading it) and saw on seen rsthand the approach a famous face in the photo of T page 381 that people in KU Libraries and its partners the Tommy Dorsey Band on one of the best alumni maga- Shakespeare’s day could wear have taken in creating this page 68 of the most recent zines ever. I have graduated velvet on doublets “so long as student-centered space. e Kansas Alumni [KU 150, issue from two other schools and the velvet wasn’t crimson or students’ enthusiasm and No. 2]. only one alumni magazine is blue—colors reserved for enjoyment in working and e drummer in the photo is comparable to KU’s. people of still higher status.” collaborating in such a the legendary Buddy Rich, one One of the rst things I read Some things never change. wonderful environment is very of my earliest heroes, still is “First Word.” e rest is Cal Karlin, c’74, l’77 evident when one visits this considered by many to be one gravy. e Class Notes section Lawrence well-planned and valuable of the best ever. is very important to me resource. David Zehring, c’63, m’67 because I can keep up with With more than three- La Veta, Colorado classmates who toot their own horns. I enjoy the lack of typo- graphical errors and consistent good grammar. Your photographers produce award-winning slices of time. Altogether, you should be proud of your sta. ey turn out a ne magazine. I graduated from KU in Your 1959. If I remember correctly, opinion counts the tuition for 12 or more hours a semester in 1958 was Please email us a note $106.50. at [email protected] One of my favorite stories of to tell us what you think of your alumni magazine. Legendary drummer Buddy Rich played with the Tommy Dorsey Band in my KU days is about Jim’s Diner, on the east side of the Kansas Union in 1941.

2 | KANSAS ALUMNI Issue 3, 2015

Florida 15 February 2012

64 Publisher Kevin J. Corbett, c’88 Editor Jennifer Jackson Sanner, j’81 2 Lift the Chorus Creative Director Susan Younger, f’91 Letters from our readers Associate Editors Chris Lazzarino, j’86 Steven Hill 5 First Word Editorial Assistant Karen Goodell e editor’s turn Photographers Steve Puppe, j’98 Dan Storey 6 On the Boulevard Graphic Designer Valerie Spicher, j’94 KU & Alumni Association events Communications Coordinator Heather Biele 8 Jayhawk Walk Advertising Sales Representative Pianos on parade, a safer spring break, David Johnston, j’94, g’06 silver-plated dining and more Editorial and Advertising Oce KU Alumni Association 10 Hilltopics 1266 Oread Avenue News and notes: College debuts online degree; Lawrence, KS 66045-3169 785-864-4760 new CSA brings organic veggies to Mount Oread. 800-584-2957 www.kualumni.org 18 Sports [email protected] Streaking soball rides a familiar ace; rebuilding KANSAS ALUMNI MAGAZINE (ISSN 0745-3345) is published by the football stresses relentless special teams. KU Alumni Association six times a year in January, March, May, July, September and November. $55 annual subscription includes member- ship in the Alumni Association. Oce of Publication: 1266 Oread 40 Association News Avenue, Lawrence, KS 66045-3169. Periodicals postage paid at Reunions, Rock Chalk Ball channel alumni spirit. Lawrence, KS.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Kansas Alumni Magazine, 1266 Oread Avenue, Lawrence, KS 66045-3169 © 2015 by Kansas Alumni 44 Class Notes Magazine. Non-member issue price: $7 Proles of a gridiron recruiter, a foster care champion and a winning dad

Letters to the Editor: 60 In Memory Deaths in the KU family Kansas Alumni welcomes letters to the editor. Our address is Kansas Alumni magazine, 1266 Oread Avenue, Lawrence, KS 66045-3169. Email responses may be sent to 64 Rock Chalk Review the Alumni Association, [email protected]. “Last Supper” paintings ponder death penalty; Letters appearing in the magazine may be edited for space mother-daughter team studies weather phobia. and clarity. For letters published, we’ll send a free gift of KU Campus Playing Cards, a $5 value. 68 KU 150 Scenes from the sesquicentennial

ISSUE 3, 2015 | 3

by Jennifer Jackson Sanner First Word

coaching legend in his own right as one of the innovators of the fast break, the rst black coach in U.S. professional sports and the coach of championship teams at all levels. Ultimately McLendon SUSAN YOUNGER SUSAN was inducted into the hall of fame that bears the name of his early KU mentor. Our cover story is an excerpt from e Secret Game, a new book by journalist and historian Scott Ellsworth, who paints vivid portraits of the players and coaches who dared to compete in a momentous matchup—the rst integrated collegiate basketball game, played at great risk in 1944 in North Carolina. McLendon coached one of the teams, the Eagles of the North Carolina College for Negroes. For the magazine, we’ve chosen one of the book’s early chapters, in which Ellsworth describes McLendon’s quiet activism as a he School of Journalism’s annual William Allen White KU student. In an era when African-American students struggled Tcelebration is always a high holy day for Jayhawk journalists, against many overt and subtle biases on campus, McLendon especially when one of our own receives the William Allen White began to change the culture, displaying the innate leadership National Citation for extraordinary achievement. Bob Dotson, that helped him excel in the national arenas of civil rights j’68, returned to the Hill April 23 to accept the citation and share and basketball. his insights from 40 years at NBC News, where he has become As the nation continues to struggle with issues of race, many revered for his stories of folks he describes as “seemingly ordinary stories focus on strife in the streets, especially in communities like Americans.” eir tales fascinate Dotson—and fans of his Ferguson, Missouri, where violence erupted last summer. But long broadcasts and books—because, as he explains, “Names we don’t before Ferguson made headlines, Dwayne James, e’94, was quietly know, and should know, are why our country not working as a city only survives but thrives.” council member and Kansas Alumni has followed Dotson’s career advocate for the town’s since 1985, when he visited campus on a national teenagers. As new sta tour for his rst book, In Pursuit of the American member Heather Biele Dream. Last month, as I listened to his William reports, James vows to Allen White lecture, it occurred to me that many continue striving to of the Jayhawks we have featured in this magazine OF JOURNALISM SCHOOL COURTESY heal his community through the years have shared the characteristics and bring hope to its Dotson says are common to the protagonists of youth. his tales. ey are pioneers who embrace dier- James and McLendon ences, value teamwork and keep their promises. exemplify the Ameri- Perhaps most important, when misfortune or cans Bob Dotson has tragedy befalls them, they pick themselves up and covered throughout his start again. career: creative folks ese traits ran especially true in the late, great who seek solutions to John McLendon, d’36, whose story we are long big problems but shun overdue in telling. A talented basketball player, he fanfare for their work. attended tryouts for the Jayhawks but was ignored As Dotson says, “ e because of an unspoken but enforced rule that shortest distance African-American students were not allowed to between two people is a play on KU teams. McLendon nevertheless became good story. Once you a student of the game as one of the last protégés of know my story and I its inventor, James Naismith, who was still on the know yours, I know not faculty but by the 1930s had been eclipsed by his only how we dier, but charismatic and more victorious successor, Forrest I start to understand C. “Phog” Allen. McLendon went on to become a Dotson how we’re alike.”

ISSUE 3, 2015 | 5 On the Boulevard

’Hawk Days of Summer are back with a bang this year, with activities throughout Kansas and across the country. So whether golf is your game or a relaxing river cruise is more your speed, get in on the fun with the Alumni Association and your fellow Jayhawks. For more information, go to kualumni.org or call 800-584-2957.

Washington, D.C., Network Crabtacular

Lied Center 2015-’16 NOVEMBER FEBRUARY 29 Popovich Comedy 5 e Rodney Marsalis 12 e Band of the Royal Pet eater SEPTEMBER Philadelphia Big Brass Marines & e Pipes, Drums MAY 23 “Joseph and the Amazing 7 odos Dance Chicago & Highland Dancers of the Technicolor Dreamcoat” Scots Guards 5 “Beauty and the Beast” 11 KU Jazz Ensemble I with 23 26 KU Symphony Orchestra Sean Jones, trumpet KU Wind Ensemble with with Benjamin Beilman, Je Nelsen, French horn ’Hawk Days 15 Kuok-Wai Lio & Zoltán violin 25 Chanticleer Fejérvári, piano MAY 29 Paul Taylor Dance 28 Sang-Eun Lee, cello Company 21 “Mamma Mia!” 21 Denver: Networking MARCH breakfast OCTOBER DECEMBER 9 “ e Demo: Concert 1 Black Violin 11 Sweet Honey in the Rock: “Celebrating the Holydays” Version” 2 Kansas APRIL 4 Tesla Quartet JANUARY 1 7 “Truth Values: One Girl’s 19 “‘I Love Lucy,’ Live on Olga Kern, piano Romp rough M.I.T.’s Male Stage” 6 Branford Marsalis Quartet Math Maze” 24 Moscow Festival Ballet: 8 PROJECT Trio 16 “ e Magic of Bill Blagg: “ e Sleeping Beauty” 21 Mike Daisey: “Faster Live” 29 Shemekia Copeland with Better Social” 23 An Acoustic Evening Blind Boy Paxton 27 Emerson String Quartet with Lyle Lovett & John Hiatt Salina Steak Out

6 | KANSAS ALUMNI Photographs by Dan Storey

25 KU Day with the 27 Lawrence Young Alumni Yankees, Bronx, New York Pub Crawl 29 Salina Steak Out, Wilson Ranch JULY 30 KU Night: Royals vs. 9-10 Wellington Wheat Cubs, Chicago Festival 15 Houston: Networking JUNE breakfast 2 Jayhawks on Business, San 18 KU Night with the Francisco Arizona Diamondbacks, 6 ’Hawks, Helmets and Phoenix Handlebars, Westwood 23 Denver: Networking 10 Dallas: Jayhawks and Java breakfast 15 KU Alumni Invitational 25 Lawrence Network BBQ at Prairie Dunes, & Social Hutchinson AUGUST Tri-State ’Hawkstock 17 Houston: Networking breakfast 7 Milwaukee River Cruise, Pere Marquette Park, 19 Hawkstock, KAMO Milwaukee Ranch, Mulberry 12 Dallas: Jayhawks and Java 21 KU Night with the Oklahoma City Dodgers, 18 Denver: Networking Oklahoma City breakfast 23 Denver: Networking 19 Houston: Networking breakfast breakfast 26 Southwest Golf Tourna- 29 KU Alumni Night with ment, Liberal the Colorado Rapids, Commerce City, Colorado 27 East Kansas Wine Festival

East Network Wine Festival

The Spencer Museum of Art is currently closed for renovation. Galleries are tentatively set to reopen in 2016.

While the galleries remain closed, the museum will oer osite programs and special events throughout the community. Visit spencerart.ku.edu for more information.

Salina Steak Out Madison Square Garden Tour Smoky Hill Golf Tournament

ISSUE 3, 2015 | 7 Jayhawk Walk Silver-plated success

S , N G has managed the mammoth operations of KU Dining Services: three residential dining centers, 16 retail dining locations, one full-service restaurant, KU catering

STEVE PUPPE STEVE services and more than 600 sta who churn out nearly 2 million meals throughout the school year. In March, she received the foodservice industry’s highest compli- ments for a chief. e International Foodservice Manufac- turers Association (IFMA) awarded Golledge one of seven Silver Plate honors in its annual competition; IFMA says its prestigious plates are to foodservice what the Academy Awards are to lm. “It’s truly humbling to be recognized in this manner,” says Golledge, a 34-year veteran of the industry. “Over the years I’ve learned that a successful leader is one who continually stays abreast of the trends in the industry and leads from the heart. And that’s what our dining team does. at’s what has made us successful.” Charlie Podrebarac KU Dining Services has built a strong reputation among peer institutions for its Podrebarac stays in tune with Kansas City e orts in sustainability, management of student allergies, creative menu ideas and ansas City artist Charlie Podrebarac has never lacked outlets for his strategic planning. Kprodigious creativity: His instantly identiﬁable illustrations have long Golledge will join her fellow Silver Plate graced Kansas Alumni magazine, for instance, and Podrebarac was part of the recipients for a celebration May 18 in wildly popular 2001 Kansas City Cow Parade. Chicago, where one of the seven will But for more than 30 years, his primary outlet had been The Kansas City receive the Gold Plate award. Star Magazine, which printed Podrebarac’s “Cowtown” cartoon panel. When the newspaper in February stopped publishing its Sunday magazine, Podrebarac, ’81, could have indulged in woe-is-me reﬂection.

Nah. Not his style. PUPPE STEVE On March 1, Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que announced it would publish “Cowtown” on the restaurant’s Facebook page. “It’s like getting a grant from a barbecue restaurant,” Podrebarac notes wryly. A Facebook fan gushed, “One KC icon helping another. Way to go!” Ten days later, Podrebarac helped launch “Pianos on Parade”—which will place 100 “artistically transformed” pianos across the city for all to play and enjoy—by unveiling a painted-by-Podrebarac grand piano at Union Station. And in April, The Independent, Kansas City’s society journal, announced that it, too, would feature Podrebarac’s work. His spring rejuvenation seemed unlikely when Star Magazine perished, but there are plenty of people following Joe’s Kansas City on social media. “They have 75,000 followers, so who knows, I may be getting more eyes on it now than I was before,” Podrebarac says of his iconic “Cowtown” panel. Sort of a Podrebarac on Parade ... a cool thing, indeed.

Golledge

8 | KANSAS ALUMNI This cup runneth under

pring break isn’t about moderation. SThe ﬁne folks at Student Health Services get that, but they also get that partying hearty doesn’t preclude partying smartly. Hence the spring break safety cup, a plastic beverage receptacle with handy

marks denoting pour lines for a standard PEARSON LEROY LARRY 1.5-ounce shot of liquor, 5-ounce glass of wine and 12-ounce cup of beer. Student Health Services doled out 1,000 in its Safer From dental health to mental health Spring Break Kit to teach he utility of football mouthpieces has always been as important as it is students what constitutes a unglamorous: protect players’ dental health. Now, thanks to “ESP Chip single serving and how many T Technology,” mouth guards are being asked for more. drinks per hour yield a blood Under the direction of assistant athletics director of sports medicine and alcohol content at which head football trainer Murphy Grant, KU football players this spring are using coordination and judgment are aected, mouthpieces outfitted with microchips that transmit real-time information to but not impaired. trainers about the magnitude, location and direction of impacts sustained by “Just over 75 percent of KU students players after hard hits on the gridiron. report using alcohol at least one time in “Think of it like a smartphone in your mouth,” Grant told the Lawrence the past 30 days,” says Jenny McKee, Journal-World. “But a player doesn’t have to worry about any of that. There’s no d’04, g’06, health educator at Student button, no blinky lights, nothing a player needs to do.” Health Services. “Telling them not to Monitoring concussions has long been a concern for Grant, recently named drink would be fighting years and years the Kansas Athletic Trainer of the Year, and he was eager to outfit the Jayhawks of behavior; giving them tips and tools to with the latest high-tech tool: the Vector Mouthguard, from i1 Biometrics. stay safe seems like a much smarter way KU is one of the country’s first college programs to test the $199 devices. to go.” Data generated by the high-tech mouthpieces is monitored during games, then Safety cups are “education pieces,” collected to compile each player’s impact information over the course of a McKee says, not party supplies. She season—a final score that truly matters. doesn’t expect to replace a certain iconic alcohol delivery system. On second thought ... “In my dream world students would Monarch mystery come to my oce to pick up 50 for their house party,” McKee says. “I want these R at KU’s dierences exist between to be the new red Solo cup.” Monarch Watch found a unique research the mutant monarchs Maybe they need their own theme project this spring a er a genetic mutation and their colorful cousins will be a subject song. Are you listening, Toby produced two white monarch butteries. of research. Keith? Orley “Chip” Taylor, professor of ecology “e how, what and why questions are and evolutionary biology and Monarch where the real science is,” Taylor says. “It Watch founder, says the rare pair isn’t deep, groundbreaking science, but it’s appeared when the group added the fun kind of thing that we can get a lot

STEVE PUPPE STEVE wild stock to its breeding program. of students working on.” Selective pairing helped expand ough he started rearing butteries in the ock of white monarchs from grade school and annually rears thousands two to more than 200. ey look at Monarch Watch, Taylor had never like standard monarchs produced a white monarch before. but lack the species’ distinctive “It’s a very good day when you get a orange pigment. surprise in the lab. It’s not only a curiosity, Taylor Finding out if other, less evident it’s an opportunity.”

ISSUE 3, 2015 | 9 Hilltopics

As part of The College Online, STEVE PUPPE STEVE KU also o ers a new Plus 12 program, a four-course sequence that enables academically qualiﬁed students who are 12 hours away from their graduation to complete bachelor’s degrees in general studies. The sequence includes courses in career development, ethics and world culture along with a capstone course. For more information on requirements, visit thecollegeonline.ku.edu/major/ plus-12-program.

Atchley

The College Online degrees with a broader education. e College Online includes a variety of Program emphasizes challenge, community, support liberal arts and sciences courses and to help Jayhawks ﬁnish their degrees starting times throughout the year. Most courses are o ered in eight-week hen Michael Irvine was a KU Irvine took an online sociology course “minimesters” that begin in June, August, Wsenior, his path to graduation that t his academic interests. “I work full October, January or March. Students who veered o course. “My father passed away,” time, and it was a wonderful experience,” complete the program will graduate with he explains. “I needed to go back home to he says.“e teacher was awesome, and bachelor’s degrees in general studies. Chicago to help my mom.” she was reachable. e course really hit Years in the making, e College Online Unfortunately, Irvine couldn’t return to home with topics that matter to me, is led by Paul Atchley, associate dean for the Hill, where he had majored in history including discussions about Chicago.” online and professional education and a and played baseball for the Jayhawks. “One Based on the pilot group’s success, KU professor of psychology who has taught year went by. Two years went by,” he says. this spring launched e College Online, a online courses for a decade. By studying “I tried enrolling in an online program degree completion program for alumni the results of his own courses and those through a community college, but it was a like Irvine who were preparing to walk taught by other faculty, Atchley concluded disaster.” down the Hill until life’s surprises stopped that online courses produce learning Irvine began his career as a baseball them in their tracks—or students who outcomes equal to those of face-to-face coach through a Chicago-area sports want to supplement their technical courses. e challenge for higher educa- academy, and four more years slipped by. Last summer, he received a phone call from KU, o ering him a spot in a pilot group to launch the College of Liberal Arts Courses in the degree completion program begin in & Science’s online degree completion June, August, October, January and March, and program. He jumped at the chance. “I wanted to most are oered in eight-week ‘minimesters.’ For get my degree,” he says, “and I wanted my details, visit thecollegeonline.ku.edu. diploma to be from KU.” { }

10 | KANSAS ALUMNI tion will be to balance online and campus experiences. STEVE PUPPE STEVE “People still want to work with other people face to face,” Atchley says. “We want to send our children to college because when you’re around folks who Jess Pierson and Jen aren’t like you, you learn so much. When Humphrey (left) and Jenny you have a chance to go someplace else, and Thomas Buller you have a chance to develop in ways you (below) are growers for can’t if you’re just at home.” Crops to Campus, a KU’s College Online aims to challenge quartet of certiﬁed organic students with rigorous academic standards farms bringing local food while providing the support and sense of to Mount Oread. community that are vital to success. Samantha Montague, program coordinator, maintains regular contact with students from enrollment through Homegrown Center for Sustainability. “Plenty of studies completion. As a graduate student and show that people who are part of a CSA eat soon-to-be mother of two, Montague, c’04, Alumni farmers team with KU more fruits and vegetables, and they are understands the demands that pull to bring fresh veggies to campus also able to have that local food built right students in many directions, so she into their diet, into their budget and into contacts them at regular intervals. Faculty ating locally will be a little easier for their schedule.” members reach out to students who are Ethe KU community this summer and e program features the three elements struggling academically, and they alert fall, thanks to a new partnership between of sustainability that the center likes to Montague when a student might need her the University and four local farms. emphasize: ecology, social equity and extra encouragement. “I work full time, I Crops to Campus, a subscription-based economics. have a kid and I’m going to school. I get it,” CSA (community supported agriculture) “All three of those tie together very she says. “I can tell them, ‘I know what service open to faculty, sta, students and easily in food,” Criner says. “We have all you’re trying to get done, and I applaud Lawrence residents, will deliver weekly these great local farms in Lawrence, and to you. I’m thinking about you.’” shares of local vegetables from mid-May to be able to strengthen that relationship with Atchley predicts that the demand for October to as many as 250 subscribers at KU, to give them a stronger economic base online courses will continue to grow as the two campus pickup locations. A full share and provide a stronger economy for local cost of the traditional college experience of fresh vegetables, fruits, herbs and eggs food, is something we’re happy to help moves beyond the nancial reach of many costs $18 per week; partial shares run $13. promote.” families. He expects more students to Spearheading the eort are KU’s Four certi ed organic farms are working blend online and campus learning. “We Faculty/Sta Wellness Committee and the together under the brand “Common might have students who go to the Center for Sustainability. Harvest” to service the CSA shares: Moon University online for a year, then they “We’re interested in providing easy on the Meadow, run by Jill Elmers; Red come to the University campus for a access to produce that our faculty and sta Tractor Farm, run by Jen Humphrey, j’96, couple of years, then they go out in the job can get conveniently on their way home c’02, g’10, and Jess Pierson, c’95; Buller market and they complete that last year from work,” says Kimberly Criner, Family Farm, run by omas, c’99, and online. I think that will become the new education and outreach coordinator at the Jenny Welch Buller, c’99; and Juniper Hills n or m a l .” Farm, run by Scott ellman. Irvine takes pride in his circuitous path e local growers will be present at the

to a KU degree, and he touts his 2015 class PUPPE STEVE weekly pickups to answer questions and year. “To me it’s a badge of honor, because provide recipes and cooking tips. I had to go through some tough emotional “I think more and more consumers are stu,” he says. “When my kids ask me why becoming aware of where their food is it’s not 2008, I’ll explain, ‘I had to help coming from and craving that kind of your grandmother, but I never gave up. I authenticity and relationship you get when nished.’ It will be a learning tool for them. you know the person who produced your It’s about perseverance, and the number food and you know how far it came to get doesn’t matter.” to your table,” Humphrey says. “e —Jennifer Jackson Sanner people who signed up for this are going to

ISSUE 3, 2015 | 11 Funding falls: Research expenditures from all Director’s choice sources declined at KU during ﬁscal 2014. Spending New event series reﬂects from externally sponsored grants totaled $238.8 Dole Institute director’s million last year, down from $260.5 million in 2013. personal interests Federal research funding at KU dropped in 2014 for only the second time in the past decade, as a result ecalling the 1968 Republican National RConvention, which he watched on of the continuing federal budget sequester. TV as a 14-year-old who was “already, by then, a political junkie,” Bill Lacy, director of the Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics, have the chance to see the people who ethic that can sometimes remain vague. says his perception at the time was that produce the food and be able to talk to “ings like social connection or Ronald Reagan jumped into the race at the them about how to prepare it.” economics are two of the more compli- last minute, almost on a whim and with no Growers, on the other hand, use CSAs as cated, less visible parts of sustainability,” real chance of beating the eventual a way to hedge against the many uncer- Criner says. “But I think it is easy to nominee, Richard Nixon. tainties of running a small farm. understand when you go to a CSA pickup at perception lingered, even aer “A CSA can be part of a portfolio that and see the people whose farms your Lacy worked in the Reagan White House helps you manage the risk of being a money is helping to grow, and you see as director of political a airs. So when farmer,” Humphrey says. “You have more where your food is coming from and that omas Reed earlier this year published upfront sales, so you know how much you the person growing it is one of your his remembrance of Reagan’s early political need to plant, it helps you buy seeds at the neighbors in the community.” career, e Reagan Enigma: 1964-1980, beginning of the season, and it’s a great Common Harvest will also o er a which detailed the future president’s way to balance out all the di erent ways back-to-school option that begins on California gubernatorial campaign (which that we sell what we grow.” Labor Day and runs through the second Reed ran) and his serious, but ultimately Criner notes that the new venture gives week of November. For more information, unsuccessful, 1968 bid for president, it the Center for Sustainability a chance to visit commonharvestcsa.com. made a natural choice for the Dole showcase some tenets of the sustainability —Steven Hill Institute’s new Director’s Series.

VISITOR

in college worked as a reporter on “The Today Show.” STORY OF US and photographer for KMBC-TV “You ought to learn a trade,” in Kansas City, and as news she told him. “They’re not going NBC News correspondent Bob director for KANU-FM in to pay you for two minutes Dotson, j’68, accepted the Lawrence. He has won a record work a day. You will starve to William Allen White five Edward R. Murrow Awards death!” OF JOURNALISM SCHOOL COURTESY Foundation’s National Citation. and his third book, American “It was our running joke for Story: A Lifetime Search for years,” Dotson said. “I’d call on WHEN: April 23 Ordinary People Doing Friday and say, ‘I got another Extraordinary ings, is a New paycheck, Grandma.’ ‘Fooled WHERE: Kansas Memorial York Times best-seller. them again, did you?’” Union ANECDOTE: Dotson came QUOTE: “Here I am, in my forth, on a simple idea: Maybe BACKGROUND: Dotson’s to KU to study prelaw, he said, 40th year with NBC News, at that big media mirror that grandfather, a KU alumnus, “Then I found KUOK and it all 68, and they’ve taken me from reflects power and celebrity has encouraged him to attend KU. changed.” His grandmother was a red-headed, freckle-faced kid, someone standing behind it He got his broadcasting start at “nonplussed” by his decision, to gray, 4 million miles in this who is important.” the campus station KUOK, and even after seeing his first piece country, crisscrossing back and —Steven Hill {

12 | KANSAS ALUMNI divisions between traditional Milestones, money social conservatives and libertar- STEVE PUPPE STEVE ian-leaning millennials that could and other matters a ect the 2016 Republican presidential primaries. (A fourth program, featuring Karl Brooks, PhD’00, of the Environmental Protection Agency, was post- poned and may be rescheduled as part of next fall’s Director’s Series.) e Dole Institute houses the Robert J. Dole Archives and n The School of Law honored three Lacy Special Collections; featuring graduates with its Distinguished Alumni papers, photographs, lms and Award in April: John Brand, c’54, l’59, “I knew Tom’s material would be objects related to Sen. Bob Dole, ’45, it is retired attorney and community leader; interesting to me because it was Reagan one of the largest congressional archives in Nicholas Kittrie, l’50, g’51, international and I had worked for Reagan,” says Lacy, the nation. e institute also hosts criminal law expert; and Lawton Nuss, “but also because I knew his perspective extensive public programs devoted to c’75, l’82, chief justice of the Kansas on Reagan was driven very di erently encouraging balanced political debate and Supreme Court. from most people who write personal public service, especially among students. books about Reagan, because of his very Appointed director in 2004, Lacy set n Student body president Jessie early connection with Reagan. I thought about building programs at what he Pringle, junior, and vice president Zach he had a completely unique perspective described as “a pretty quiet” place. George, senior, won 68 percent of the from most people who’ve written about Domestic politics was then the main focus. vote in student elections in April. The Reagan historically.” But as the institute diversied o erings to Advance KU candidates ran on three Unique perspectives on topics of include international a airs, women and issues: sustainability, community and particular interest to Lacy—now in his leadership, public service and other topics, access. They took oce May 3. 11th year as director—will be the focus of the emphasis on domestic politics the series, which brings the interview declined. e new series is a way of n Life Span Institute researchers format of the institute’s evening programs bolstering those types of programs, which won three grants totaling more than to aernoon sessions designed to appeal to are a natural area of interest for Lacy, who $360,000 from Empower Kansas, a serious students of politics. worked for several Republican presidential three-year, $1.5 million initiative to “What we’ll do with the series,” Lacy campaigns, including stints as a strategist help Kansans with disabilities ﬁnd jobs. says, “is look at these really nuanced topics for Dole’s presidential runs in 1988 and The researchers represent Assistive that give people who are political geeks or 1996. Technology for Kansans, the Center political nerds a chance to expand their “is is something that I don’t think I on Developmental Disabilities and the education.” would have started 10 years ago,” Lacy Research and Training Center on Inde- In addition to Reed, the rst round of says. “Having been here over 10 years now, pendent Living. Director’s Series programs this spring I feel like I have a little bit more leeway on featured Steven Jacques, whose novel what I can and can’t do. n A $1 million estate gift from Alexan- Advance Man weaves a ctional account of “What I’ve found over this rst semester dra “Sandy” Mason will create the Ann a Democratic presidential campaign from of doing it is there’s lots of other people Hyde Fellowship for Medieval and Early the point of view of the candidate’s lead interested, too—and that’s nice to Modern British and European Manu- advance man; and Ben Domenech, k n ow.” scripts at the Spencer Research Library. publisher of e Federalist, who discussed —Steven Hill Mason joined the library as a cataloger of rare books in 1957 and retired as Spencer librarian in 1999. The fellow- Journalists who overlook ordinary people “miss the real story ship honors Mason’s lifetime friend, of America. ... What we do is travel as journalists in herds and Ann Hyde, c’60, manuscripts librarian pounce on problems to repeat over and over without a at the Spencer, who died in 2014. Ma- son died in 2011. glimmer of solution, because we’re not asking the people who {might have the solution.” —Bob Dotson }

ISSUE 3, 2015 | 13 Hilltopics

Mexico, junior in microbiology, conducts research related to the herpes simplex STEVE PUPPE STEVE virus and plans a research career in virology. She works in the laboratory of David Davido in molecular biosciences. Also nominated were David Gier, Overland Park junior in physics, interdis- ciplinary computing and mathematics, and Daniel Rhodes, McLouth junior in physics. Rhodes earned honorable mention. “We had four outstanding nominees this y e ar,” says Anne Wallen, c’03, assistant director of national fellowships and scholarships for the University Honors Program. “For two of them to win and a third to receive honorable mention is an outstanding achievement and a testament to their hard work and dedication.” van Loben Sels and Tappan KU also had two students earn Udall Foundation Scholarships this spring: SCHOLARSHIP juniors Ashlie Koehn, a triple major in technology, engineering and mathematics. economics, environmental studies and Two juniors win Goldwater award e one-year scholarship provides up to global and international studies; and $7,500 for tuition, fees, books and room Jennifer Stern, an ecology and evolution- B T J van Loben and board. ary biology major. Koehn received a Sels are the latest KU students to earn a Tappan, a Brookings, South Dakota, double bonus when she was also selected prestigious Barry M. Goldwater junior in chemistry, is interested in the as the University’s 18th Truman Scholar— Scholarship. area of nanotechnology and plans to and found out via a surprise call from Since the Goldwater was established in research environmental applications. He Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little, who 1986 by Congress, 58 Jayhawks have won works in the laboratory of Mikhail Barybin used Skype to deliver the good news to the premier undergraduate award for in chemistry. Koehn, who is studying abroad this academically gi ed students in science, Van Loben Sels, an Albuquerque, New semester in Kyrgyzstan.

UPDATE

yan Limbocker, who last allows scholars outside the ments such as Huntington’s Ryear won a Barry M. United Kingdom to pursue disease and Alzheimer’s Goldwater Scholarship a full-time postgraduate disease. [“Chemistry major wins degree at the University of “I see neurodegenerative Goldwater scholarship,” Cambridge. disease as one of the most issue No. 3, 2014], this Limbocker, an Overland widespread and dread- spring received yet Park senior, will study for ful ailments of the human another boost to his plans a doctorate in chemistry body,” Limbocker says. COURTESY MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS COURTESY for a research career when at Cambridge with Chris- “This is a challenging ﬁeld he was named one of topher Dobson, a pioneer that I enjoy studying and 40 Gates Cambridge in the research of neuro- am very intrinsically moti- Scholars. degenerative diseases. At vated to advance with the Established in 2000 by KU the Honors Program goal of trying to help the the Bill and Melinda Gates student has conducted millions of people who will Foundation, The Gates undergraduate research on be impacted by illnesses Cambridge Scholarship neurodegenerative ail- like Alzheimer’s disease.”

14 | KANSAS ALUMNI

Milestones, money

STEVE PUPPE STEVE and other matters

n A $1.8 million gift from current and former students and colleagues of Solon E. Summerﬁeld Distinguished Profes- sor Ron Borchardt will create a pharmaceutical chemistry professorship in his name. Borchardt, PhD’70, retires this fall from a 44-year career teaching biochemistry, medicinal chemistry and pharmaceutical chemistry at KU, having McCollum Hall mentored more than 170 students and authored or co-authored more than 500 research papers. Colleagues and former STUDENT HOUSING GRADUATE EDUCATION students are planning a three-day McCollum memories sought U.S. News rankings event in Lawrence in October to honor him, and the School of Pharmacy will ahead of fall demolition tout quality of KU programs announce the inaugural recipient of the F of Mount Oread’s T at KU were Ronald T. Borchardt Professorship this largest residence hall are invited to upload ranked in the top 10 of U.S. News and summer. photos, videos and written recollections of World Report’s annual “Best Graduate McCollum Hall life at housing.ku.edu/ Schools” rankings for public universities n Michael Blomquist, a critical care share-mccollum-hall-memories. released in March. nurse at the University of Kansas Built in 1965, the 900-student hall held Programs in city management & Hospital, received the inaugural its 50th and nal move-out in May; it will urban policy, in the School of Public National Patient Safety Foundation’s be demolished during the fall semester Aairs, and special education, in the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses and the space will be devoted to parking School of Education, ranked as the No. 1 in April. The award recognizes pro- for Daisy Hill residents, including programs in their eld. Occupational fessionalism and a patient-centered students living in the newly constructed therapy (School of Health Professions) approach in nursing. Blomquist helped Madison A. and Lila Self Hall and the ranked as the second-best program in establish life-saving Rapid Response Charles W. Oswald Hall, which will open the eld. teams to provide early intervention in August. In all, 38 KU graduate programs ranked for deteriorating patients. In 2014, 91 According to KU Student Housing, among the top 50 programs among public percent of Rapid Response patients newer furniture such as beds, desks and universities nationally. survived to be discharged, according to tables will be used in other campus halls, “Our graduate programs educate leaders the hospital. and other furniture will be distributed to who will go on to make contributions in universities in the region. An estimated 15 essentially all disciplines, in both the n The School of Business bestowed its tons of steel will be removed and recycled, private sector and academia, and those 2015 Distinguished Alumni Award on and asphalt, concrete and masonry from contributions directly bene t the people of Tim Barton, b’89, and Roshann Parris, the site will be reused. Kansas and our society,” Chancellor g’86, in April. Barton, a member of the Student housing plans to share the Bernadette Gray-Little said. “is breadth school’s advisory board, founded the gathered memories at a later date. and depth of excellence is just one example online freight brokerage Freightquote “I hear so many wonderful stories from of what a agship research university can in 1998 and grew the company to more McCollum alumni who have fond memo- bring to the state it serves.” than 1,000 employees before it was ries of living there,” says Diana Robertson, KU’s additional top-10 programs are acquired in 2015. Parris founded Parris director of KU Student Housing. “As new public management administration Communications in 1988; in addition buildings go up and we bring new genera- (ranked 3rd), public aairs (4th), clinical to serving as the strategic communications of Jayhawks to Daisy Hill, it’s child psychology (5th), speech-language- tion ﬁrm’s president and CEO, she has important to honor the stories and the KU hearing (6th), audiology (7th), physical held roles on the presidential campaign traditions of alumni who were residents of therapy (9th) and the School of Education stas of nine candidates. McCollum Hall in years gone by.” (9th).

ISSUE 3, 2015 | 17 Sports by Chris Lazzarino

KU’s rst 20-game winner since Kara Pierce, d’06, in 2001, with a 2.84 ERA and JEFF JACOBSEN ve shutouts. Aer struggling in KU’s rst conference series, taking a pair of losses against Texas, Pille rebounded with a pair of impressive starts for the 23rd-ranked Jayhawks at Oklahoma State, including a complete- game victory to set up the series sweep. On April 24 she earned the win in KU’s 4-2 upset of No. 5 Oklahoma. “When they’re deciding who gets into a regional, a lot of the committee’s decision is based on how strong you nish, more than how strong you start,” Pille says. “So that’s what we need to be focused on, so Pille they remember us as a strong team.” Pille has a capable fastball, but she and game changer for us, and has been. I told Smith agree that she also must rely on Ace, again her, ‘You need to nish with your best solid o -speed pitches. She generates good Senior Pille reclaims role season because you’ve done so much for movement on the ball, but says accurate our program.’” location of her pitches is even more as softball’s No. 1 pitcher In her third start of the season, in Boca important; with one of the Big 12’s elite Raton, Florida, Pille shut down the Nittany defenses backing her up, Pille knows she nless a conference title or NCAA Lions with a no-hitter, helping launch the doesn’t have to make hitters miss to be UTournament berth had been on the red-hot Jayhawks to a 29-2 nonconference successful. line, Alicia Pille’s second career no-hitter, record. “Pitching is easier when you’re relaxed,” Feb. 8 against Penn State, could hardly “I knew it was going to be di erent this she says. “When you’re trying to make have come at a more opportune time. She year with Kelsey leaving,” Pille says, “and I things happen, that’s when things don’t had blazed into her KU career three years never wanted my team to feel like our tend to go your way.” earlier with 17 wins and was named the pitching sta wasn’t going to hold their Academic All-Big 12 First Team as a team’s Pitcher of the Year. Pille led KU own weight. Our hitting this year has been junior, Pille will graduate with a degree in pitchers with 13 wins and 172 strikeouts as phenomenal and our defense has always exercise science as soon as she completes a a sophomore, but the following year lost been great, so I think we were feeding o 600-hour spring semester internship at the ace role to sophomore Kelsey Kessler. of each other’s energy. at’s why we OrthoKansas, a Lawrence orthopedics Still, Pille was 12-7, remained a main- clicked so well.” clinic. She hopes to gain acceptance next stay on a sta that was second in the Big As Kansas Alumni went to press, the year to the rigorous occupational therapy 12 with a 2.59 earned-run average, and Jayhawks headed into their nal home program at KU’s School of Health helped the Jayhawks to their rst NCAA series of the regular season, against No. 14 Professions. Regionals appearance since 2006. Baylor, with a record of 35-10. With six Pille has known since high school that But when Kessler transferred to Arizona Jayhawks hitting over .300, including she wanted to become a therapist, and says State aer the season, Pille was unexpect- senior inelder Chaley Brickey’s .421, the her interest in proactive “pre-hab,” rather edly back in position to reclaim the No. 1 overall team batting average was .326, than just rehab, helps her as both an job as a senior. e 5-foot-7 dynamo from second-best in the rugged Big 12. Senior athlete and therapist. Her goals were Royse City, Texas, was ready. utility player Maddie Stein on March 22 fortied the past two years while watching “I tell Alicia Pille all the time, the became the all-time RBI leader in KU her younger brother, Austin, rehabilitate minute she walked on campus is the soball history with 141, and heading into from injuries su ered in a car accident minute our program changed,” says the Baylor series she was at 149. that le him unable to walk. sixth-year coach Megan Smith. “She’s a Pille was 21-4 as of early May, becoming “When my brother had his accident,

18 | KANSAS ALUMNI that’s when it was con rmed for me,” she says. “at’s when I was sure that this was what I want to do.” “She comes in hard on hitters and she’s got a great Unable to work full time while also o-speed pitch. She just battles. She’s the type of serving as the No. 1 pitcher for a soball team with postseason dreams, Pille will player a coach loves to coach.” briey put her pursuit on hold while —softball coach Megan Smith, on pitcher Alicia Pille she completes her internship hours this {} summer. She’s hoping a deep NCAA Tournament run could delay it even further. “She’s got a lot of bounce. She has a lot of energy. She’s fun to watch,” Smith says. STEVE PUPPE (2) STEVE “She comes in hard on hitters and she’s got a great o-speed pitch. She just battles. She’s the type of player a coach loves to coach. She works hard, she’s a great kid, she does all the right things, and then she ghts for you when she’s out on the eld.”

Phase three

Special teams coach accepts Whether coaching kickers such as sophomore Beaty’s challenge Ryan Weese (47) or motivating the entire squad during warm-ups, special teams coach hen he took over the beleaguered Gary Hyman intends to instill eort, WKU football program, coach David enthusiasm and competitive drive. Beaty announced that fans would see uptempo oense and an attacking defense, but made no promises about how good special teams coach, who works with either of those phases might be anytime players from throughout the roster, who soon. Not so special teams. can oen be a good early judge of prog- “We’re going to create an advantage in ress. In Hyman’s view, this team’s develop- this area that our opponents simply may ment was evident at every spring practice. not have, by overemphasizing and “If you put on any lm from any drill at outworking people in this third [phase of any time from day one, and you look at the the game],” Beaty said in December. “We same drill on practice nine, the educated teams. With his blessing I have taken that are to going win that third [phase].” fan and the professional coach can see the and ran with it, and players have followed. Beaty hired Gary Hyman, who had dierence,” Hyman said April 15, 10 days I think that’s about working together. spent one season with Beaty at Texas A&M before the spring game. “We are constantly at’s going to be part of the magic.” as quality control coach for special teams, getting a little bit better each day, and e team’s progress suered a serious as special teams coordinator and tight that’s beginning to build up. Every day has blow when quarterback Michael Cum- ends coach. Like others on Beaty’s sta, been a little bit better, in some facet. What mings injured a knee in the April 25 including the boss, Hyman bounces more can you ask for?” spring game, requiring surgery. “It was around the practice eld with high energy, Nobody gets a pass when it comes to completely a freak accident,” Beaty said of and he expects the same from his players. participating on special teams, and Hyman the injury. “You’re going to see enthusiasm, you’re notes that he’s been given the authority to Heartening news, though, came in the going to see relentless eort, and you’re help Beaty make good on his initial pledge unexpected return of sixth-year senior going to see their willingness to compete,” of special teams success. Taylor Cox, who lost his senior season of Hyman says. “I have been given an opportunity by 2014 to an Achilles tendon injury early in When football teams rebuild, it’s the the head coach to put emphasis on special preseason practice aer sitting out nearly

ISSUE 3, 2015 | 19 Sports

all of 2013 with a hamstring injury. Cox, “Before I even STOREY DAN 2010 NCAA Division II who turns 25 in September, was granted stepped on the court, I championship. His father, clearance by the NCAA to return for a began to feel it. You Bob, coached West Texas nal season; in his only full year here, the know, the goosebumps, A&M from 1981 to 2006. powerful runner averaged more than 5 the hair on the back of “I am coach Brandon. I yards a carry in 2012. your neck [standing am not coach Schneider. “I feel really good,” Cox told the Kansas up],” he said April 21. at is coach Schneider,” he City Star. “e rehab process went really “at day, as I drove said, gesturing to his father. well. I feel strong. I feel almost back to full back to Emporia, any Schneider replaces strength.” career goals and Bonnie Henrickson, who aspirations that I had lost her job aer a second- were altered. From that Schneider straight losing season. point forward, honestly Henrickson’s 11 seasons Goosebumps for the last 20 years, there have been two included two trips to the NCAA Sweet 16. words that I’ve always wanted to say. I told In his 17 years, Schneider’s teams Women’s hoops coach foresaw myself I’m not going to say them, I’m averaged about 76 points a game, and he return to Allen Field House going to wait until one day I get to be part says he’ll keep the same uptempo oense of the KU family. Today, I could not be here. randon Schneider, the sixth head more honored, humbled, to nally get to “I had a lot of friends who called, texted, Bcoach of KU women’s basketball, was say, ‘Rock Chalk.’” ‘Are you going to apply for the KU job?’ a rst-year coach at Emporia State when Schneider was 95-66 in ve years at And I told them pretty bluntly, you don’t he drove to Lawrence to attend a men’s Stephen F. Austin University, with league apply for those jobs. I was fortunate that basketball practice. titles the past two seasons. At Emporia my name came up as a potential candidate, e visit changed his life. State, Schneider went 306-72 and won the and I feel very grateful.”

UPDATES Sophomore closer Stephen junior Sydney Conley won the tied for ﬁfth at the Big 12 Villines was named to the 100-meter dash in a career- championships in San Antonio national Midseason Stopper of best 11.54 seconds; senior and was selected for the May the Year Watch List. As the JEFF JACOBSEN Colleen O’Brien won the high 7-9 NCAA Regional, also in San Jayhawks prepared to host jump with a career-best height Antonio. Sophomore Pornvipa Baylor when Kansas Alumni of 1.85 meters; freshmen Jacob Sakdee placed fourth at the Big went to press, Villines had 11 Morgan and Sharon Lokedi 12. ... Men’s basketball, the USA saves and a 3.74 ERA; senior won their 5,000-meter races; National Team for the World outﬁelder Connor McKay was senior Jaimie House won the University Games July 3-14 in hitting .364 and sophomore women’s pole vault with a South Korea, will host Team catcher Michael Tinsley was career-best 4.20 meters; and Canada for exhibition games hitting .333. The Jayhawks on KU men won the 4x400-meter June 23 and 26 in Kansas City’s April 12 won a weekend series relay. ... Two-time All-American Sprint Center. ... Junior forward over No. 9 Oklahoma State with Jo Jo White, ’69, will be Perry Ellis was named Big 12 a 4-2 victory, and on April 21 Villines enshrined in the Naismith men’s basketball Scholar- completed a season sweep of best mark by a collegian in Memorial Basketball Hall of Athlete of the Year. ... Freshman Wichita State with an 11-6 win nearly four years. Stigler Fame in September. ... Forward Smith Hinton on April 7 was over the Shockers. ... defended his Kansas Relays title Chelsea Gardner, who named Co-Women’s Tennis Senior hurdler Michael April 17 with a time of 50.07. averaged 16.8 points and 8.6 Player of the Week. Senior Stigler was named national Also at the rain-shortened rebounds, was named All-Big 12 Maria Belen Luduena won the Track Athlete of the Week relays, 2013 NCAA champion First Team and was selected award March 24. ... Rowing won March 31 after winning the Lindsay Vollmer, a senior, by the Indiana Fever in the the Kansas Cup with a 14-9 Texas Relays’ 400-meter broke the meet record in the April 6 WNBA draft. ... Junior victory over Kansas State May hurdles in 48.44 seconds, the heptathlon with 5,767 points; golfer Yupaporn Kawinpakorn 2 at Wyandotte County Lake.

20 | KANSAS ALUMNI Sports Photographs by Steve Puppe and Jeff Jacobsen

Lindsay Vollmer (above), Michael Stigler (left) and Sydney Conley (top right) were among KU’s winners at the Kansas Relays at Rock Chalk Park. The downtown shot put, organized by the Lawrence Sports Corporation and Explore Lawrence, again drew an enthusiastic crowd to cheer on world-class athletes, including winner Christian Cantwell (right, with fan). Cantwell, a Mizzou grad and Olympic silver medalist, hopes next year to organize a similar event in Columbia to build on momentum generated by Lawrence’s popular competition.

ISSUE 3, 2015 | 21 Ode toJ

22 | KANSAS ALUMNI Beloved, busy Swarthout Recital Hall ﬁnds new voice after dazzling renovation

By Chris Lazzarino

he beauty of remodeled Swarthout Recital Hall is immediately apparent, from the glimmering entrance o the MurphyT Hall lobby to a heavenly new concert space of polished and radiant woodwork reaching oor to ceiling. Luxurious theatre chairs. Perfect lighting, directing attention toward a Ode to shimmering stage. What once was tired is vibrant again. But a music hall is more than visual delights, and the reborn 58-year-old space—the most-used concert performance venue in Kansas, hosting more than oy a million visitors for an estimated 300 concerts a year since its 1957 debut— seems proud to brag on itself the moment the rst note is struck. On this early April aernoon, the debut performance by pianist Richard Goode is still two days away. e place is so new that even associate professor of piano Steven Spooner, who selected Swarthout’s new Steinway concert grand piano from the factory showroom in Hamburg, Germany, has yet to test the magnicent ebony instrument in its new home.

J Portrait by Brian Goodman

ISSUE 3, 2015 | 23 get richer, with a nice patina. And the way it is now, it’s perfect.” Couch’s father, John, b’50, came to KU GEORGE MULLINIX GEORGE from Anthony, south of Wichita. Aer graduating he ventured to the Pacic Northwest to visit a relative who was in the lumber business in Longview, Wash- ington. Upon John Couch’s arrival, his hosts blindfolded him and led the young Kansan to the beach. ere they removed the blindfold and, in an instant, he had his rst view of the ocean. John Couch had found his new home. He enrolled in a school for wood products and in 1962 founded Oregon Lumber Co., in Lake Oswego, to supply furniture parts for assembly elsewhere. “When you have a piano of this caliber, you have the potential for world-class performers wanting Although he grew up in Portland, Charles Couch inherited his father’s love to come to play it,” Steven Spooner says of Swarthout’s Steinway. “And prospective students who for KU, and arrived here in the late 1970s sit down at this gorgeous piano for their audition are certainly going to be aected by the to study music. Specically, classical experience of playing on such an instrument.” guitar—a program KU has never oered. So Couch was teamed with cello professor Robert Walzel, dean of the School of a bright young student lling its air with a Edward Laut, and together they learned Music, arrives with keys to unlock the hall medley of romantic classics by Chopin, from each other, studying and playing and lead a tour for special visitors. e Brahms, Mendelssohn, Schubert. Bach cello suites and Camille Saint-Saens’ Couch family of Portland, Oregon, has When she ends her mini-recital and cello classic “ e Swan.” come straight from the Kansas City airport steps away from the Steinway, Emily “ e lessons were more like conversa- to Murphy Hall, too eager to wait for even Couch takes a seat and ponders the stage, tions,” recalls Laut, who in August will a day longer than absolutely necessary. as well as her family’s role in helping retire aer 38 years on the KU faculty. “It looks fantastic!” Charles Couch, c’81, Swarthout shine anew. “And that’s really as it should be. We were exclaims as he steps inside, but he isn’t “ e connection between music and able to talk things over, work things out looking up and about, as many will. education, that’s always been a value in our and explore sounds.” Instead he takes notice of the oor—the family,” she says, speaking soly, respect- Couch was allowed to nish his music oor he donated, madrone hardwood ing the formality of a room built for studies with a professor of guitar at the expertly selected and milled by the beautiful music, not chitchat. “To have it University of North Carolina, then came crasmen at Couch’s Oregon Lumber Co. all come together like this, and for my back to KU to walk down the Hill. He then “I told the architects that I want it to father to be able to contribute to a place returned to Oregon to join his father’s take your breath away,” Walzel says, “and it that he really enjoyed when he was my age, business. Under his leadership, Charles does. It really does.” has been a very unique and wonderful Couch moved Oregon Lumber Co. away And then comes the music. experience for him.” from furniture parts and toward high- Couch’s daughter, Emily, a senior at quality, specialized ooring. Portland’s Jesuit High School and a hanks to Charles Couch’s generosity, Beyond music venues, the rm’s many prospective KU student, accompanied her Texpertise and enthusiasm, the new notable projects include the Getty parents to Lawrence to tour the University. Swarthout nds itself in elite company. Museum, the Bill and Melinda Gates She plans to study chemistry as a pre-med Oregon Lumber Co. supplied the hard- Foundation, the National Baseball Hall of major, either on Mount Oread or at wood ooring for Carnegie Hall, Disney Fame and Museum, San Francisco’s Jewish Fordham University, but she also is a Concert Hall, Wolf Trap National Park for Contemporary Museum and the famed devoted piano student and plays at home the Performing Arts, Tanglewood Music revolving dance oor in Rockefeller on her family’s own Steinway. While others Center’s Ozawa Hall and Alice Tully Hall Center’s Rainbow Room. in the group admire the hall’s physical at Lincoln Center, which is decked out in Couch takes pride in creating gorgeous features, Emily is invited to sit at the piano. the same madrone as Swarthout. new wood products that customers She accepts, and soon the intimate room “ at oor is going to get more beauti- demand and competitors can’t match. animates with the purpose of its existence: ful with time,” Couch says. “It’s going to Madrone, for instance, is a curvy, deter-

24 | KANSAS ALUMNI GEORGE MULLINIX GEORGE

mined tree that grows in the shadows of reinventing his family’s lumber business. warthout Hall opened, along with Oregon’s towering Douglas rs. Madrone “A l l those processes you learn in music SMurphy Hall itself, in 1957, and it are cut away for access to the desirable are the same processes you have in charmed audiences and artists alike. giants, and for generations were sold o as business,” Couch says. “Self-discovery. “I think I was one of the very rst on rewood. Couch saw potential for more. Discipline. Finding the unexpected.” that stage, as a freshman, and it was “If you look at the grain, it’s really Which is why the Couches started Emily fabulous,” recalls mezzo-soprano Joyce beautiful,” he says. “I think it’s prettier on Suzuki violin lessons when she was 4, Castle, f’61, University distinguished than maple, and it has all the hardness of then began piano lessons when her hands professor of voice. “Swarthout Recital Hall maple, so for a musical stage environment reached the required size and dexterity. In was a very, very good hall from the very it will hold up. And it’s unique.” the Couch home, music is revered as more rst. e acoustics were excellent.” His decision to provide the ooring for than lovely entertainment. Over the years, it hosted such titans of Swarthout Recital Hall represents more “It builds self-esteem. It teaches you how American and international music as than a graduate’s warm feelings for his to concentrate, to think, to be creative. It Aaron Copland, Leonard Bernstein, Percy alma mater. In Couch’s estimation, the gives you a lot of the fundamental life Grainger and Leon Fleisher. (Fleisher, a music education he received at KU led lessons that you can carry on to anything former pianist in residence at KU, was directly to the success he found in that you want to do with your life.” scheduled to play the renovated hall’s

ISSUE 3, 2015 | 25 debut concert, March 30, but canceled for “I entered this hall and I thought, you’ve from the back of the hall created a “ utter health reasons and was replaced by the got to be kidding m e ,” he recalls. “What is e c h o,” in which the hall’s anking walls Beethoven specialist Richard Goode.) this place? What is going on here?” essentially talked to each other rather than “It’s a combination of large enough and “It was getting very drab,” Castle says. “It scattering sound throughout the room. yet intimate,” Laut says. “You have the had been needing a faceli for a very, very And the seats’ dreadful upholstery failed feeling that the performer is playing just long t i m e .” its task of absorbing sound at roughly the for y ou .” Fundraising began shortly aer Walzel same rate as human bodies, meaning the But heavy usage took its inevitable toll. assumed the deanship in 2010, and in hall sounded dierent when musicians e hall’s Steinway piano, “a really old December 2013 KU Endowment practiced in an empty room and per- instrument that had seen its glory days 30 announced a $1 million gi from the formed for a full house. years b e fore ,” was, in Steven Spooner’s Muriel McBrien Kauman Foundation. Among the xes, walls were tilted 3 expert estimation, simply exhausted: “It e School of Music on May 15, 2014, degrees vertically and 4 degrees horizon- was just getting played on so much that hosted a “decommissioning” concert, and tally, and lined with thick, secure panels there was no way it could possibly be shortly aer Commencement construction topped by wood veneer. Gone are the good, even with a lot of attention.” crews scraped the hall bare. e $2.5 aisles that split the room into thirds, e worn, faded-blue velveteen-ish million renovation was underway. resulting in side seating that was too close chairs—all original equipment from KU’s Oce of Design and Construction to walls to oer those audience members 1957—squeaked, and those were the good Management and architects Dan Sabatini, any sensation of being surrounded by ones; others were breaking down or a’86, and Katie Nichols, a’03, of the re ected sound. Aisles now ank both unusable. Vinyl ooring was chipped. Lawrence rm Sabatini Architects, sides of the room, with seats centered from Dean Walzel last year described the hall’s brought in architectural acoustics expert the stage to the rear exits. lighting as “pretty archaic.” With just two Robert Coeen, an adjunct associate Backstage, a new dressing room is small bathrooms, there were no amenities professor and lecturer in the School of properly outtted with a makeup table and for artists backstage, an area that had Architecture, Design & Planning who has lighted mirror, and a video screen lets simply become worn and depressing. studied Swarthout’s acoustics with his artists and production managers view “You had to sort of bring yourself up to students for more than 20 years, and what is happening on stage. go out on stage,” Castle says, “because the together they shaped a new space. Upgrades went all the way to the backstage area was so s h a b by.” Ambient noise from three air handlers exterior roof, which received specialized Spooner recalls that when he made his in a mechanical room confoundingly materials to dampen rain noise. rst visit to KU to interview for a faculty situated directly behind the second- oor Although he was condent the new position, in 2007, he was eager to visit a control room had to be reduced. Swarthout’s acoustics would be as warm piano education enclave that had long ree-quarter-inch wood veneer wall and rich as its visual palette, Coeen had been widely admired; he rightly expected panels were never properly secured and to wait until the rst performance to be to nd here facilities worthy of the piano braced, and their minute vibrations certain. When Richard Goode played four department’s reputation, but instead was absorbed low frequencies. (“It was never a Beethoven sonatas on the new Steinway, dumbstruck at what one of his students very warm sound because of t h at ,” Coeen Coeen was convinced. later described as “a concert hall in a explains.) Side walls that ran parallel to “He had a great dynamic range in his doomsday bunker.” each other about a third of the way down music, from so to quite loud, and I

Floors and more regon Lumber’s clients Oinclude Alice Tully Hall (madrone, like Swarthout, but

treated to evoke orangish (3) LUMBER OREGON COURTESY European pear wood), the Bronx Documentary Center (Douglas ﬁr), and Seattle’s Gates Foundation (custom engineered end-grain alder on ﬂoors, stairs, walls and ceilings). Alice Tully Hall Bronx Documentary Center Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

26 | KANSAS ALUMNI thought it was g re at ,” Coeen says. “I’m very happy with what happened here, as I thought I would be .” BRIAN GOODMAN For Castle, the rst hints of the hall’s technical artistry came when she stepped onto the stage before the April 1 “Celebration of KU Music Alumni”—an alumni performance reunion Castle organized as one of eight events celebrating Swarthout’s renewal—and tested the room by singing just a few short notes. She recalls quickly telling herself, “Oh, this is going to be fun.” “You either know it’s a good hall or you know you’re going to have to w or k ,” Castle explains. “You don’t have to work in this hall. It enhances the music. It enhances the Charles Couch, with his wife, Rie, and daughter, Emily. He downplays his contributions to artistry. e students will be inspired.” Swarthout’s revival, but is glad for the opportunity to help young musicians hone their talents in an e ultimate proof, though, came at the inspirational space. “My dollar amount is relatively small,” he says, “but I hope the vision is big, in event’s conclusion, when Swarthout was terms of the opportunities this hall represents.” tested by the alumnae sopranos. “I wondered if the hall was going to take those last high, high C’s that so many of Spooner suggested to Dean Walzel, who guitar from the same madrone hardwood the gals took on the nale of ‘Candide,’” accompanied him to Germany, that they that graces Swarthout’s oor and stage. Castle says, “and wow was that loud! And purchase both; with a price tag for “I have yet to become a classical guitar really exciting! e hall handled it beauti- Hamburg Steinways in the neighborhood p l ay e r,” Couch says. He smiles and adds, fully. It was mountaintop. It could not have of $150,000, that was not possible, but “Hope springs eternal.” gone better. I was thrilled.” fundraising is continuing for the purchase As it will for generations of KU music of a more aordable New York Steinway to students, world-class musicians and teven Spooner, one of the few pianists join the Hamburg model in Swarthout. Kansas music lovers who will discover in Ssponsored as an ocial Steinway artist, When KU is able to oer visiting artists the renovated Swarthout the music hall of suggested that the School of Music shop a choice between New York and Hamburg their dreams. for its new Swarthout piano at Steinway & Steinways, perhaps within a year, “When you have a space like that, it Sons’ Hamburg factory, rather than New Swarthout will “enter a category of venue empowers y ou ,” Couch says. “It shows York. Although the company insists the that’s pretty raried.” But even before a what’s possible, on so many dierent manufacturing process is identical at both new American Steinway joins the inven- levels. It’s inspiration.” factories, Spooner says the handmade tory, the new Swarthout is already a gem. Says Walzel, “is place is about music, instruments are nished dierently. “It’s a marriage between the hall and the and to have a place where music can really Because European concert spaces tend piano, and this is one of the better halls for be made and learned and experienced and to be smaller than American “megahalls,” a piano recital that I’ve ever h e ard ,” enjoyed at its full potential is something Steinway’s Hamburg pianos “are a little less Spooner says. “e dierence in the hall the University of Kansas deserves. And bright, or brilliant,” which makes a with this new piano is that the sound will now we have a facility that will rival any in Hamburg a good t for the 273-seat surround a listener, and then every nuance the country. For our students and our Swarthout: “We didn’t need a huge, loud of a master pianist will be audible.” faculty and our audiences, it’s going to be a piano, like we need at the Lied Center.” Swarthout, of course, is not limited to very, very special place.” Spooner says that the seven pianos piano recitals. It hosts senior recitals for It already is. Simply sit and listen. Let oered by Steinway in the Hamburg KU music majors in every instrument Swarthout sing just for you. showroom represented the best pianos h e’d specialization, and even the occasional ever seen at a selection. He can normally guitarist. It might be 30-plus years late, but play a few chords and know within 30 Charles Couch hopes to nd the practice More online seconds whether he has any interest in a time to condently return for a guitar- Concert footage and interviews by particular piano; this time, the process was cello recital with his mentor, Ed Laut. videographer Dan Storey can be viewed arduous, and came down to a dicult Couch is even considering Laut’s at www.kualumni.org. choice between two beautiful nalists. suggestion that he hire a luthier to build a

ISSUE 3, 2015 | 27 SPENCER RESEARCH LIBRARY SPENCER RESEARCH “That’s How You Do It” MILTON KATZ MILTON

aismith Hall of Fame McLendon was also out in front McLendon’s North Carolina common love of the game. Ncoach John McLendon, on matters of race, as Scott College for Negroes team and a Lost to history until now, this d’36, learned basketball from Ellsworth demonstrates in his powerhouse, all-white military secret contest also showed just the man who invented the new book, The Secret Game. squad of medical students from how eective were the game, then transformed it with Ellworth’s exhaustive Duke University. Kept quiet in innovative methods employed his emphasis on the fast break, research (compiled with help deference to the tense racial by McLendon, a young coach pressure defense and physical from KU archivists, historians climate of the day, the game already well accustomed to conditioning. The ﬁrst coach to and former basketball players) demonstrated that white pushing boundaries on the win three consecutive national brings to light a remarkable players and black players could court and—as this excerpt titles and the ﬁrst African- story: a 1944 game played in an compete on the same court, detailing the Kansas native’s American to coach a empty, locked gym in Durham, not separated by the color of formative years at KU makes professional basketball team, North Carolina, between their skin but united by their clear—o the court as well.

—The editors

28 | KANSAS ALUMNI by Scott Ellsworth ““That’sThat’s HowHow YouYou DoDo ItIt””

John McLendon, James Naismith, Phog Allen and the birth of modern basketball

During World War II and in ohn McLendon wasn’t the state, the abolitionist ame had ickered rst colored student at the and all but gone out. In 1882, three Negro the decades leading up to it, African University of Kansas. men accused of murder were taken away Americans called themselves colored Not by a long shot. from authorities by an angry white mob A Negro woman had been and led to a nearby bridge, where they or Negro. And while these obsolete admitted in 1870, only four were lynched. “Pete Vinegar, George years aer the school opened. e rst Robertson and Isaac King were each terms may seem insulting today, they Jcolored graduate came 15 years later, and swung over the bridge and their bodies le were the accepted terms during the era the Jayhawks baseball and football teams dangling over the muddy Kaw,” the featured Negro players on their rosters Lawrence Daily Journal reported, adding, in which the book’s story takes place. throughout the 1880s and 1890s. By World “Prayers were short.” Colored citizens, War I, there had been scores of colored who made up nearly a quarter of the Rather than force today’s terminology KU graduates, while in the late 1920s, the town’s population by the turn of the into a book that is set largely during the number of colored students on campus in century, were still barred from downtown any given year was more than one hun- restaurants, shops, and theaters. Many also 1940s, and to better capture and stay dred. When McLendon showed up in felt that aer three o’clock in the aernoon, Lawrence in the late summer of 1933, it was unwise to be out on the streets of true to the voices of the period, I have Negroes had been attending KU for more town. “Lawrence was a nasty old h o l e ,” utilized the language of the day. than half a century. recalled Arthur Lloyd Johnson, who grew But they also lived a most precarious up in the town’s small colored community. —S.E. existence. For in Lawrence, despite Dark clouds had appeared over KU Kansas’s storied past as a so-called free as well.

ISSUE 3, 2015 | 29 August sun, and inside the classroom t was basketball, of course, that had buildings, where the air felt like it was Ibrought John McLendon to Lawrence, coming from a blast furnace. Anyone and he wasted no time trying to get In 1902, a group of white students stole watching him closely that day would have involved. In those days, players on the KU a Negro cadaver from the medical school noticed that his jacket hung a little lower basketball teams were usually from and hung it, in plain sight, on campus. on the le side. For in the inside pocket— Kansas. Some were farm boys who had Within a decade, colored athletes disap- grip up, loaded, but with the safety on— spent long hours shooting at an iron hoop peared from Jayhawks teams, while some rested a small revolver. You just never nailed to the side of a barn, and some were professors began insisting that all Negro knew, the father reasoned; you just never from country towns like St. Marys or students enrolled in their courses sit at the knew for sure. Osage City. Others, from Topeka and back of the classroom. Segregation was His son, however, soon had a pretty Wichita, had played their high school ball part and parcel of campus life. Negro good idea. in brick gymnasiums and had traveled to students were banned from living in the On the very rst day of school, John away games on team buses. And being a dormitories and had to rent rooms from McLendon walked up the steps of the native Missourian, Phog Allen had no colored families or live in makeshi hulking, neoclassical administration problems with crossing the state line in fraternity houses in North Lawrence or building, located his classroom, found an search of talent. “To hell with Kansas,” East Lawrence. When the Memorial Union empty desk near the back, and sat down. grumbled the University of Missouri fans, opened a new cafeteria in the 1920s, e class was an introduction to econom- but it didn’t matter. Phog snagged his fair colored students had to sit in a designated ics. Once the professor arrived, he kicked share of Kansas City boys as well. section, even though whites could eat o the semester in his usual fashion. First e Jayhawks were also white. ere had anywhere. A similar mind-set limited the he introduced himself and talked a little never been a Negro basketball player at classes Negro students were allowed to about the class, which was, as a result of KU. None had played for James Naismith take. “ e administration would keep the ongoing economic crisis, more early on, nor had any been on the roster blacks out of engineering and blacks out of relevant than ever. He called roll aer that during the years when the Jayhawks medicine,” one former KU student and greeted the students, many by name. played in the Missouri Valley Conference. recalled. “[ ey] frowned on law. Music en he told a nigger joke. When the Big Six Conference was formed department was wide open. But that was “I just walked right on out,” McLendon in 1928, there weren’t any regulations it. See, it was a double, crooked deal.” later recalled. “ e way the classroom was barring colored athletes. Instead there was Conditions only worsened in the 1930s, set up, I had to walk behind the instruc- an unwritten agreement by which all the as the Great Depression took its toll and tor,” he said. “He just looked at me, and he member universities, including Kansas, fewer and fewer colored families could looked puzzled. But I didn’t say anything. I agreed not to allow Negro athletes on their entertain dreams of a college education for just kept on going.” teams. Basketball, like all the other varsity their children. Not only did the number of Welcome to KU, McLendon thought to sports at KU during the 1930s, was for Negro undergraduates at KU begin to himself. whites only. decline, the students themselves had also become less visible. Colored students were barred from attending on-campus dances and could no longer take part in intramu- ral athletics. Unease and uncertainty hovered over the day-to-day lives of colored students. e old Lawrence and LIBRARY SPENCER RESEARCH the old KU were gone, and what would replace them, in the year 1933, was far from clear. And John McLendon was about to nd out. His father, however, wasn’t taking any chances. For even though it was boiling hot on that late-summer day when he took his son to school, the railroad man didn’t slip o his jacket, loosen his tie, and roll up his sleeves, though other men did. Instead he kept his wool jacket on all day long, both outside, in the blazing late- Phog Allen

30 | KANSAS ALUMNI “Sitting quietly in the stands while

the sounds of balls bouncing and KATZ MILTON sneakers squeaking echoed o the walls of the Robinson gym, John McLendon studied everything that Allen was doing. It was there that he followed the plays painted on the court and unlocked the secrets of the zone defense, and it was there that he learned the little tricks and unusual drills that the KU coach had been perfecting for more than a quarter of a century. “

But at the open tryouts for the Jayhawks varsity team, held in Robinson Gymna- sium each fall, McLendon arrived, dressed and ready to play, and took a seat in the bleachers with all the other hopefuls. “I was sitting there with the other guys,” McLendon recalled, “and Phog Allen is John McLendon (page 28) in 1936, his senior year at KU, and (above) and 1941. calling some of the guys out to do some of the drills that he’s doing. But he never did call me. And so I said to myself, ‘Well, this anything about him negative. When they and the principles of physical education, is a hopeless situation.’ And then I went started integrating, he was ready to coach he also taught him something about around to the other students, and they blacks. I wouldn’t scratch him up as a coaching. said, ‘ey don’t allow you to play on racist.” Like a number of his classmates, anything.’ ” “He was a just a prisoner of the system,” McLendon used to go down and watch the McLendon was beginning to get the McLendon re ected decades later. “If he Jayhawks practice at Robinson Gymna- picture. Or at least some of it. For even tried to change it, he’d’ve lost his job, as sium. Sometimes he would sit high up, though Allen honored the gentleman’s great a coach as he was.” In order to build where the indoor track was, and get a view agreement and kept the Jayhawks lily- his basketball dynasty in Lawrence and of the oor. But other times he would sit white, his personal life revealed a dierent create the rst modern version of college on the bench, where from time to time one side. For years, Phog’s next-door neigh- basketball, Allen also went along with of the students would be called out onto bors on Louisiana Street in Lawrence were what the university administration—and, the oor to help run a play. “e rst time a colored family named Holland, whose by extension, the all-white state legisla- I went,” McLendon recalled, “I went ready patriarch, born a slave in Tennessee, had ture—wanted, especially when it came to to practice, just to see if he would let me served in the Civil War as a private in the matters of race. “I always say that he was a come out on the court. He never even Fortieth Regiment of the United States victim, because the rst chance he got he looked my way. But then it wasn’t embar- Colored Troops. Not only did the Allens showed where his heart was,” McLendon rassing. I was just trying him out.” and Hollands get along, Phog also spent said. For his part, McLendon—who was Sitting quietly in the stands while the time in the homes of other Negro families the rst colored physical education major sounds of balls bouncing and sneakers in Lawrence as well. “I’d say six to 10 times at KU—didn’t hold a grudge. “He was my squeaking echoed o the walls of the Phog Allen was in my living room,” teacher,” he said, “and we got along well.” Robinson gym, John McLendon studied recalled Arthur Lloyd Johnson, whose Not only did Allen teach him physical everything that Allen was doing. It was family ran a market garden. “I don’t know therapy, rst aid, athletic administration, there that he followed the plays painted on

ISSUE 3, 2015 | 31 were these groups an oasis away from the town bankers’ daughters, with their hair daily sting of segregation, they were also up and Mama’s good earrings on, won- the source of scuttlebutt on what classes to dered whether the young man they were take, which teachers to avoid, and what, in dancing with was “the one.” Because fact, a Negro student could and could not Kansas City, one of the true capitals of the do at the University of Kansas. jazz world, was located only 40 miles away, But not for John McLendon. ough he the dance bands were always top-notch. lived at the Kappa house, he refused to For three and a half hours each year, KU join. Part of it had to do with the hazing students could forget what it had taken to and initiation rituals. “My roommate,” get them there, forget the Depression, and McLendon recalled, “had his kidney forget the jobs that weren’t waiting for ruptured because of the beating they gave them when they graduated. But not the him. He was a little guy, about one colored students. In order to avoid the The Secret Game hundred and ve pounds. ey ran all the possibility of “physical contact” between A Wartime Story of Courage, Change, and way across the room and hit him with a the races, especially between colored men Basketball’s Lost Triumph paddle with holes in it.” When the Kappas and white women, Negroes had been By Scott Ellsworth approached McLendon about joining, he barred from the dance—even though they, had an alternative proposal. “I said, ‘I’ll too, had paid their student activity fees. $27, Little, Brown join if you let me hit you every time you “Most of our colored students under- hit me.’ But I never had anyone take me up stand,” the university chancellor had on that.” ere was another reason as well. declared. the court and unlocked the secrets of the “If you were a Kappa, you weren’t sup- McLendon had other ideas. A er he zone defense, and it was there that he posed to date Deltas. And if you were an learned one year that Andy Kirk and His learned the little tricks and unusual drills Alpha, you weren’t supposed to date Clouds of Joy—a nationally known Negro that the KU coach had been perfecting for AKAs. And I told them it was stupid,” he band that operated out of the Pla-Mor more than a quarter of a century. “He had said. “I mean, there’s just a few of us here, Ballroom in Kansas City—would play at his players shoot free throws with blind- and you’ve got all these stupid things. Why the spring dance, he decided to go, too. folds,” McLendon remembered. It was an should we divide ourselves any further?” But none of the other colored students exercise in muscle memory—and it McLendon’s troubles with status quo did would hear of it. worked. “In a free throw, the body has to not begin and end in KU’s tiny colored “You can’t go,” they said. remember without your mind being a community. Elected as the rst-ever Negro “We’re paying a fee, aren’t we?” McLen- concern. If you aim that ball, you miss. If member of the student council, he soon don said. you get worried about missing it, you will.” found himself wrestling with phantoms. “Yes.” In the Robinson gym, what McLendon did “ey had some little rules that weren’t “Well,” McLendon said, “I’m going.” get was an unocial advanced degree in written, you know. ese were the hardest McLendon then called on his girlfriend, coaching basketball. to get rid of.” For example, whites and Alice Hultz, a local high school student, Negroes weren’t supposed to play snooker and asked her if she wanted to go. together in the student union, so one “Can we get in?” she asked. y the early 1930s, the number of evening McLendon and one of his “We’ll have to see. Put on your stu and Bcolored students at KU had been cut roommates ended that prohibition. let’s go.” in half. Negroes couldn’t get served at some of the McLendon was playing a dangerous Negro wage earners—“last hired, rst soda fountains downtown, either, but game. Even in Kansas—crazy Kansas, red,” the saying went—had been hit hard xing that took longer. “I’d order some- where a colored person never knew for by the Depression, and many could no thing, and then they’d wait on everybody sure what he or she could or could not longer entertain dreams of college else.” Finally one day McLendon noticed do—he had already been skating along the educations for their children. In Lawrence, that a white classmate he knew was edge. In truth, in spite of all his bravado, as most of the sixty or so colored undergrad- working behind the counter. “I said, ‘Man, he and Alice walked up the Hill that early uates made ends meet with part-time jobs, give me a milk shake. What’s wrong spring evening with the sounds of “Bearcat such as washing dishes at the white with you?’ ” Shue” and “Moten Swing” dri ing out fraternity houses and working on the And then there was the spring dance. into the night air, he hadn’t a clue as to serving line or in the cafeteria kitchen in e biggest social event of the year, it was what lay ahead. the Union. Forced to live o campus, they a dreamscape of oor-length ball gowns It turned out to be a white student were held together partly by KU’s four and corsages where farm boys in rented standing at the door. Negro sororities and fraternities. Not only tuxedos danced the box step and small- “You going to the dance?” he asked.

32 | KANSAS ALUMNI “at’s what we came for,” McLendon the Robinson gym. Naismith had asked new advisee to be a delight. It wasn’t long replied. the new freshman why he had come to before McLendon started haunting the “O k ay.” KU, and McLendon had explained that his oce below the stairs. And that was that. “We walked on in folks didn’t have enough money to send On the surface they were an odd pair. and started dancing,” McLendon remem- him to Spring eld College and that when Divided by age, race, nationality, and even bered. “And they [the white students] were his dad discovered Naismith was in size, there was much that could have kept always worried whether I was going to Lawrence, the decision took care of itself. John McLendon and James Naismith dance with one of them. But we didn’t “So your dad told you to come here and apart. But there were other things that, want to dance with anyone except each nd me?” Naismith asked. revealed over time, helped draw them ot h e r.” “Ye a h .” together. Both had lost their mothers at a He added, “We had a good time.” A slight smile appeared beneath the old young age. Both had spent some of their man’s salt-and-pepper mustache. earliest years on a farm. And both, for “Fathers are always right,” he said. dierent reasons and in dierent ways, ot everything would run so But the real beginning of their relation- were outsiders. Nsmoothly, but one place where it did ship came on the rst day of school, when McLendon soon learned that as an was in Naismith’s orbit. McLendon had McLendon reported what had happened instructor Naismith had his own distinc- met the old man on his very rst day in in his economics class. “You did right to tive style. “He taught gymnastics with Lawrence when he rapped on the door to leave the class,” Naismith said. Aer that, folded arms,” McLendon recalled. “He’d Naismith’s oce—a windowless, cramped John McLendon simply couldn’t get tell you exactly what you were supposed to cubbyhole packed with papers and books enough of James Naismith. And the do, and he’d stand there with his arms and located below one of the stairways in elderly professor, for his part, found his folded. And then you’d get up there and kill yourself.” When the old man learned that McLendon could box, he had him lace up his gloves with a white student who had a reputation as a bully. “I caught the fellow ush in the face with my second punch, and he was counted out in a sitting

SPENCER RESEARCH LIBRARY (2) LIBRARY SPENCER RESEARCH position,” McLendon recalled. Another time Naismith asked McLendon if he wanted to learn how to fence, then whacked him on the head with a fencing foil. “Talk about ‘Old Naismith was so quiet,’ ” McLendon later recalled. “I know better than that.” So that they could master human anatomy, he had each of his students purchase his or her own cadaver. Soon there was another issue that would draw the student and the teacher even closer together. But unlike the situation in the economics class, it was not an issue from which, in the end, either of them could simply walk away.

In James Naismith, McLendon found a staunch ally in the personal and professional battles he would ﬁght at KU. The battleﬁeld was often Robinson Gymnasium, where McLendon was rebued in his attempts to join the basketball team but successful in his determination to integrate the University’s swimming pool.

ISSUE 3, 2015 | 33 n 1924 a new requirement had suddenly appeared in the university I KATZ MILTON catalog. All graduating students, it declared, had to know how to swim. While many students welcomed the opportunity to learn, others, out of fear or anxiety or simply stubbornness, tried to worm their way out of the requirement. “Some students, I fear, received their degrees in this period under false pretenses. Many and varied were the schemes to ‘get by’ the swimming examiner,” a retired KU chemistry professor later recalled. Colored students, however, didn’t need schemes to get out of the swimming test. “Although the university was integrated, the pool at Robinson Gymnasium was not,” Milton Katz, the biographer of John While still a student at KU, McLendon (back row, left) coached Lawrence Memorial High School’s McLendon, has written. Negro students, all-black basketball team to a state championship. including those who were about to graduate, simply had the swimming requirement waived and were given an would remain all white. e chancellor “If you plan to graduate,” Allen told automatic A in swimming—even if they agreed, and the test was on. But Naismith McLendon sternly, “you can’t do this.” couldn’t do the dog paddle or hadn’t ever was worried. “You can go cross the street right now seen a pool. Among white students, “What are you going to do?” he asked and ask Dr. Lindley about this.” however, the clamor over the hated McLendon. “Oh, never mind,” Allen said. “ at’s not requirement grew so loud that, in 1933, “I’ll think of something.” the way I meant it.” the university administration dropped at night McLendon sent the word out And with that, it was all over. McLen- it—except, that is, for physical education that all the Negro students at KU were to don had won. e pool was open to all. majors, all of whom were white. McLen- meet him at the Ninth Street Baptist don’s arrival changed that. Church. “I told them not to go to the At rst the plan had been to waive his pool,” he remembered. “If they weren’t he bond between John McLendon swimming requirement altogether. But there, there couldn’t be an incident.” It Tand James Naismith, meanwhile, McLendon had other ideas. One aernoon worked. e colored students stayed away, grew stronger. he simply showed up at the pool, located and nothing happened, while in the e old man had helped McLendon nd in the basement of Robinson Gymnasium, meantime a sympathetic white KU ways to fulll his practice-teaching and jumped in. Aerward, the manager football player delivered a petition to requirements, rst at Lincoln School, a drained the pool. When McLendon chancellor Ernest Lindley, signed by a Negro elementary school across the river, showed up the next day, the manager thousand students, requesting that the and then at Lawrence High School, where drained it again—and then called in help color line be erased at the pool. Lindley McLendon coached the colored varsity from the administration. While the other capitulated, and two weeks later, according basketball team (the school had an PE students could swim whenever they to the agreed-upon conditions, swimming all-white team, too) all the way to a state pleased, McLendon was informed that he at KU should have been open to all championship. But Naismith also had his could only swim on Friday aernoons. students. protégé help him teach gymnastics to a And so, once a week, he swam alone. Only the pool manager wasn’t nished, mixed group of white and colored students Aerward the manager drained the pool. either. Instead he put up signs announcing at one of the junior high schools. e e compromise, it appeared, would work. that colored students would have their white students, McLendon recalled, didn’t Only the incident wasn’t over. McLen- own “privileged swim” on ursday care who was teaching. “ ey just wanted don and some supportive white students aernoons at three o’clock. “So,” McLen- to learn something.” arranged a meeting with the university don said, “I took them all down.” But the But the heart of their relationship was chancellor and proposed a test run. For manager still wouldn’t give in. at time always basketball. While the rest of the two weeks, they proposed, let the pool be he went directly to Phog Allen, who world no longer really cared what James open to all students, regardless of race. But immediately called McLendon in for a Naismith had to say about the game he if there were any racial incidents, the pool meeting. invented, McLendon did—and their

34 | KANSAS ALUMNI discussions were long and numerous. Championship pedigree Naismith, for example, hated the zone defense, which Phog Allen’s KU teams were then using. “Dr. Naismith abhorred the zone,” McLendon recalled. “He abhorred any idea in the game that would

have you retreat and wait for the o ense to LIBRARY E. SHEPARD JAMES come to you.” For Naismith, the game had always been, rst and foremost, about recreation. And whether they were talking in class or in Naismith’s oce, McLen- don—regardless of his own opinion— drank it all in. But their most important conversation, as it turned out, came by chance. One bright and sunny aernoon, with a hint of autumn in the air, the two men were quietly sitting outside a local elementary school watching a group of rst and second graders “play” basketball out on the playground. None of the children could dribble very well, and there was practically no scoring. Instead, whenever one of the boys or girls got hold of the ball, MILTON KATZ (2) KATZ MILTON the other children would suddenly converge on the ball handler. To an outside observer it was just a mass of arms and legs with a ball in the middle moving quickly yet aimlessly up and down the playground. Only Naismith saw something else. “at’s it!” he suddenly cried out. “at’s how you do it!” John McLendon introduced his brand of Although John McLendon did not know fast-break, pressure-defense basketball at the it yet, this eeting episode would turn out North Carolina College for Negroes in Durham to be one of the key moments in his life, a (top), and won championship trophies (left) at turning point that would forever alter all the high school, AAU, college and professional that lay ahead. He would think of it many basketball levels. On a 1995 pilgrimage to times. Naismith’s seven words were more Naismith’s boyhood home, McLendon posed than a simple declaration. ey were also with his mentor, holding what is believed to be the beginning of a brand-new approach to basketball, one that focused on speed and the same ball grasped by Naismith in the a relentless attack. ere, on a dusty photo. Kansas schoolyard during the depths of the Great Depression, the future of basketball suddenly shied. ere, for McLendon, another door had swung McLendon documentary in the works open. documentary ﬁlm about John McLendon, produced by Scott Unruh, j’76, will be Areleased later this year. “The Forgotten Coach” is the story of McLendon’s Excerpted from the book THE SECRET GAME by struggle for equality in the 1940s and 1950s. The ﬁlm was inspired by the 2007 book Scott Ellsworth. Copyright (c) 2015 by Scott Breaking Through: John B. McLendon, Basketball Legend and Civil Rights Pioneer, Ellsworth. Reprinted with permission of Little, (University of Arkansas Press, $19.95) by Milton Katz, a Kansas City Art Institute Brown and Company. All rights reserved. professor of American studies. Kansas Alumni thanks Katz for allowing photographs from his personal collection to be reprinted here.

ISSUE 3, 2015 | 35 36 | KANSAS ALUMNI The Road Ahead Councilman and community advocate Dwayne James hopes to engineer turnaround for troubled St. Louis suburb

n the wake of the shooting of Michael Brown, an unarmed black teenager, by a white police ocer Aug. 9, 2014, Ferguson, Missouri, was thrust into the national spotlight. e St. Louis suburb unraveled as protests Ierupted and riots ared. Storefronts succumbed to vandalism and looting. Reports of racial bias and constitutional rights violations plagued a polarized community and pitted many of its residents against law enforcement ocials. e fallout seemed endless.

Since then, some locals have abandoned he was approached to join his neighbor- you do is not only looked at by the Ferguson in favor of a quiet life far from hood association. He agreed. residents and the stakeholders in the the media’s penetrating stare. Others Aer stints as the association’s treasurer community, but it’s part of the broader stayed, despite stress and steady reminders and later vice president and president, issue, the broader conversation.” of last year’s tragedy, to support local James moved on to serve on Ferguson’s James and Ferguson’s other 21,000 businesses and stand with those who strive planning and zoning commission. Having residents still feel the e ects from last for a safer, peaceful future for Ferguson. proven himself as a leader, James was year’s tragic events. People from surround- Dwayne James, the only black council ready to ll a seat on the city council when ing communities remain reluctant to come member at the time of the shooting, a member resigned in 2007. to the small town, and that’s hurt the local will stay. His position in city government was economy. “I can’t see myself leaving,” he says. “I challenging at the time, but it was nothing “Businesses have su ered,” James says. love the community.” compared with what he would face seven “And a lot of them are mom-and-pop A career in politics wasn’t on the agenda years later. shops. ey were already doing what for James, e’94, when he moved to “When I rst started, no one knew they needed to do to survive and provide Ferguson in 1997. e St. Louis native about Ferguson. Ferguson was not in the for their families, and now they have to was working for an engineering rm when spotlight,” James says. “Now, everything worry about overcoming this idea that

by Heather Biele n Photographs by Kevin Lowder

ISSUE 3, 2015 | 37 Calls for peace in bold grati are stark contrasts to the damage many Ferguson businesses endured during the riots.

Ferguson is so bad and destructive.” One FYI project James is particularly e teens now plan to create a task force Much of the community’s tumultuous proud of is the Ferguson Community to put their ideas for Ferguson’s future into history came to light with the March 4 Service Program, which provides the city’s action. release of the U.S. Department of Justice young people opportunities to perform report, which outlined a number of mentor-guided community service in lieu constitutional violations against the people of nes or incarceration for city ordinance ail Babcock, FYI program director of Ferguson and recommended drastic violations. e program is a win-win for Gand a 20-year Ferguson resident, has changes in practices for both the Ferguson Ferguson, he says. Residents, businesses, worked with James on the board of Police Department and the Ferguson schools and churches benet from it, directors for the last four years. Municipal Court. James explains that and youths learn valuable lessons in “He recognized what was missing in our government ocials have actively responsibility and accountability for community was something for teenagers,” addressed these issues and are working their actions. she says. “He was the initiator of this. He hard to make positive change in the “ ey see the community in a dierent kept the meetings going and kept volun- community—the results just aren’t as light by volunteering and providing teers coming in. He helped build the immediate as everyone would like. service,” James says. “And the community website and set up our Facebook account. sees them as active participants and not in He’s just a dynamo when it comes to the negative light that they might have organizing people and bringing them utside of his work on the council and seen them in before.” together.” Oa full-time job at Jacobs Engineering FYI also served as an open forum for Babcock says that when FYI rst started Group in St. Louis, James focuses much of the city’s youths following the shooting as a nonprot, it was dicult to fund the his attention on Ferguson’s youths. In last year. James explains that teenagers project. James helped the group create a 2010, he spearheaded Ferguson Youth wanted to meet and discuss their feelings budget and found ways to raise money Initiative (FYI), a program that encourages in a supportive, safe environment. through volunteer projects, including the city’s teenagers to become more “ ey held a teen summit to talk about making candles and “Ferrariums,” a clever actively engaged in their community. He what needed to be done,” he says. “ ey name given to terrariums they built, to sell currently serves as the president of the wanted to talk to the city and police at the local farmers’ market. nonprot group’s board of directors. FYI department and say, ‘How are we going to e program was making strides and also relies on a youth advisory board to work together?’” had started applying for grants when the help create new initiatives for 13- to James says the youths recognized that shooting occurred. 17-year olds and provide feedback on not only did law enforcement and city “We had a lot going on prior to every- existing programs. ocials need to do a better job for thing that’s happened here,” Babcock says. “We saw, from listening to them, that Ferguson, but also that young people “It denitely slowed us down.” there weren’t enough programs and had to do their part and take some Although the events in Ferguson took a activities geared just toward them,” James responsibility—and work a little harder, toll on FYI and at times made it dicult says. too. for the city’s teenagers to safely attend

38 | KANSAS ALUMNI events, Babcock insists that the group is rebounding and growing now at a faster The future of Ferguson pace—and she credits James for a lot of that. “He’s just a really committed person to the community and to the youths,” she says. “He works really, really hard to make this happen.”

s Ferguson Youth Initiative looks Aforward to a positive future for the city and its young residents, so does James. In April, he was joined by three new city PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF FERGUSON YOUTH INITIATIVE (4) INITIATIVE YOUTH OF FERGUSON COURTESY PHOTOGRAPHS council members, two of whom are also black. Although the election of Ella Jones, the rst black woman on the council, and Wesley Bell makes for a more racially balanced governing body, the road ahead isn’t smooth for these city ocials, new or incumbent. “A s we continue to work to build and rebuild our community, it is going to take everyone working together, doing what they can to make things better for our residents,” James says. “I trust that the new council members have fresh ideas that I am excited to hear and work with them to implement.” is year, the council is responsible for hiring a new city manager, police chief and municipal judge—all of whom resigned following the release of the U.S. Depart- KEVIN LOWDER ment of Justice report—as well as tending to changes in law enforcement policies recommended by the Department. Some local Ferguson activists also have started a recall petition to remove the current mayor, James W. Knowles III, from his seat, suggesting the political climate is still highly charged, despite the changes brought with the recent election. As for James, his term on Ferguson’s city council expires in 2016. He isn’t sure what lies ahead for his political career, but he resolves to stay engaged in some way. “ere’s a lot more work that needs to be done aer this y e ar,” James says. “It’s going to take a lot of community support Dwayne James and Gail Babcock (center) work closely with the city’s young people to build as well. So on council or not, I’ll still programs and plan activities designed to keep the next generation of Ferguson engaged and support those initiatives that unify and involved in their community. “I have to make sure more youths are engaged,” says James. “We help our residents.” already have a good group of youths, but we don’t have everyone that needs to be involved.”

ISSUE 3, 2015 | 39 Association

Longtime friends and fellow Jayhawks Mike Milroy, Thad Sims, Annette Luyben, Elaine DAN STOREY DAN Proctor Cannon, Kay Kelly Ho man, Julia “Ellie” Taylor Sims, Donna Multer Ward, and Betty Milroy reconnected at the 50-year reunion at Adams Alumni Center. Highlights included campus bus tours, presentations from KU leaders, and performances by the KU marching band and chamber singers. Cannon (below) was one of more than 60 alumni who received a 50-year pin and citation from Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little.

“ ey won 15 to 14,” recalled Donna Multer Ward, d’65. On Saturday morning, Gold Medal Club members—alumni who have passed their 50th class anniversaries—gathered at the Adams Center for brunch and a presenta- Back on the Hill KU Endowment President Dale tion by Bryan Young, e’95, g’97, director of Seuferling, j’77, also participated in the the University Honors Program. Alumni relive good times, evening festivities and thanked the group Warren Corman, e’50, received a make new memories for their loyalty and support for the Mildred Clodfelter Alumni Award, which University. He praised the Class of ’65 for recognizes Jayhawks who have demon- their generosity, as evidenced by the $24.5 strated more than 10 years of volunteer he sights and sounds of spring million in nancial support they have service as KU ambassadors in their local Tprovided the perfect backdrop as donated to the University over the past 50 communities. nearly 200 alumni and guests returned to years. “Warren has served our country, KU Mount Oread April 9-11 for the Class of “In so many ways you have supported and the Alumni Association extremely ’65 and Gold Medal Club reunions. KU,” Seuferling said. “You’ve increased the well,” said Heath Peterson, d’04, g’09, the e weekend kicked o on Friday with value of our KU brand and brought Association’s vice president for alumni guided tours of Quantrill’s Raid through distinction upon our University.” programs, who presented the award to Lawrence, campus bus tours, and a lunch roughout the evening, alumni Corman. "He is a great example for and presentation with KU student leaders. gathered in groups and shared memories Jayhawks everywhere.” An evening reception and dinner with one another from their days on the followed at Adams Alumni Center, where Hill. Many recalled historical events, Mary Kay Kennedy Henderson, d’65, class including President Kennedy’s assassina- secretary, delivered a warm welcome to tion, the Selma to Montgomery marches attendees. Before distributing the 50-year in Alabama and the civil rights movement, STOREY DAN pins, Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little which incited sit-ins at Strong Hall. spoke of changes on the horizon for KU “By the time we graduated, it had and ensured the group of the University’s become a turbulent time,” remembered commitment to fullling its mission and Annette Luyben, d’65. making the ’65 graduates proud. One event most everyone at the reunion “ ank you for your love of this remembered fondly, though, was the University,” she said. “It’s a wonderful football team’s upset victory over Okla- place to be.” homa in 1964.

40 | KANSAS ALUMNI Two birthdays A NOTE FROM KEVIN Rock Chalk Ball partygoers revel

Association aims to sustain PUPPE STEVE in KU’s 150th, the ball’s 20th Commencement spirit for alumni ore than 750 alumni showed o Mtheir nest crimson and blue April ommencement is an exciting time 25 to salute the University’s sesquicenten- Cfor more than 6,000 students nial at this year’s Rock Chalk Ball, appro- participating in the ceremonial walk priately titled “Hail to Old K U.” e down the Hill into a colorful stadium of annual black-tie event, which celebrates its proud family members. It’s a walk that own 20th birthday this year, was held in requires years of hard work, late nights the Grand Ballroom of the Kansas City and strong nerves, yet to those observ- Convention Center. ing, it appears as if there was never a “is is a rare year when we have an care in the world. Smiles, cheers and opportunity to celebrate the anniversary of laughter abound as the graduates gather the ball and the 150th birthday of K U,” on Memorial Drive, walk through the says Betsy Winetroub, c’05, director of Campanile and down the Hill into Kansas City programs for the Association. Memorial Stadium. e nal stretch “Everyone came with that kind of birthday across the football eld to the north end Corbett party, fun celebration mentality. It made zone features high-ves, cartwheels, this year stand out from others.” students carrying one another on their ment that we and 42,000 members of Reminders of KU’s strong tradition shoulders, banners of “anks, Mom the Association take seriously. Recent ooded the ballroom, as guests enjoyed a and D a d ,” and a vast array of artistic online and local career networking slideshow of images depicting signicant expressions—all displayed on the events have been highly successful events in the University’s history, and table stadium’s video board. additions to our existing portfolio of toppers proudly displayed the Jayhawk’s e KU Commencement tradition 400 annual programs. Add a record many shapes and sizes over the years. KU has occurred 143 times, and even those number of email communications Libraries also provided a special exhibition who have attended many, many times coordinated and delivered on behalf of of priceless photos and other rare keep- still soak up the experience as if it were KU and academic units, and you begin sakes from KU’s history. their rst. to get the picture that building and Paxson, c’87, and Kelly McElhinney St. e ceremony also reminds the managing a vast Jayhawk network takes University and the Alumni Association many forms. e Alumni Association is

that, even though we lose 6,000 students a lifelong partner to thousands of PUPPE STEVE across KU’s ve campuses, we gain them Jayhawks. as alumni. ese new alumni now have To build an even stronger, more the opportunity to be part of one of the powerful network for the future, the most loyal and powerful alumni Association must continue to create networks in all of higher education. e opportunities and experiences that pride they will feel in the years to come replicate, in some way, the pride and when a stranger notices their Jayhawk connection we all felt as we walked apparel and says “Rock Chalk!” will down the Hill and became graduates. di er from the pride they felt as e support of 42,000 Association students surrounded by fellow members, 500 annual members of the Jayhawks. e bond forms immediately Presidents Club and hundreds of and spans generations of graduates. volunteers helps ensure that this Class Continuing to provide communica- of 2015 has every right to do cartwheels. tions, programs and services to keep Rock Chalk! more than 220,000 graduates engaged in —Kevin J. Corbett, c’88 advancing the University is a commit- KU Alumni Association president Former KU football player Darrell Stuckey energized the crowd as emcee of this year’s Rock Chalk Ball.

ISSUE 3, 2015 | 41 Association

Clair, c’87, l’90, chaired the event, and the crowd into a bidding frenzy. former KU football player and San Diego e highest bid of the evening was Charger Darrell Stuckey, c’09, was the $8,500 for a berglass Jayhawk—so evening’s emcee. Several Rock Chalk Ball popular that two birds were auctioned o founders also attended the event: David at that price. Also bringing in the big Adkins, c’83, l’86; Jennie Boedeker bucks was the Coach Beaty Experience, Bennett, c’77; and Lewis, c’75, and Laura which netted $5,000 and included dinner Davis Gregory, j’75. for 10 guests with the new football coach, “ e tie to Kansas football made it so as well as six suite tickets to a home special,” says Paxson St. Clair of this year’s football game and six passes to the ball. “Darrell Stuckey did a fantastic job, Association’s Presidents Club tailgate. and he was so much fun the entire night. Aer dinner, guests hit the dance oor for Also having Coach Bowen and Coach the soulful sounds of Atlantic Express. Beaty there made it very special. ey are Red-carpet photos and party pics from such great leaders of a program that has the event can be found at kualumni.org/ been down, and they worked all night long events/rock-chalk-ball and can be down- to meet people and support the University.” loaded at no charge. e evening kicked o with cocktails Next year’s Rock Chalk Ball will be and a silent auction before guests moved April 23, 2016, at the Overland Park into the main ballroom for a live auction, Convention Center. For more information, dinner and dancing. Once again, the Nigro contact Winetroub at bwinetroub@ Brothers, Kansas City’s famous charity kualumni.org or call the Association at auctioneers, led the live auction and rallied 800-584-2957.

Guests enjoyed cocktails and perused the KU Libraries exhibition of KU artifacts during the opening reception at Rock Chalk Ball. Students from the alumni leadership board took the stage during the live auction to show how donations fund critical programs and student opportunities. Chancellor Gray-Little and Shade Little mingled with Big Jay as the festivities began. Paxson and Kelly McElhinney St. Clair, co-chairs of this year’s ball, showed o their crimson and blue spirit to celebrate KU’s 150th. Alumni and their guests danced the night away to the tunes of Atlantic Express. STEVE PUPPE (5) STEVE

Live at McCabe’s Guitar Shop, 2006 42 | KANSAS ALUMNI Life Members he Association thanks these Jayhawks, who began their Life DAN STOREY DAN Tmemberships March 1 through April 30. For information, visit kualumni.org or call 800-584-2957.

Ashlen R. Angelo Sarah E. Hannah-Spurlock Paul W. Barrett Kaleb S. Hawk Terri Gast Bell Alec R. & Jessica Brady James H. Bernard III & Alyssa Hermanson Aude Bernard Tyler S. J. Holmes Casey R. & Jacklyn M. Biggs Joyce E. Houser-Ferkovich Stephen M. Blanchard Jr. & Jacquelynne S. Hunt Laura M. Blanchard Janel S. Ikeda Lindsey K. Bloom Mason N. Jones Linda L. Brown Shylah Reuter Karvo Taylor R. Burkhead Robert D. Karwath Jr. Daniel J. Burns Adam D. Keesling Allison P. Butler Wendell W. Kellogg JoAnn G. Carroll Jerey C. & Joni L. Klemp Danielle Laerty Hoover, c’07, is the Association’s new assistant Mike Clark Kylie A. Krizek director of Wichita programs. From her oce on the KU Medical Nancy E. & Bob Corkins John E. Kyees Center’s Wichita campus, she works with Wichita Network alumni Jon E. Dahlfors Ryan A. Libel volunteers to plan 20 local events each year, including the Jayhawk Donald E. Davis Jr. Qiwu Liu Roundup, which will be Oct. 3 at Murﬁn Stables. She is a Wichita Adam C. Dees Samuel H. Logan Jason S. Drummond Jonathan T. & Miriam Lusk native. Ben Shepley is the new director of facilities for the Adams Annie Duckworth Christina Martin & Chad M. Alumni Center. Ben has signiﬁcant project management, Brian T. & Mary E. Duy Barnett renovation and hands-on repair experience, having previously been Lindy Eakin & Elizabeth B. A. Jose L. Martinez employed at Paul Davis Restoration and more recently as a project Miller K. Scott Mathews superintendent for First Construction. Kyle J. & Hannah F. Amanda K. Matney Eichelberger Matthew Y. McCulley Darby Evans Jaclyn L. McCullough G. Max Faerber Carolyn M. McKanna William D. & Wendy Tiemann Christopher W. Sook Christine Hartigan Falk Ryan J. McNeel Picking Becky S. Spencer Jason D. Fauss Kelly Rake Meier Joseph E. Pierle James A. Steer III Karen D. Fender Carissa E. Miller Frederick J. Pinne III & Wendy Madeline L. Sturgeon Jackson K. Ferguson Jeremy M. Mims Raymond Pinne Jessica A. Swenson Michelle McGavran Folkmann Matt D. Modrcin William C. Pollard Jr. R. Patrick Thelen Marcy R. Fowler Kevin & Suzanne Wright Kevin T. Pringle Ferol L. Thielen Mike M. Gabrawy Nelson Christie Reed Reniger Colin R. Thomas Nicholas J. & Betsey Johnson William E. & Jennifer Ryan Nicole L. Rissky Peg Vanwagoner Gallinger Newton Elizabeth K. Rupp Jessica L. Walters Michael P. Garrett Melissa L. Nguyen Justin A. Sadowski Elizabeth D. Ward Lindsey E. Gaston Caryl A. & Lyle C. Niedens Caitlin R. Scheckel Laura J. Warner Michael A. Geller Donna Crabb Nyght Paige E. Schmidt Dale A. Werth Rebecca L. Goering S. Patrick & Shannon Kerr Austin J. Schroeder Stephen J. Wojcehowicz Amy M. Goodpasture O’Bryan Ervin Sims Jr. Garrett P. Wolfe Patricia A. Green Marquise R. Paige Andrew K. & Kelly Shepherd Mari Carpenter Wylie Bradley J. & Michelle Ducey Brian A. & Deborah Pappas Smith Angela Wennihan Zambrano Growcock Brent M. Perry Jerey A. Smith Heidi K. Zarda Rebecca Deeds Hamel Carolyn A. Peterson Martha Holman Smith Adam Zoellner

ISSUE 3, 2015 | 43 Class Notes by Karen Goodell student award from the American Institute of Certied Planners.

Ronald Koelling, ’70, is retired from Robert Wilson, c’50, l’53, and his Harry Rutledge, a’64, is a consulting 70 a career in customer service and 50 wife, Marguerite, continue to make 64 architect with Rutledge Architec- technical support. He lives in Jay, their home in Centennial, Colorado. ture in Albany, New York, where he and Oklahoma. his wife, Nancy, make their home. Ted Tracz Jr., c’70, c’71, manages quality Allan Higdon, b’58, received the control at Luzier Personalized Cosmetics 58 Wichita Aero Club trophy last year Jerry Rees, e’66, g’69, a civil in Grandview, Missouri. He lives in Kansas for his contributions to the aviation 66 engineer, makes his home in City. industry and the Wichita community. He Leawood with his wife, Sallie Veenstra. and Judy Dold Higdon, d’58, make their Patricia Wulf Steinkuehler, d’66, serves Peggy Robertson Ban, c’72, prac- home in Wichita. on the Friends of Maclay board of the 72 tices law with the Raynes Law Firm Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park. She in Houston, where she and her husband, John Nowlin, c’61, lives in Bellower, lives in Tallahassee, Florida. Frank, make their home. 61 California, where he serves on the Stephany Brown Hughes, g’72, PhD’03, planning commission. He’s also vice James Brink, c’67, received a wrote Mother as Emotional Coach: 8 president of the California Military 67 Distinguished Teaching Award Principles for Raising a Well-Adjusted Ocers Association of America. earlier this year from the Texas Tech Child. She teaches writing classes and University System. He’s an associate conducts poetry workshops in Excelsior Rita Harris Cliord, n’62, PhD’81, professor in the honors college, founder of Springs, Missouri, where she lives with her 62 makes her home in Overland Park the Tech Transition freshman seminar and husband, John Hill. with her husband, Jack, f’60. founding chair of the Teaching Academy. Hannah Johnson Meredith, d’72, is a Jim and Pamela Herd Brink, c’67, g’68, live dental hygienist at Levison Dental in Lake in Lubbock. Oswego, Oregon, where she and her Howard Pankratz, j’67, retired earlier husband, Michael, c’72, make their home. School Codes Letters that follow names this year from a 41-year career with the Stephen Winters, c’72, l’75, has been indicate the school from which alumni earned Denver Post. He lives in Lakewood. elected co-chair of the national board of degrees. Numbers show their class years. Patricia Goering Smith, c’67, wrote directors of Lambda Legal in New York a School of Architecture, Revolution Revisited: Behind the Scenes in City. He lives in Chicago, where he’s Design and Planning East Germany 1989. She and her husband, retired general counsel for BP America. b School of Business Bill, d’60, live in Ocean Shores, Pamela Miller Yates, d’72, teaches art c College of Liberal Arts Washington. and German for the Tigard Tualatin Public and Sciences Courtney Worley, d’67, works as a School District. She and her husband, Ben, d School of Education bookkeeper at Center Point Church. He live in Portland, Oregon. e School of Engineering and Nancy Comstock Worley, d’69, live in f School of Fine Arts North Richland Hills, Texas. Roger Twibell, ’73, owns Logoputter g Master’s Degree in Mission Hills, where he and his h School of Health Professions 73 Robert Campbell, j’68, teaches in wife, Michelle, make their home. j School of Journalism l School of Law 68 the school of management at the m School of Medicine University of California-San Diego. He Debra Spruk Carpenter, j’75, is a n School of Nursing and his wife, Jeri Lynne, live in Encinatas. 75 professor of public relations at p School of Pharmacy David Preston, j’68, is president of Scout Webster University in Webster Groves, PharmD School of Pharmacy Aviation in Kansas City. He lives in Missouri. s School of Social Welfare Overland Park. Judith Patrick, h’75, is an occupational u School of Music Thomas Reid, ’68, manages area sales therapist at the KU Hospital in Overland DE Doctor of Engineering for Landstar in Dublin, Ohio. Park. She lives in Prairie Village. DMA Doctor of Musical Arts DPT Doctor of Physical Therapy James Kastelic, c’69, is a planning EdD Doctor of Education professional and a fellow at Cleve- PhD Doctor of Philosophy 69 (no letter) Former student land State University’s Levin College of assoc Associate member of the Urban A airs. He recently helped lead a Alumni Association planning project that won a national

44 | KANSAS ALUMNI

Larry Peterson, EdD’75, a retired Kevin Neuer, d’76, retired Sprint vice Guy Keefer, c’77, works as inventory professor of art at the University of president of business services, makes his and purchasing manager for Spectrum Nebraska in Kearney, was a featured home in Lee’s Summit, Missouri, with his Paint. He lives in Lawrence. artist in an exhibition earlier this year at wife, Sharon, ’81. the Museum of Nebraska Art, which he Thomas Flanagan Jr., s’78, s’79, helped found. Larry and his wife, Sharon, Jennie Boedeker Bennett, c’77, is 78 directs behavioral health integration assoc., continue to make their home in 77 president of JHB Properties. She at Truman Medical Center in Kansas City, Kearney. lives in Tucson, Arizona. where he and his wife, Julie, live. William Bradley Jr., c’77, l’80, is e Rev. Robin Hagan, j’78, is the Michael Field, b’76, is a territory executive vice president, chief administra- ministry relations ocer for the Presbyte- 76 manager for Assurance America. He tive ocer, general counsel and secretary rian Foundation. He and Janice Sommer- and his wife, Linda, make their home in of NIC Inc. in Olathe. He and his wife, ville Hagan, c’80, live in Kennewick, Summerville, South Carolina. Roberta, live in Overland Park. Washington.

PROFILE by Chris Lazzarino STEVE PUPPE STEVE

Wier leaves Olathe North North to spend nine seasons at Richland to help restart KU football High School in North Richland Hills, Texas, between Dallas and Fort Worth. hen he became KU’s new football Beaty at the time was head coach and Wcoach, David Beaty pledged to athletics coordinator at nearby MacArthur focus on Kansas high school players—as High School, in Irving, and the two well as top athletes from across Kansas formed a professional bond that helped City, Texas, Missouri and Oklahoma—as convince Wier to accept Beaty’s oer to the Jayhawks restock their depleted roster. return to KU. “Our philosophy is very simple. We Although he’s no longer coaching or think it’s a relationship business,” Beaty even recruiting, Wier wanted to be part of said Dec. 8 in his rst press conference. Beaty’s commitment to rebuilding KU “We want to do a good job of keeping the football by forming close ties with coaches best players in the state of Kansas right statewide, as well as in Kansas City and here at home, at their university. at is Dallas. top priority for us, and we do that by “Coach Beaty is about p e op l e ,” Wier building relationships.” says. “He likes high school football. He One month later, Beaty announced that likes those coaches. He’s been there, and six-time state championship high school several of his closest friends are high coach Gene Wier, d’71, g’78, had le school coaches.” Coach David Beaty says longtime Olathe North Olathe North aer 25 seasons to become Wier—whose son, Brandon, b’01, was a coaching legend Gene Wier “is fulﬁlling a lifelong Beaty’s director of high school relations. four-year KU football letterman as a dream of becoming a Jayhawk.” “When you’re in the high school ranks defensive back, from 1998 to 2001— and you get in on the high school chatter, helped open the door to high school KU’s name has not been very high, to be coaches to attend practice on campus handing and golf outings. honest,” Wier says. “Coach Beaty hiring during KU’s spring drills, and he’s now in “I’ve seen that elsewhere, and one thing me—well, not me as a person, but hiring charge of building a walk-on program to I was insistent upon is that this is not a this position—tells the high school supplement the 25 new scholarship players place for me to slide into retirement. e coaches that we want them to have allowed to join the team each year. minute I’m not contributing, I need to g o,” everything they need to have at this Wier says he’s still working the same Wier says. “I think it’s better to get in there University. is alleviates that barrier that long hours he put in as the boss of a and do some work instead of complaining. they think might be t h e re .” championship program at Olathe North. Whatever my share of that is going to be, Wier interrupted his tenure at Olathe e job is not, he insists, about glad- that’s what I intend to d o.”

ISSUE 3, 2015 | 47 Class Notes

chair of the Design Build Institute of America and senior vice president and general counsel for Burns & McDonnell. He also wrote A Young General and the Fall of Richmond, which was published earlier this year by Ohio University Press. He and Denise Daniel Quatman, d’80, live in Kansas City. David Scott, c’80, owns Wellness Within Clinic in Wichita, where he lives. He’s also an instructor in the extension department of the University of California-San Diego. Michael Stucky, b’80, is CEO and an operating partner in Plute Capital in Edgewater, Florida. He and his wife, Kim, live in Ormond Beach. Paul Wise, b’80, is chief technology o cer at Dimensional Fund Advisors in Austin, Texas, where he and his wife, Donna Cowie Wise, assoc., live.

Edward Barns, c’81, p’84, m’88, has 81 joined Lake Regional Health System in Osage Beach, Missouri. He is a board- certied otolaryngologist. Thaine Shetter, j’81, lives in Plainsboro, New Jersey. He’s an adjunct instructor at Mercer County Community College.

Janet Gorman Hoven, j’78, serves as Health Center in Lawrence, where she Warren Bickel, g’82, PhD’84, directs mayor of Chester, New Jersey, where she retired from a 32-year career with the 82 the Addiction Recovery Research lives with her husband, Donald. Lawrence Police Department. Center at Virginia Tech Carilion Research Douglas Hundley, j’78, c’81, l’82, g’93, Institute. He lives in Roanoke and has recently spoke about Abraham Lincoln as Richard Connors, b’80, g’81, joined become a fellow of the Academy of part of the Friends of Arrow Rock Lecture 80 the law rm of Jackson Lewis as a Behavioral Medicine Research. Series in Arrow Rock, Missouri. He shareholder. He lives in Overland Park. Layne Tait, b’82, m’86, is an anesthesi- practices law in Leawood, where he and Gene Eckenberg, b’80, is Central Region ologist in Bloomington, Indiana. He Molly Ege Hundley, b’80, live. sales manager for KEEN Inc. He and received his private pilot’s license and his John Martin, n’78, h’81, works as a nurse Patricia Rupert Eckenberg, h’83, make instrument rating in 2014, and his anesthetist at Palmetto Health Baptist. He their home in Shawnee. commercial pilot’s license in January. lives in Irmo, South Carolina, with his David Kenner, c’80, is president of Levy wife, Eloise. Craig Law Firm in Kansas City, where he Allison Baker Hammond, d’83, g’86, Catherine Cohoon Wolford, f’78, works and his wife, Nancy, make their home. 83 is an executive director at Arcadia as a senior actuary at Charles Schwab & She’s president of Kenner Nygaard Institute in Kalamazoo, Michigan, where Company in Richeld, Ohio. She and her DeMarea & Kendall. she lives with her husband, Michael. husband, Kermit, live in Aurora. Lorraine Mangione, g’80, PhD’84, wrote Joseph Moore, c’83, a retired colonel in Daughters, Dads, and the Path rough the U.S. Marine Corps, is acting director Arthur Andersson, a’79, spoke Grief: Tales from Italian America, which for the Strategic Studies Group at the 79 recently at a public forum spon- was published earlier this year by Impact Department of Veterans Aairs in sored by the Dallas Architecture Forum. Publishers. Lorraine lives in Florence, Washington, D.C. He and his wife, He lives in Austin, Texas, where he’s Massachusetts. Claudia, live in Fredericksburg, Virginia. co-founder of Andersson-Wise Architects. Thomas Munyon, c’80, lives in Marys- Ricky Ross, ’83, has been elected to the Susan Hadl, c’79, s’83, works as a mental ville, Washington, with his wife, Utahna. 2015 class of the Wichita Sports Hall of health screener for Bert Nash Mental William Quatman II, a’80, a’83, is vice Fame and Museum. Ricky, who lives in

48 | KANSAS ALUMNI Wichita, was a shooting guard at KU and rm of Reinisch Wilson Weier as an Eileen Smith, g’92, is founder and chief averaged 12.2 points per game as a associate. She and her husband, Pete Baur, executive o cer of Kansas Solar Electric freshman during the 1979-’80 season. live in Corbett, Oregon. Cooperatives in Lawrence.

Cheryl Roberson-Kouadio, c’84, Brett Leopold, c’90, is president of Gregory Gertz, ’93, works as a 84 m’89, practices medicine at Tampa 90 ITC Great Plains in Topeka. He 93 nancial representative for North- General Medical Group Family Care lives in Fairway with his wife, Heather. western Mutual McTigue Financial Group Center. She lives in Tampa, Florida. Douglas McLeod, l’90, owns DKK in Chicago. Energy Services in Makawao, Hawaii, Hale Sheppard, j’93, l’98, g’99, a Brian Occhipinto, c’87, works as a where he lives with his wife, Kandi. shareholder in the Atlanta o ce of 87 mortgage loan o cer at Enterprise Igor Pangrazio Vera, c’90, became Chamberlain Hrdlicka, has been included Bank & Trust in Phoenix, where he and Paraguay’s ambassador to the United in the 2015 edition of Georgia Super Kathleen Koeller Occhipinto, ’00, make States last fall. His home is in Asunción, Lawyers. He makes his home in Decatur. their home. Paraguay. Thomas Fevurly, n’94, a U.S. Air John Montgomery II, j’88, g’91, is Eufracio Centella, c’92, coordinates 94 Force lieutenant colonel, is a site 88 vice president, chief operating 92 monitoring and evaluation for the director of nurse anesthesia clinical o cer, editor and publisher at Harris National Social Protection System in education at the U.S. Uniformed Services Enterprises in Hutchinson, where he and Panama. His home is in Doral, Florida. University in Bethesda, Maryland. Dia Noel Montgomery, j’91, c’91, live. Scott Muyskens, b’92, c’93, is senior Randall Griey, g’94, PhD’00, is vice president at Hinsdale Bank & Trust. associate curator of modern and contem- Scott Dougherty, m’89, has joined He and his wife, JoAnn, live in Chicago. porary art at the Metropolitan Museum of 89 BayCare Clinic in Marinette, Chris Scholoesser, ’92, works as Art in New York City. Wisconsin, as a urological surgeon. He legislative director for Rep. Donna Jerey Guidie, c’94, lives in Anthem, and his wife, Julie, live in Green Bay. Edwards, D-Maryland, in Washington, Arizona, where he’s a sales executive for Lee Wyatt, l’89, joined the Portland law D.C. He lives in Alexandria, Virginia. Align Technology.

ISSUE 3, 2015 | 49 Class Notes Jawn Ross, c’94, co-owns Ryker’s Cellars, Byron Matthews, b’95, has been Blake Vande Garde, c’96, l’01, an urban winery in Denver. promoted to president and general 96 practices patent law with Wiggins & manager of MHI Global. He and Jennifer Vande Garde in Charlotte, North Carolina. Kurtis Hassler, e’95, is a senior Zerbe Matthews, j’94, make their home in He and Nicole Copple Vande Garde, n’96, 95 engineer with George Butler Associ- Hinsdale, Illinois. live in Waxhaw. ates in Omaha, Nebraska, where he lives. Bryan Rusch, a’95, is a senior architec- David Nash, ’96, manages regional sales Terrie Dillon Jordan, c’95, works as tural technician for Populous in Kansas for Film Ideas. He makes his home in assistant manager at Do It Best. She and her City. He lives in Olathe. Wheeling, Illinois. husband, Rick, live in Smithville, Missouri. Whitney Vliet Ward, c’95, directs Brett Limer, c’95, works as a so ware the commercial division of Keller Ryker Brandt, ’97, co-owns Ryker’s engineer for Sprint in Overland Park. He Williams Realty Hometown Partners. 97 Cellars, an urban winery in Denver. and Shelby Canby Limer, assoc., live in She and her husband, Michael, j’95, live in Jerey Carver, d’97, directs church Gardner. Wichita. engagement at Brightpeak Financial. He

PROFILE by Heather Biele STEVE PUPPE STEVE

No. 1,000 marks lawyer’s sometimes,” he says of the pro bono adoption legacy recipients of the scholarships. “A few even came hen Kansas City attorney Gene to Shook, Hardy and WBalloun and his wife agreed to Bacon a er graduating. become foster parents in 1987, they had We help give kids a start, no idea what was in store for them. Fast then they move on. We forward 28 years, and the couple has cared keep track of them as best for 29 children, adopted two of them and we c an .” just celebrated Balloun’s 1,000th pro bono Balloun says that adoption case. To say the experience has although helping children been life-changing is an understatement. and families in the foster Balloun, b’51, l’54, a commercial care system can be “Gene is a brilliant, passionate and completely humble hero among litigator and partner in the law rm of dicult at times, it’s us,” Lori Ross, president and CEO of Midwest Foster Care and Shook, Hardy and Bacon, didn’t foresee always rewarding. He has Adoption Association, says of Balloun. handling adoption cases when he and his racked up a number of wife, Sheila, rst joined a support group memorable adoption for foster families years ago. But when cases over the years, fellow parents discovered he was a lawyer, including one family who adopted ve he says. Although he and his wife are no he became the go-to guy for legal advice children at once. But the most unforget- longer foster parents themselves, they still about the adoption process. table by far is his 1,000th case, which participate in foster parent support groups. “If you’re a lawyer, people start asking involved a single mother who adopted He also serves on the board of directors of questions,” Balloun says. “Pretty soon I 10- and 12-year-old siblings. the Midwest Foster Care and Adoption was doing adoptions for foster parents.” “We had a really nice celebration at the Association. Balloun took each case on a pro bono courthouse,” he says. “I got to thank so Balloun’s passion for providing perma- basis and elected to direct the state fees to many people who have been involved, nent homes for children in need will send a post-secondary education scholarship including my wife, kids and other lawyers him back to the courtroom as well, ready fund he helped establish for children who at Shook, Hardy and Bacon who have for the next child, the next adoption case have been in the foster care system in helped with the cases. And the judge was and the next milestone. Kansas. To date, that fund has distributed so gracious, just wonderful.” “Being able to help form and create a more than $625,000 to almost 500 Now that Balloun has reached a family is tremendously satisfying,” he says. children. milestone in his work with foster care “A n d seeing happy kids and happy “We hear from the kids we’ve helped children, does he plan to let up? Not yet, parents—there’s nothing better.”

ISSUE 3, 2015 | 51 Class Notes

and his wife, Cameon, make their home in Fairmont, West Virginia. She and her assoc., daughter, Carly Jeanne, Jan. 23 in Edina, Minnesota. husband, Charles, live in Morgantown. Andover, where she joins a brother, Nolan, Jerey Freese, e’97, has been promoted Casey Dickerson Irwin, c’00, owns 4. Jana is an occupational therapist at Via to project director of the Tarlton Corpora- Monarch Montessori School in Prairie Christi Health in Wichita, where Terry is tion in St. Louis. He and his wife, Kath- Village. She and her husband, Charles, digital manager. leen, live in Chestereld, Missouri. c’01, live in Kansas City, where he’s an account director for Centro. Hilary Evans Berg, j’01, edits Oregon Kenda Hultman Caskey, g’98, has Damon Klassen, c’00, works as audito- 01 Wine Press. She and her husband, 98 been promoted to vice president rium co-manager for the Taos Center for Christian, c’93, own Roots Wine Com- and engineering director of Burns & the Arts. He lives in Taos, New Mexico. pany. ey live in Yamhill, Oregon. McDonnell’s process and industrial Angela Rosel, d’00, an assistant track Hank Bohanon, PhD’01, is a professor of division in Kansas City. She and her and eld coach at Utah State University, special education at Loyola University in husband, Troy, live in Lee’s Summit, coaches sprints and hurdles. She makes Chicago. He lives in Skokie, Illinois. Missouri. her home in Logan. Paul Croker, b’01, l’04, has joined the Joseph Yager, c’98, works as an invest- Aarthi Subramanian, g’00, is executive Kansas City oce of Armstrong Teasdale ment adviser representative at SagePoint director of the board of directors at Tata as a litigation partner. He and his wife, Financial in Wichita, where he and Holly Consultancy Services, headquartered in Becky, live in Prairie Village. Oglesbee Yager, c’00, g’04, PhD’09, live. Mumbai, India. She heads the global delivery excellence group. Katherine Wyatt Blocker, c’00, 00 owns Express Employment BORN TO: Professionals in Lawrence, where she and Anne Costello, c’00, d’01, and her her husband, Michael, live. husband, Mike Evans, son, Samuel David, Mary Ann Fildes Harrison, g’00, PhD’01, Jan. 12 in Lawrence, where he joins a is a principal scientist and program brother, Maxwell, 2. manager for the WVHTC Foundation in Jana Gruver Rombeck, c’00, and Terry,

52 | KANSAS ALUMNI Harishachandra Shinde, g’01, is vice appointed magistrate judge for the state of live in Minneapolis, Minnesota. president-Canada of Appleton Group. He South Dakota. She and her husband, Casey Waugh, j’03, manages communi- lives in Chester eld, Missouri. Chad, live in Lennox. cations and annual giving for Wayside Gerhart Kloiber Jr., b’02, g’10, works as Waifs in Kansas City. She lives in Olathe. BORN TO: a wealth advisor for Mariner Wealth Jason, c’01, l’04, and Karen Schwarzer Advisors in Leawood. He lives in BORN TO: Thompson, b’04, daughter, Victoria Lawrence. Pradeep, g’03, and Lori Smith Natara- George, Dec. 30 in Topeka, where she Jon Lynch, ’02, is program director for jan, c’07, daughter, Lilah Mallika, Nov. 20 joins two sisters, Neva, 6, and Caroline, 3. KDUR radio at Fort Lewis College in in Eudora. Pradeep is a sta soware Jason is a senior assistant revisor for the Durango, Colorado. engineer for IBM in Lenexa. Kansas Oce of Revisor of Statutes, and Adam, c’03, and Lisa Kenney Wright, Karen is an accountant for the Adjutant BORN TO: f’03, daughter, Olivia Susan, Oct. 29 in St. General’s Department. Jason Nicolay, b’02, g’03, and Lisa, Louis. Adam is campus director at the assoc., son, Weston Henry, July 27 in University of Phoenix, and Lisa is a user Christina Gawlik, d’02, g’05, is a Mission Hills, where he joins a sister, interface designer at Sprint. 02 curriculum and technology Emerson, 3, and a brother, Camden, 2. developent specialist at Cyber Innovation Jason is vice president of Media Venture Joseph Hawkins, c’04, m’08, Center. She lives in Bossier City, Partners in Kansas City. 04 practices medicine at Eudora Louisiana. Family Care. He and Brandi Mishler Matthew Hastings, c’02, m’07, practices Trinity Homewood, c’03, is execu- Hawkins, d’05, are residents of Marysville. neurology at St. Luke’s Health System in 03 tive chef at Bethel College in North Peter Muther, g’04, is sports business Kansas City. He and Elizabeth Riscoe Newton. He and Amanda Buchholz, s’02, development leader with the DLR Group Hastings, m’07, live in Fairway. She’s a s’03, live in Newton. in Overland Park. He and Kelly Watson developmental and behavioral pediatrician Leita Schultes Walker, c’03, j’03, l’06, is Muther, d’99, live in Lawrence, where at Children’s Mercy Hospital. a partner in the law rm of Faegre Baker Kelly is chief of sta for KU’s School of Crystal Nesheim Johnson, l’02, has been Daniels. She and her husband, Jason, j’02, Business.

ISSUE 3, 2015 | 53 Class Notes

Joel Skelley, g’04, directs policy for the Kansas Department of Transportation in Topeka. He and his wife, Dana, live in Tonganoxie.

BORN TO: Scott Risley, c’04, and Katie, daughter, Harper Jean, Jan. 20 in Lawrence, where Scott practices at Risley Chiropractic. Sheena Quinn Shearburn, d’04, and Tylor, d’06, daughter, Daphne Marie, Jan. 21 in Lawrence, where she joins a sister, Margo, 2. Tylor is a territory manager at Midwest Medical in North Kansas City.

Georey Bowers, j’05, works as a 05 nancial advisor for Wells Fargo Advisors in St. Charles, Missouri. He makes his home in Ballwin. Jerey Hrabe, d’05, is regional vice president of sales at Cavanal Hill. He and Jill Burbach Hrabe, c’04, live in Mission. Amy Cox O’Hara, j’05, is a senior account executive with Allison & Partners in Scottsdale, Arizona, where she and her husband, Sean, l’06, make their home.

BORN TO: Lauren Debiak Hannawald, j’05, and Jerey, c’06, son, Turner Samuel, Dec. 17 in Prairie Village. Lauren is director of marketing at Rockhurst University, and Je is program manager at Cerner. Mark, c’05, m’10, and Holly Rauch Oertel, f’06, c’06, daughter, Larkin Elouise, Sept. 26 in Lawrence. Eric, d’05, and Lindsey Wiges Tanking, c’07, son, Miles, Feb. 6 in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Erin Pursel Massaro, j’06, g’11, is a 06 client services partner at Dovetail Solutions in Denver, where she and her husband, Adam, make their home. Nathan McKee, c’06, directs learning technologies at the University of Washing- ton in Seattle. Kiata Sleet Nixon, a’06, is product program manager for Timex Group USA in Middlebury, Connecticut. She lives in Yonkers, New York. Marisol Romero Romo, c’06, works as a communications specialist for KPERS in Topeka, where she and her

54 | KANSAS ALUMNI husband, Jesse, make their home. Peterson, c’07, p’12, Dec. 6 in Topeka. He’s Carnegie African Diaspora Fellowship to Jill Maycumber Sommers, c’06, has a divisional sales specialist at Security help develop a curriculum in Kenya using been appointed to the board of managers Bene t Group in Topeka, and she’s a technological strategies for teaching of Allston Holdings. She and her husband, clinical pharmacist at KU Medical Center. chemistry. Michael, live in Alexandria, Virginia. ey live in Prairie Village. Marcello Minzoni, PhD’07, works as a Maryna Tov, e’06, is a global corporate research geologist for Shell Oil. He and accounts manager at Butler Manufacturing Lisa Cloar, f’07, is an administrative Rebecca Totten Minzoni, c’09, make their in Kansas City. She lives in Leawood. 07 associate at KU. She and her home in Katy, Texas. April Valdez, j’06, coordinates outreach husband, Ryan Pfeier, c’02, live in and marketing at Gilda’s Club Chicago. Lawrence. Francis Baalmann, l’08, is a Albert Korir, PhD’07, an associate 08 partner in the Wichita law rm of MARRIED professor of chemistry at Drury University Foulston Siein. Ronaldo Barron, b’06, and Elizabeth in Spring eld, Missouri, received a Laura Berry Brogdon, d’08, g’11, teaches

PROFILE by Steven Hill STEVE PUPPE STEVE

Kansas City father of year Day, and one receives gets Royal treatment the Dan Quisenberry Championship teve Hu chuckles when his son Fathering Award, SBraxton says he had a hard time named aer the late coming up with 250 words about him for Royals pitcher. NCF an essay titled “What My Father Means to also bestows a Father Me .” en Braxton nishes his thought. of the Year Award in “It took a long time to get to 250,” the conjunction with the 16-year-old says, “because I was over by Minnesota Twins. so much.” Braxton’s essay Braxton’s winning essay was step one in praises his father’s a lengthy process that ended with Steve, myriad roles as “It helps me think, ‘OK, I am doing a lot of the right things,’” Hu says b’89, g’91, being declared the 2014 Kansas spiritual leader, City Father of the Year before a Royals algebra tutor, loving of his fathering award. “To see Braxton write those things down tells game in Kauman Stadium last summer. husband, KU fan and me to make sure I do more of that.” e on- eld presentation was “shocking eBay seller with 100 and humbling,” Hu says. “I don’t feel like percent positive I’m some outstanding parent. I’m just feedback. “He’s the man who will attend an you’re doing something together, not doing the best I c an .” Imagine Dragons concert that was a because you plan for it to happen.” e Merriam-based National Center on birthday gi for his s on ,” Braxton wrote, His wife’s support, his family’s religious Fathering (NCF) started the essay contest “then go home and download the songs he faith and the positive examples of his and in 1992 to raise awareness of the impor- now likes.” his wife’s parents inform his fathering. tant role fathers and father gures play in Steve says that he and his wife, Debbie, Helpful too are a sense of fun and strict children’s lives. Finalists this year included decided early in their marriage that their adherence to certain family rituals. (He a grandfather, a stepfather, a foster father, a career focus would shi once they had tucks in each of his three children, campus supervisor and six biological children. He kept that promise by leaving a including 15-year-old Avary and 12-year- fathers. travel-heavy job that he loved for more old Brendan, every night.) Children in grades one to 12 enter the family friendly employment. He now “ere can come a time when your contest, and ve essays from each grade works as vice president of IT at Capitol teenager starts to pull away, and I haven’t win recognition. ose fathers complete a Federal Savings. seen that with him yet,” Steve says. “To questionnaire, and 10 are selected for a “A lot of it is really just spending time think I have a teenage son who feels this phone interview. Finalists are celebrated at together,” Hu says. “We can’t make way and was able to express it really kind Kauman Stadium on or around Father’s quality time happen. It happens because of blew me away.”

ISSUE 3, 2015 | 55 math at Shawnee Mission West High istrator at Koch Ag & Energy Solutions. School. Laura, who lives in Overland Park, Ellen Duy Kreifels, c’11, has joined the received the Educating Excellence Award law rm of Blankenau Wilmoth Jarecke, from Perceptive Soware and KU’s School where she’s an associate attorney. Ellen and of Engineering. her husband, Justin, make their home in Amy Cahill, f’08, g’11, is an admin- Lincoln, Nebraska. istrative assistant at KCSA Strategic Tona Leiker, PhD’11, has been promoted Communications in New York City, daughter, Sophia Blair, Nov. 25 in Lee’s to assistant dean of nursing curriculum where she lives. Summit, Missouri. and assessment at American Sentinel Julie Hayes, g’08, manages customer University, an online university in Aurora, success at Evergage in Somerville, Massa- Christopher Cahill, b’10, g’10, is an Colorado. She lives in Andover. chusetts. She and her husband, Brett 10 assurance supervisor at McGladrey. Michael Smith, c’11, g’15, is director of Grin, ’08, live in Boston. He lives in Dallas. external aairs for the KU School of Christopher Kelliher, b’08, works as a Anthony Falcon, c’10, g’12, works as an Business. He lives in Lawrence. sourcing category leader at the University investment ocer at Ho-Chunk Nation. Sara Swezy, j’11, manages production of Chicago medical school. He and his wife, Rachael, ’10, live in Black for the New Media Firm in Washington, Andrew Sherwood, j’08, is assistant River Falls, Wisconsin. D.C., where she lives. director of development for Kansas Adam Finzel, b’10, is a nancial analyst Athletics. He makes his home in at Ford Motor Company in Dearborn, BORN TO: Lawrence. Michigan. He lives in Ann Arbor. Jennifer Nyberg, c’11, and James Hilty, Stephanie Goings, b’10, is a senior son, Kaden Charles Hilty, Feb. 11 in MARRIED auditor for the federal government. Her Lawrence. Jennifer is a cashier at Home Logan Blackburn, h’08, g’10, and Kelly home is in Lawrence. Depot, and James is a sales consultant at Underwood, c’10, Dec. 13 in KU’s Dan- Rebecca Hughey, c’10, works as a Laird Noller. forth Chapel. ey live in Mulvane. contract/budget analyst at Quintiles. She lives in Galveston, Texas. Jon Dahlfors, b’12, works as an BORN TO: Natalie Monson, c’10, coordinates 12 analyst at Guggenheim Partners in Eric, g’08, and Jordann Parsons Snow, research at Northwestern University in Santa Monica, California. c’08, daughter, Nora Adeline, Nov. 16 in Chicago, where she lives. Maj. Samuel Fuller, g’12, is an inter- Prairie Village. Kendal Reed, b’10, has been promoted agency fellow at the U.S. Department of to senior associate at Intervale, an energy- Commerce in Washington, D.C. He lives Brooke Badzin Fineman, b’09, focused private equity rm in Cambridge, in Fort George Meade, Maryland. 09 manages accounts for Intouch Massachusetts. He lives in Boston. Kelly Gerard, h’12, g’14, works as an Solutions in Chicago, where she and her Amanda Janssen Spell, j’10, co-founded applied public informatics fellow at husband, Nathan, live. Monroe Coee Roasters in Wichita, where Denver Health in Denver. Robyn Johnson, s’09, is an ACT mental she and her husband, Benjamin, live. Nathan Hickey, e’12, is a sta profes- health advocate for Development Centers Brett Stoecklein, p’10, is a clinical sional at Geotek in Las Vegas. Inc. She lives in South eld, Michigan. pharmacist for the emergency department Sharon Pruett, EdD’12, is an adjunct Aaron Landis, c’09, j’09, is a develop- and intensive care unit at Advocate professor at Baker University in Baldwin ment ocer at Habitat for Humanity. He Condell Medical Center in Libertyville, City. She lives in Atchison. and Taylor Wright Landis, j’07, live in Illinois. He and his wife, Sherri Torrecer, Kristen Sheahan, c’12, is a client inquiry Austin, Texas. live in Highland Park. lead at State Street in Kansas City. Elena Larson, d’09, manages Iron Tribe Eric Sidebottom, u’12, directs the band Fitness in Overland Park. She makes her Gabriel Engeland, g’11, became city at Prairie View High School in La Cygne. home in Olathe. 11 manager of Trinidad, Colorado, He lives in Louisburg. Blake Perkins, g’09, works as a senior earlier this year. Lisa VanHoose, PhD’12, chairs the design professional at HOK in San Dezeree Hodish, g’11, works as a scal department of physical therapy at Hamp- Francisco, where he lives. analyst at the Kansas Legislative Research ton University in Hampton, Virginia. Jose Villafana, j’09, is Latin America Department in Topeka. She commutes manager with P&H Casters. He lives in from Lawrence. MARRIED Dallas. Wesley Kimmel, c’11, is an associate Carolyn Fish, c’12, g’15, and Eric with the law rm of Foulston Siein in Wittman, e’12, Sept. 13 in Lawrence, BORN TO: Wichita, where he and Sara Exon, c’11, where they live. ey both work at Lauren Massey Butler, c’09, and Kevin, make their home. She’s a contract admin- Black & Veatch, where she’s an air

ISSUE 3, 2015 | 57 Class Notes The ﬁgurines adorning these pages are from Connie Peterson and the collection at the Adams Alumni Center.

quality specialist, and he’s a mechanical Stephanie Oswald, b’13, has become an Hoonhee Lee, c’14, is a sales and engineer. associate in the Kansas City oce of K marketing specialist at Daewoo Interna- Coe Isom. tional Corporation in Troy, Michigan. BORN TO: Francis Park, PhD’13, works at the Laci Leichliter, s’14, is a social worker Gina Emel, b’12, and Ryan Barrick, son, Center of Military History at Fort McNair and therapist at Goodland Family Elijah Wayne Barrick, Jan. 8 in Lawrence, in Washington, D.C. Health Center in Goodland, where where they live. Gina is group lead for Ashley Peaches, s’13, coordinates she lives. American Eagle Outtters in Ottawa, and community care for Metro Lutheran Carissa Miller, d’14, is a senior sales Ryan works at Amarr Garage Doors in Ministry-Wyandotte in Kansas City. consultant for the Arizona Diamondbacks. Lawrence. Sarah Kramer Pfeifer, l’13, works as a She lives in Scottsdale. court judicial assistant for the State of Douglas Reinert, g’14, is a park superin- Megan Boxberger, a’13, is a graphic Colorado. She and her husband, Ryan, live tendent for the city of Ottawa. 13 designer for Monkey Tag in Dallas. in Colorado Springs. Lauren Hipp, j’13, c’13, works as an SEO Erin Sampson Spurlock, c’13, is a Meredith Burke, c’15, works as a specialist with PlattForm Advertising in human resources assistant at Peoples 15 bioinformatics so ware specialist Lenexa. She lives in Kansas City. Bank. She and her husband, Brett, for KU’s Biodiversity Institute in Ryan Kaub, ’13, is a nurse at Lawrence c’09, live in Eudora. He’s director Lawrence. Memorial Hospital. He lives in Ottawa. of corporate communication at Julia Johnson, b’15, is an associate with Gen3 Technologies. ISN. She lives in Dallas. Hans Walther, e’13, owns Guided Ben McLemore, ’15, a guard for the Engineering and Research. He lives in Sacramento Kings, won the NBA Cares Lawrence. Community Assist Award in recognition of his charitable eorts. Jennifer Bates Klopp, ’14, works as Sarah Robbins, c’15, has signed with the 14 a nurse at Lawrence Memorial Portland orns FC of the National Hospital in Lawrence, where she and her Women’s Soccer League. Her home is in husband, Matthew, ’82, make their home. Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Quebec, Canada.

58 | KANSAS ALUMNI TO OUR LOYAL BENEFACTORS Thank You The success of Rock Chalk Ball results in large part from the generosity of our volunteers and benefactors. Thank you for your ardent support of Rock Chalk Ball 2015, the KU Alumni Association and the University of Kansas.

Oread Underwriters Johnston Fiss Insurance Kevin, a’79, a’80, and Brenda Je, c’06, and Heather Hawkins, ($10,000) McCown Gordon Construction Press Harden, j’81 j’06 Kansas Athletics Pegasus Capital Management LLC Bill Reetz, c’93, l’03, and Judy Craig, b’77, and Roxi Helphings- Dave, e’80, and Vyonne Roland Harris tine, j’76 Paxson, c’88, and Kelly St. Clair, Mark, d’78, and Ann Crump Christina, c’10, and James Hop- Rock Chalk Benefactors c’87, l’90 Jarboe, d’78 kins, c’11 ($5,000) Elizabeth Winetroub, d’71, g’73 Paul Homan, b’75, g’76, and Thomas Hubler, g’11 Cobalt Boats Paula Jakovac, d’75 Kansas City Royals KU Endowment University Friends ($1,250) J. Stephen, c’69, g’73, and Je, ’85, and Allison Long, b’85 Loyal Ole Alums Kimberly Lucas Christopher, j’72, and Mary Meis- Edwards Campus Michael, c’73, l’76, and Cindy inger O’Brien, d’72 KU Libraries O’Neal Lynn, c’74, m’77, and Deborah Jayhawk Benefactors KU Medical Center Rosita and Roger McCoy Boulware O’Neal, d’70, g’94 ($2,500) KU Memorial Unions Linda Ellis Sims, e’79, and Russ Karissa Smith Dr. Dan, c‘94, g’97, and Collette KU School of Business (2 tables) Sims Nick Sterner, b’07, c’07, and Cath- Bednarczyk and Matt, c’96, and KU School of Education Mary Ventura, d’73, g’77, and erine Bell, c’04, l’07 Susan Anderson KU School of Law Randy Sedlacek, ’79 Adam, b’07, and Hayley Wisnieski Ernst & Young KU School of Pharmacy Brandon Woodard, c’14 Intrust Bank KU Schools of Health Professions Andrew Wymore, ’04 Jayhawk IMG Sports Marketing & Nursing Table Hosts JE Dunn Oce of the Chancellor Christopher Angles, c’93, l’96 MBB, Muller Bressler + Brown Oce of the Provost John, b’73, and Cynthia Ballard Contributors D. Michael Nelson, b’78 Oce of Public Aairs Bob Site Ford Clay, b’65, and Janet Blair PGAV Architects Oce of Student Aairs Mary, ’94, and Derek Bridges, g’99 Taylor, p’88, g’90, and Lisa Burch, Ruf Commercial LLC The University of Kansas Cancer Wyatt Cobb, c’06 c’92 Slater Zorn Center Kristen Coady, j’05 Ned, b’71, g’72, and Janis Riss, f’72 Paul Cohen, b’05 Kellie, c‘06, and Tim Rogers Presidents Club Benefactors Crimson Couples ($500) Commerce Bank Del and Carol Shankel, ’68 Chancellors Club Deborah, j’86, and Tom Ward, ($2,250) Gregory, b’75, e’75, and Geralynn Christopher Dillman, c’88 b’80 Howard, b’79, and Debbi Cohen, Behm Barner, n’86 Kent, b’95, and Amy Fincham, assoc. Roberta Harding and William c’05 Frontier Wealth Management Bradley Jr., c77, l’80, Alaina Webster, c’04, and Mark John, j’81, l’84, and Suzanne Holt, Harry, e’64, g’66, and Becky Frutiger, b’01 l’84, with Brad Korell, l’97, and Gibson, d’64 Andrew Grim, b’11 Justin McNulty Lewis, c’75, and Laura Gregory, IMA, Inc. j’75 Lindsay Hare, c’02, l’05 In Memory Edmund Ahrens, c’50, 85, March 50s 4 in Overland Park. He worked for the Kansas Division of the Budget and the Legislative Research Department in Topeka. Surviving are two sons, Cameron, Mary Bure Sainick, c’38, 97, whom is Janae Feese Sims, c’85; two c’80, and Chris, l’81; two daughters, seven 30sFeb. 13 in Long Beach, California, stepdaughters; and ve grandchildren. grandchildren; and six where she was a retired teacher. Two sons, Monte Robbins Reese Flannery, c’40, great-grandchildren. a daughter and ve grandchildren survive. 95, June 7, 2014, in Lawrence, where she e Rev. Robert Alpers, c’55, 79, May Eugene Trice, c’33, 103, Dec. 13 in was a retired teacher. A memorial has been 31, 2014, in Hendersonville, North Kansas City. He had a 40-year career as a established with KU Endowment. She is Carolina, where he was retired aer a pastor in the United Methodist Church. survived by three daughters, Lee Reese 55-year career as a pastor in the United Surviving are twin sons, ve grandchil- Henry, c’68, Sue Reese Hopkins, c’70, and Church of Christ. He is survived by his dren, several great-grandchildren and Virginia Reese Schneider, ’74; two wife, Dorothy; two sons, one of whom is several great-great-grandchildren. stepsons, Joseph Flannery, j’72, and Robert Steve, p’85; two daughters; a stepson; and Flannery, ’69; seven grandchildren; and seven grandchildren. Bethel Reimer Boles, c’45, m’48, seven great-grandchildren. Robert Banks, c’51, m’55, 85, March 14 40s90, Feb. 1 in San Bruno, Califor- Leonard Hieber, e’48, 91, Jan. 29 in Port in Paola, where he was a retired physician. nia, where she was a retired physician. She Charlotte, Florida. He was a retired He is survived by his wife, Shirley Smith is survived by two sons, four grandchil- engineer with Caterpillar Tractor Com- Banks, ’52; four sons, three of whom are dren and a great-granddaughter. pany. Surviving are his wife, Carolee Robert, d’76, Lawrence, e’77, and Donald, Harry “Britt” Brown Jr., c’46, 87, Jan. 26 Fausett Hieber, ’47; a son; two grandsons; e’81, m’88; 11 grandchildren; and two in Wichita, where he was retired owner and two great-grandchildren. great-granddaughters. and chairman of the board of the Wichita Walter “Gene” Linthicum, b’48, 90, Feb. Dan Henry Bowser, g’54, 89, Feb. 28 in Eagle & Beacon Publishing Company. He 5 in Pinehurst, North Carolina, where he Kansas City, where he was known profes- is survived by two daughters, Cathy Brown was a retired U.S. Navy captain. He is sionally as Dan Henry, the longtime Hedlund, j’73, and Cynthia Brown survived by his wife, Carol, a son, a weatherman for WDAF-TV. Two sons, a Burgess, d’73, g’75; two sons, Bruce, j’76, daughter, a sister and ve grandchildren. daughter and four grandchildren survive. and Britt, ’74; nine grandchildren; and ve Betty Gaines Murﬁn, ’44, 92, Feb. 27 in Bill Brooks, c’54, 84, March 11 in great-grandchildren. Wichita. She is survived by two daughters, Lawrence, where he was a retired oil and Charles Burns, b’49, 89, March 16 in one of whom is Barbara Mur n Murphy, gas subsurface geologist. He is survived by Atlanta, where he was a retired executive b’72; a son, David, e’75, b’75; 10 grandchil- his wife, Grace Endacott Brooks, f’53; two at General Motors. He is survived by his dren; and 13 great-grandchildren. daughters; a sister; and four wife, Joann Clough Burns, d’49; two Nancy Abel Spence, c’44, 91, Dec. 11 in grandchildren. daughters; a brother, Allan, b’47; and three Colorado Springs. ree sons, a daughter, Celia Kilgore Brown, c’53, 83, Feb. 7 in granddaughters. six grandchildren and two great-grand- Overland Park. She is survived by two Gerald Clausing, b’42, 94, Feb. 24 in children survive. sons, John III, c’80, m’84, and Michael, Fort Belvoir, Virginia, where he was a Adrea Hinkel Sperry, c’49, 87, Dec. 17 c’87; two daughters, Melinda Brown, c’83, retired lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army in Bottineau, North Dakota. She had been m’87, and Susan Brown Derrington, j’84; and a former social studies teacher. He is secretary/treasurer at Sperry Brothers and six grandchildren. survived by his wife, Winifred Hargrove Apiaries and is survived by her husband, Irwin Brown Jr., ’56, 86, March 1 in Clausing, ’43; a son; and four Kenneth, d’50; two sons; a daughter; a Ruskin, Florida. He had a career in news grandchildren. brother; two granddaughters; and four journalism and also had owned a tavern. Katherine Heck Dieterich, ’41, 96, great-grandchildren. Surviving are two sons, one of whom is March 4 in Ottawa, where she volunteered Frances Sewell Wartman, n’46, 82, Feb. Irwin III, ’82; a daughter, Alison Brown at Ransom Memorial Hospital. Among 5 in Bremerton, Washington. She is Boston, j’88; and ve grandchildren. survivors are two sons, one of whom is survived by two sons, two daughters, Robert Brown, ’51, 88, Feb. 25 in Perry. Dale Jr., assoc.; a brother, Emil Heck Jr., seven grandchildren, a great-granddaugh- He co-owned Brown Brothers Construc- assoc.; and six grandchildren. ter and a great-great-granddaughter. tion and later Valley West Galleries. Mason Feese, b’49, 91, Feb. 14 in Robert Wyne, e’49, 86, Feb. 10 in Surviving are a son, Craig, ’79; a daughter, Leawood, where he was retired rst vice Huntsville, Alabama, where he worked for Cindy, f’81; a sister, Barbara Brown president at Stifel Nicolaus. He is survived Rockwell International. He is survived by Nesser, ’51; two grandchildren; and three by his wife, Joyce Gregory Feese, assoc.; a his wife, Pat, a daughter, a son and four great-grandchildren. son, Greg, j’93; two daughters, one of grandchildren. Joan Worley Conkey, d’56, 80, Feb. 5 in

60 | KANSAS ALUMNI Brownsville, Texas, where she had been a in Lawrence. She is survived by a son, insurance business. He is survived by two chemical dependency counselor. She is Patrick, c’77, m’80; two daughters, Janice, sons, Kevin, ’84, and Gregory, c’86. survived by a daughter, Debra Conkey ’82, and Sharon, ’85; a sister; and two Gilbert Novak, e’57, g’98, 84, Feb. 25 in Arnold, ’74; two grandchildren; and three grandchildren. Kansas City, where he was an architect. great-grandchildren. Gregory Johnson, c’57, 82, Feb. 14 in Surviving are his wife, Donna, three Monte “Gene” Cox, d’51, g’56, 85, Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, where he was a daughters, ve grandchildren and three March 11 in Phoenix, where he was a retired civil engineer. He is survived by his great-grandchildren. retired football and track coach. He is wife, Violeta; two daughters; a son; two Jim Olander, b’50, 87, Feb. 18 in survived by his wife, Jane Semple Cox, brothers; a sister, Diane Johnson Weil, Wichita, where he was president of d’52; three sons; two brothers, Ray, d’57, c’51; and ve grandchildren. Olander Construction. He is survived by g’63, and Dennis, c’71, a’74; four grand- John Kane, e’56, 80, March 22 in his wife, Carol Forbes Olander, ’53; a son, children; and a great-grandson. Bartlesville, Oklahoma, where he was a Kenneth, b’77; two daughters, one of Laura Shutz Cray, c’54, 82, Jan. 19 in partner in Kane Enterprises and owner of whom is Pam Olander Bruce, d’79; seven Overland Park. She helped found Kane Cattle Company. In 1991, he grandchildren; and ve Highlawn Montessori School in Prairie received KU Alumni Association’s Fred great-grandchildren. Village. She is survived by a son; a Ellsworth Medallion honoring his service Bruce Rider, b’58, 78, Jan. 23 in Rock- daughter, Susanne Slough Bryan, ’84; two to the University, which included terms as ville, Maryland, where he was retired from stepsons, one of whom is omas Cray, director and president of the Alumni the American Bankers Association. He is ’86; a stepdaughter, Patty Cray Mach, c’80; Association and trustee of KU Endow- survived by his wife, Patricia Fountain a brother, Byron Schutz, c’49; two sisters; ment. He also was active in church and Rider, c’59; two sons; and three and three grandchildren. civic aairs. Survivors include his wife, grandchildren. Kenneth Davidson, e’56, 80, Jan. 7 in Elizabeth “Betty” Burke Kane, c’59; two Carol Stutz Schmidt, d’55, g’69, 82, Centennial, Colorado, where he was a sons, one of whom is John, c’82; three March 14 in Topeka, where she was retired retired engineer. He is survived by his daughters, one of whom is Kathleen Kane board secretary of Stutz and Company. She wife, Barbara, two daughters, a son, a Donoghue, b’85; a brother, Henry, c’61; is survived by her husband, Eugene, ’75; brother and nine grandchildren. and numerous grandchildren and two stepdaughters, Sheryl Schmidt JoAnn Hoover Franke, ’54, 82, Jan. 23 in great-grandchildren. Speelman, d’80, and Suzanne Schmidt Hutchinson, where she was a substitute William Laughlin, b’58, 79, Dec. 13 in Peterson, c’88; a stepson, Stephen, ’79; a teacher and an administrative assistant at Colorado Springs. He is survived by his brother, Robert Stutz, c’53, g’57, PhD’61; Mass Mutual Life Insurance. She is wife, Sue Bye Laughlin, d’58; a daughter; a ve grandchildren; and a survived by her husband, Roger, b’56; and son; and two grandchildren. great-granddaughter. a daughter, Cindy Jo Franke, j’83. Dean Matthews Jr., e’56, 80, March 2 in Nancy Teed Shears, c’54, 82, Dec. 13 in Nancy Munger Hamilton, c’54, 82, Feb. Sammamish, Washington, where was Hutchinson, where she was retired senior 20 in Bellingham, Washington. She is retired from Matthews Associates. He is vice president at First National Bank. A survived by her husband, Robert, c’53, survived by his wife, Lynn, two daughters, daughter and four granddaughters survive. m’56; two sons; a daughter; and four a stepdaughter, a stepson, two brothers, Dwight Thompson Jr., ’50, 87, Feb. 21 in grandchildren. eight grandchildren and four Wichita. He is survived by two stepsons Bernard Hansan, c’54, 83, March 9 in stepgrandchildren. and a brother, Willard, b’51, l’58. Muncie, Indiana, where he was a stockbro- Irwin “Stub” Messer, p’50, 91, Dec. 22 James Thompson, b’51, 87, Jan. 20 in ker. Surviving are his wife, Nancy, a son, in Pratt, where he had owned Messer Prairie Village, where he was retired from two daughters and two grandchildren. Drug. Surviving are a son, two daughters, 40 years in the insurance business. Herbert Hauﬂer, e’59, 76, April 14, 2014 six grandchildren and two Robert Walmer, c’50, l’52, 88, March 9 in Richardson, Texas, where he was a great-grandchildren. in Leawood, where he was former claims retired senior project manager with Lucent Larry Moyer, b’59, 77, March 20 in adjuster for Employers Insurance of Technologies. He is survived by three Pratt, where he was a retired teacher. Two Wausau. He is survived by his wife, daughters; two sons; a brother, Walter, sisters survive. Virginia Nichols Walmer, ’50; two e’55; a sister, Marie Hauer Wudtke, d’64; Jack Murray, b’58, 81, March 13 in daughters, one of whom is Colette Walmer 11 grandchildren; and two Mission, where he was retired from the Majerle, c’77; a son; four grandchildren; stepgrandchildren. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. He is and two great-grandchildren. Marilyn Evans Hill, c’59, 76, Sept. 9 in survived by his wife, Judith; a son; a Willard Washington, c’59, 86, Jan. 9 in Colorado Springs. She is survived by a daughter, Jill Murray Folsom, ’94; a sister; Potomac, Maryland. He had been a senior daughter; a son; a brother, Ellis Evans, and ve grandchildren. forensic chemist with the Bureau of d’58; and a granddaughter. Miles Nichols, c’53, 83, Jan. 25 in Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. A Denni Wade Hughes, c’53, 83, Feb. 26 Lenexa, where he was retired from the daughter survives.

ISSUE 3, 2015 | 61 In Memory

Patricia White, c’52, 83, Dec. 18. She Bruce Null, e’65, g’69, 74, Feb. 8 in J.E. Bungard, g’70, g’71, PhD’85, 71, lived in Patterson, New York, where she Williamsburg, Virginia. He is survived by Dec. 27 in Mililani, Hawaii. He was a was a retired computer specialist at Draper his wife, Victoria; a son; a sister, Margery former pastor and a professor of religion Labs. Several nieces and nephews survive. Null Jenkins, d’55; and a granddaughter. and American studies at the University of Thomas White, b’51, 85, Oct. 12 in Marnita Cusman Oliver, d’62, 74, Sept. Hawaii-West Oahu. Surviving are his wife, Leawood, where he was a retired claims 4 in Littleton, Colorado. She is survived by Karin, a son and seven sisters. attorney for Amoco Oil. He is survived by her husband, Jay, p’53; two daughters; a Thomas Dunaway, e’70, 68, March 2 in two daughters, Brenda, c’87, and Sondra sister; and three grandchildren. Camarillo, California. He had a career White Troup, c’89; a son, Bryan, c’91, l’94; James Sander Jr., b’68, 71, Feb. 24 in with the USGS and the U.S. Minerals and four grandchildren. Colorado Springs, where he owned Utes Management Service. A son, three Grace Gwinner Zimmerman, b’50, 86, Lanes Bowling Center. Earlier he had been daughters and two grandchildren survive. Feb. 23 in Prairie Village. She is survived CFO for University Medical Center in Las Johnny Freeman, g’71, 72, Jan. 31 in by her husband, Joe; a daughter, Jane Vegas. Surviving are his wife, Rose, assoc.; Roswell, Georgia, where he was retired Zimmerman, f’76; a son; four grandsons; two sons; three sisters; and six from a career in school administration. He and a great-grandson. grandchildren. is survived by a son, three daughters, a Michael Shinn, e’66, 72, March 17 in brother and two sisters. Richard “Rob” Amerine, d’65, 72, Shaker Heights, Ohio, where he was a Thomas Kelly, EdD’71, 77, Feb. 5 in 60sFeb. 26 in Kansas City. Among certi ed nancial planner with Shinn Palm Desert, California, where he was survivors are a son and his sister, Rochelle Financial Services. Earlier he had worked retired from a 40-year career in higher Amerine Waugh, ’69. for General Electric and Ford Motor education. He is survived by his wife, Sister Melba Beine, c’68, 69, Feb. 27 in Company. He had received KU Alumni Helen, two daughters, a son, a sister and Adrian, Michigan, where she was a retired Association’s Fred Ellsworth Medallion in three grandchildren. physician. A sister, Caryl Hines, survives. 2004 and the University’s Distinguished Barbara Klassen, c’76, 64, Feb. 1 in Edwin Burton, g’68, 85, Jan. 24 in Engineering Service Award in 2008. He Silver Plume, Colorado, where she was Stilwell, where he was retired from Black served as a KU Endowment trustee and lead librarian with the Bureau of Land & Veatch. He is survived by his wife, Betty; School of Engineering Advisory Board Management Library at the Federal Center a son, James, c’81, e’01; two sisters; and member. He and his wife founded the in Lakewood. She is survived by her two grandchildren. Mike Shinn Scholars program for minori- husband, Joe, and a sister, Kathleen Edward “Sandy” Cahill, d’64, 74, March ties in engineering at KU. Surviving are his Brown, d’71. 17 in Lee’s Summit, Missouri, where he wife, Joyce, assoc., and a son. Paula Plumer Kramer, f’73, 64, March 7 was a retired teacher and coach. Surviving Dwight Wallace, b’68, l’71, 68, Feb. 11 in Basehor, where she was a voice teacher are his wife, Regina, two daughters and in Wichita, where he was a partner in and a professional singer. A memorial has ve grandchildren. Martin, Pringle, Oliver, Wallace & Bauer. been established with KU Endowment. Thomas Herrmann, b’68, 69, Feb. 3 in He is survived by his wife, Linda Klein- She is survived by her husband, Du Wayne Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he had owned schmidt Wallace, c’69, g’71; three sons, Jr., b’72; a son; a daughter, Kelli Kramer several companies. He is survived by his two of whom are Matthew, e’96, and Jackman, g’03, Phd’07; and a wife, Chris Steinmitz Herrmann, ’71; three Benjamin, g’98; a brother, Wayne, b’62, granddaughter. sons, one of whom is Jerey, b’05, g’06; a l’65; a sister, Kay Wallace, b’71, g’74; and Michael “Mickey” McClure, c’79, 61, daughter; and ve grandchildren. four grandchildren. March 6 in Topeka. He worked for the U.S. William Markman, d’65, 90, March 5 in Ira Winarsky, a’65, 72, Jan. 4 in Archer, Postal Service. Among survivors are his Lenexa, where he was a retired teacher. He Florida. He was a professor emeritus of mother, Mary Ann Wolf McClure, d’52; is survived by his wife, Joan Worthington architecture at the University of Florida in two sisters, Cynthia McClure, s’94, and Markman, d’55; a son, Richard, d’80; and Gainesville. A sister and a brother survive. Laura McClure Nash, ’73; and two two grandchildren. brothers, David, c’78, l’85, g’89, and Scott, James Martin, d’65, 72, Feb. 9 in Virginia Certain Beene, c’74, 81, c’86. Overland Park, where he was a nancial 70sFeb. 3 in Lawrence, where she was Peter “Skip” Nagrodski, g’79, 63, March planner. He is survived by his wife, Ruth; a director of Christian education and care 9 in Puyallup, Washington, where he was a son, Georey, c’92, g’94; two stepsons; and pastor at First Christian Church. She is retired teacher. He is survived by his wife, a granddaughter. survived by her husband, Doug, c’56; three Shari, a son, a daughter and two Gray Montgomery, j’69, 67, Aug. 2 in daughters, Sharon Beene Gardner, b’79, grandchildren. Aurora, Colorado, where he had been a g’80, Leslie Beene Ahlert, ’85, and Carolyn Brian Salvay, l’78, 61, March 11 in lodging manager for U.S. Foodservice and Beene Johannsen, ’80; a son, Steven, b’87, Woodridge, New York. He had owned earlier was a major-account manager for g’89; 10 grandchildren and ve Platinum Abstract and Title Corporation Alliant Food Service. A daughter survives. great-grandchildren. in Monsey and is survived by his wife,

62 | KANSAS ALUMNI Loretta Goodman Salvay, ’79; six sons; two Anthony Bernal II, f’03, 35, Kaufman, d’77; a son, John, d’75; nine daughters; his mother; a brother, Craig, 00s March 2 in Kansas City. He lived grandchildren; and six ’78; and eight grandchildren. in Shawnee and is survived by his parents, great-grandchildren. Mark Schuler, f’73, 63, Feb. 5 in a sister, his grandparents and a Elden Tet, f’49, g’50, 95, Feb. 17 in Overland Park. A memorial has been great-grandmother. Lawrence, where he was a professor established with KU Endowment. Derek Zarda, j’09, c’09, 30, Jan. 30 in emeritus of art. Among his sculptures are He is survived by two daughters, one of Taiwan, where he taught English at the two iconic statues on the KU campus, the whom is Evin Schuler Felix, f’06; his Taipei Language Institute. Among Academic Jay outside Strong Hall and father, Charles, e’48; his mother; a sister, survivors are his mother, Kathy Gunder- Moses outside Smith Hall. A son, Kim, Kim Schuler Wright, ’84; and three son Zarda, c’75, d’76; his father; a sister, f’80, and four grandchildren survive. grandchildren. Heidi, d’12; and a brother, Christopher, Virginia England Tucker, 84, March 16 Suzanne McComas Williams, d’72, 65, c’04. in Olathe. She had been a professor of Feb. 22 in Topeka, where she was a retired pediatric medicine at the KU School teacher. She is survived by her husband, THE UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY of Medicine and is survived by three David, d’74; a son; two brothers, Raymond Myrta Anderson, c’50, g’56, PhD’70, siblings. McComas, d’70, and Stephen McComas, 90, Feb. 11 in Wichita. She was a professor Barbara Fisher Ashton Waggoner, g’68, j’72; and three granddaughters. of political science at Baker University and 94, Feb. 22 in Lawrence, where she was an also had taught at KU. She retired from the adjunct lecturer and research associate in Randy Staley, d’84, 55, March 17 Kansas Legislative Research Department. Latin American studies. A memorial has 80s in North Charleston, South Robert Anderson, 71, Feb. 5 in Law- been established with KU Endowment. Carolina. He was a teacher. Surviving are rence, where he was a retired associate She is survived by a son, omas Ashton his wife, Claire Boston-Staley, d’85, d’86; professor of French at KU. Two sons and a III, c’68, l’71; a daughter, Jennifer Ashton- his parents; a daughter; and a son. granddaughter survive. Lilo, c’71, g’73; two stepdaughters, Jane Linda Farhart Varberg, g’86, 54, March Roderick Bradley, c’45, m’47, 91, Jan. 31 Waggoner Deschner, c’69, and Sarah 8 in Lawrence, where she had worked with in Overland Park, where he was retired Waggoner Homan, c’75; eight grandchil- the education outreach program at the a er 35 years of teaching at the KU School dren; and 12 great-grandchildren. Community Mercantile. She is survived by of Medicine-Wichita. He is survived by his Ronald Willis, 79, March 6 in Lawrence, her husband, John, g’88; two sons, Joe, ’11, wife, Shirley Robinson Bradley, assoc.; two where he was a KU professor emeritus of and Byron, assoc.; her father; and two daughters, Sharyl Bradley Kinney, c’75, theatre. He taught at KU from 1970 until sisters. and Karen Bradley Cook, b’77; two sons, retiring in 2000. A memorial has been one of whom is Scott, b’81; six grandchil- established with KU Endowment. Surviv- Tracy Pieper Brown, b’91, 50, Feb. dren; and three great-grandchildren. ing are his wife, Marie Willis, g’92; three 90s10 in Wilmington, North Caro- Roy Gridley, c’57, 79, March 2 in sons, two of whom are Jerey, c’80, g’87, lina, where she was a banker and a Lawrence, where he was a professor and Craig, ’87; a sister; nine grandchil- nancial planner. She is survived by her emeritus of English at KU. He is survived dren; and three great-grandchildren. husband, Michael; a daughter; her mother; by his wife, Marilyn Leidig Gridley, c’57, and two sisters, Kristen Pieper O’Keefe, g’76, PhD’86; two sons, Karl, c’85, and ASSOCIATES c’89, and Melanie Pieper Zuanich, ’92. Mark, ’88; a brother; a sister, Imajean Robert Kennedy, 58, March 9 in Erdice Cooper Court, g’92, 77, Jan. 27 in Gridley Barta, d’67; and two Overland Park, where was a CPA and a Appleton, Wisconsin. She taught at granddaughters. nancial adviser. He is survived by his Murray State University in Murray, Thorkil Jensen, 96, Feb. 3 in Overland wife, Debra Dicus Kennedy, d’80; a Kentucky, and had worked at the Ameri- Park, where he was a professor emeritus of daughter, Elizabeth, c’11; two sons, can Embassy in Moscow. Surviving are a microbiology at KU Medical Center. A one of whom is omas, b’12, g’13; son; a daughter, Kerry Court ompson, memorial has been established with KU his mother, Dorothy, d’54; two sisters, g’92; and six grandchildren. Endowment. He is survived by his wife, Carol Kennedy Johnson, b’77, and Amelia Stewart Hankins, g’98, 65, Lorraine, a daughter, four grandchildren Katherine Kennedy Chalfant, j’81; and March 10 in Kansas City. She was a retired and ve great-grandchildren. three brothers, James, c’85, Donald, c’87, assistant principal at Olathe South High George Mastio, c’48, m’53, 89, Feb. 2 in and William, j’92. School. Surviving are a daughter, a son, Wichita, where he was a clinical assistant Beverly McLean, 93, Dec. 3 in San two sisters, a brother and six professor of surgery at the KU School of Marino, California. She had been execu- grandchildren. Medicine. A memorial has been estab- tive secretary for the president of Cyprus Timothy Waters, b’93, 45, March 13 in lished with KU Endowment. He is Copper Mines. Her twin sister survives. Gardner. He had been eet manager for JB survived by two daughters, Ann Mastio Hunt. His parents and a brother survive. Bauer, c’73, d’75, and Katie Mastio

ISSUE 3, 2015 | 63 Rock Chalk Review COURTESY JULIE GREEN (4) COURTESY Indiana 14 March 2001

German ravioli and chicken dumplings prepared by his mother and prison dietary sta.

Food for thought HaLam Painter’s depictions of death-row meals spark capital punishment debate

ulie Green’s exhibition “ e Last in an e-mail. “Contradictions inspire me.” JSupper: 600 Plates Illustrating Final She began to collect newspaper accounts Meals of U.S. Death Row Inmates” focuses of executions, which usually include on a grim ritual of capital punishment to details of a prisoner’s last meal. When provoke a conversation about the death those details were missing, she sometimes penalty in America. called prisons to learn them. She looked On white ceramic plates of varying into the historic record to gather accounts Each of the more than 600 plates in painter Julie shapes and sizes, Green, professor of art at of older meals, too. Green’s exhibition “The Last Supper” depicts the Oregon State University, paints in cobalt “I wonder about this ritual to oer a ﬁnal meal requested by an executed prisoner. blue pigment the last meals requested by choice of a last meal prior to an execution,” Green spends six months on the project each condemned prisoners. Green says. “For me, art can be a medita- year and vows to keep painting until the death She began the project aer reading in tion. Painting can provide time to reect penalty is abolished. her morning paper about a meal requested on things that don’t make sense.” by an Oklahoma prisoner executed by Green is hoping her exhibition, which in lethal injection. e condemned man’s April wrapped up a two-month run at the nal menu (“three fried chicken thighs, 10 Dayton Art Institute at the University of points,” she says. Some criticize her for or 15 shrimp, tater tots with ketchup, two Dayton and in May begins a three-month focusing on inmates rather than victims, slices of pecan pie, strawberry ice cream, stay at the Mary and Leigh Block Museum but the dialogue itself is “most important” honey and biscuits and a Coke”) followed of Art at Northwestern University, inspires she says. “It seems healthy for our country a detailed physical description of his nal debate about the death penalty. She to be having this conversation.” moments. Green was struck by the supplies comment books to encourage “ e comment book is amazing,” says contrast between life-giving food and museumgoers to share their thoughts Elliott Reickert, curator of special projects death-dealing drugs. about the art and the issue. at the Block Museum. He recently toured “I’m 53, have a shaved head, and wear “Oen there are several hundred the Dayton show in preparation for its lipstick and pearls,” Green, f’83, g’96, said responses, with a wide range of view- arrival at Northwestern. “It’s like a paper

64 | KANSAS ALUMNI version of an online forum: so many for Wrongful Convictions contributed to a people writing their thoughts, really long 2000 decision by then-Gov. George Ryan essays and reections, people commenting to suspend executions. Illinois halted the on each other’s comments. It’s an exciting death penalty in 2011. dialogue in this little notebook.” Green would like to see more decisions Green’s husband, Clay Lohmann, a like that nationwide. painter and quiltmaker, looks at every “I generally paint 50 plates a year, and piece and o en makes suggestions. Her plan to do so until we no longer have technical adviser, Toni Acock, res each capital punishment,” she says. “I hope to plate in a 1,400-degree kiln. Many of the end the project sooner than later.” stark blue-on-white compositions include She has at least one convert already. brief passages of text, and each carries a “My mother used to support capital title that includes the location and date of punishment. Now she doesn’t. If you can the execution. Not included are names of change your mom,” Green says, “you can Indiana 05 May 2007 inmates or victims. change the world.” Pizza and birthday cake shared with 15 family e rst impression, on seeing 600 —Steven Hill and friends. A prison ocial said “He told us plates mounted on a museum wall, he never had a birthday cake so we ordered a Reickert says, is of the “sheer human cost birthday cake for him.” of the death penalty.” Viewing single plates leads to thoughts about the individual Hunt resumes people involved, with the contents of the meals oering hints to the socioeconomic KU physicists upgrade detector background and personal experiences of as supercollider ﬁres anew each prisoner. Among the more evocative plates is an oval platter depicting a hile the Large Hadron Collider goes birthday cake and pizza beneath ve lines Wthrough the early stages of reigni- of text: “He never had a birthday cake, so tion a er a two-year maintenance hiatus, we ordered a birthday cake for him.” KU physicists, postdoctoral researchers, “Your eyes toggle in and out between and graduate and undergraduate students the mass display and the individual plates,” are tuning their “pixel detector,” a key Reickert says. “She really reframes the piece of the supercollider’s exploration Texas 29 February 2012 issue around the human costs, and by of the mysteries of particle physics. leaving out a lot of information she e KU scientists led the team that Same meal as rest of unit: barbecued chicken, beans, potato salad, and yellow cake with activates our imagination. I found myself designed, built and maintained a chocolate icing. wondering who these individuals are. It high-speed data analysis system at the develops a kind of heart of the curiosity which isn’t too 14,000-

dierent from empathy. It PUPPE STEVE metric-ton relies on the spectator to Compact Muon draw their own Solenoid (CMS) conclusions.” detector. CMS Dayton Art Institute is one of two made Green’s exhibition detectors respon- part of a citywide conver- sible for the sation on human rights, thrilling discovery faith and reason. e in 2012—four Block Museum is planning years a er the a summerlong series of debut of the events connecting the art 17-mile-long Large to Northwestern’s law and Hadron Collider, journalism schools, which straddling the Indiana 14 March 2001 have been involved in border of France German ravioli and chicken dumplings prepared death penalty issues: Work and Switzerland— by his mother and prison dietary sta. by the law school’s Center Bean of a subatomic

ISSUE 3, 2015 | 65 Rock Chalk Review

particle closely resembling the elusive away 99.99999 percent of the pictures and at Ball State University, and KU psychol- “Higgs boson,” essentially conrming the record only about 100 to 200 a second.” ogy doctoral students Kaylee Newby and hypothesis of an elementary particle in the Current upgrades to the detector are an Cynthia Taylor to survey about 300 people Standard Model of particle physics. early step for the KU team as it prepares to from across the United States on their “I can never tell you that we’ve discov- design and build a replacement system for attitudes toward severe weather. ered the Higgs boson,” says Alice Bean, installation in 2017. While 85 percent of respondents professor of physics and astronomy and “We’re very excited to start taking data reported having some fear of weather, one of the lead researchers on KU’s CMS at this new energy level because it’s about 10 percent rated their fear levels as pixel detector [“A big hit,” Rock Chalk opening up a whole new realm,” Bean says. “extreme” or “quite a bit.” Review, issue No. 4, 2008]. “I can tell you “ ere’s some interesting questions about “We all have to be cautious,” Multon that what we’ve discovered seems pretty things that don’t make sense, and we’re says. “But when your reaction is so intense clear it’s the Higgs boson. No one will ever trying to gure out whether there’s that you’re changing how you normally know with 100-percent certainty, but since something new out there.” live to avoid the threat, that’s a problem.” that time we took three or four times more —Chris Lazzarino e collaborators published their study data, and all of the evidence that we have in the Bulletin of the American Meteoro- points to, yes, this is the particle that was logical Society and presented it last August predicted as part of the Standard Model.” at the Washington, D.C., conference of the e upgraded Large Hadron Collider When storms strike American Psychological Association. and its 10,000 magnets will generate When the research made its way into massively higher energy levels once it is Newly identiﬁed phobia morphs mainstream news outlets, many suerers fully functional again this summer. at healthy respect for weather of severe-weather phobia reached out with means KU’s pixel detector must sort into life-altering fear stories of their own struggles. through massively higher amounts of data. A Midwestern man reported that his “Our detector is performing exquisitely ear of severe weather is both natural fear of thunderstorms is so severe that he well,” Bean says. “And now with the data Fand healthy. But for some, necessary drives hundreds of miles to ee the threat, rate increasing, it’s a continuing process of caution develops into a debilitating, straining his new marriage. Multon heard improving the soware and computing to full-blown phobia, according to the rst from a colleague who said her counseling actually analyze the data. ere’s 40 weather phobia study of its kind. group for post-traumatic million pictures a second that we are Karen Multon, professor of stress disorder includes taking with this approximately 100 counseling psychology, teamed a severe-weather megapixel camera, so that’s a lot of work to with her daughter, Jill Coleman, phobia suerer who gure out how you are going to throw associate professor of geography didn’t know where else to turn. “Looking at treatment options STEVE PUPPE STEVE and making recommendations to psychologists is ultimately what my goal would be,” Multon says. She also is developing an “easy measure for crisis workers to identify those most vulnerable to prolonged and severe reactions” aer severe events such as tornadoes, hurricanes and oods. “Of course you’re going to be scared and fearful if your house is damaged or gone, but some people are more resilient and they’ll bounce back. ey’ll call the insurance company and get things set and get through the whole crisis, while for others it will impact for years. Identifying those people and getting them in treat- Newby, Multon and Taylor ment earlier would be helpful.”

66 | KANSAS ALUMNI e research originated in a proposal from Newby and Taylor to study phobias related to trauma. Multon cautioned that PUPPE STEVE the topic needed to be narrowed, so she suggested weather-induced fears. A search turned up just one academic study on the topic, from the early 2000s, and it was Wayne Sailor and limited to students at the University of Amy McCart say an Iowa, resulting in no demographic or integrated teaching geographic breadth. Coleman, a climatolo- model beneﬁts the gist and geographer who studies how learning and academic weather patterns aect people, used her skills to broaden the reach. achievement of all e researchers say television and social students, even those media’s thirst for dramatizing weather— without disabilities. such as the Weather Channel hyping storms by branding them with names— fuels some of the fears. Preparedness is a good rst step in school reform known as the Schoolwide available resources to help all students. confronting severe-weather phobia, Applications Model, or SAM. e model “Special education is a clear example,” Multon says, and she suggests suerers uses learning principles that can be explains Sailor. “In lots of schools, it’s a start by writing down plans for nding applied to and benet all students, even self-contained system. It has its own shelter at home, work or when caught in a those without disabilities. budget, its own kids and teachers.” car out in a storm. “ e advance of our research was that it An educational framework that dis- “Avoidance doesn’t count,” Multon says. enabled those kids with disabilities to solves those “silos” and encourages “No matter where you are, there’s going to benet from more fully integrated, collaborative teaching at all grade levels be some kind of severe-weather issue.” inclusive education, but also beneted the would help alleviate that problem. —Chris Lazzarino general education kids,” says Sailor, g’67, McCart also notes that it’s important to PhD’70. get “all hands on deck” when assisting and Backed by the positive results of their supporting schools. at means enlisting research eorts, Sailor and McCart, c’88, all school sta as well as families to Silos no more g’98, PhD’03, developed the SWIFT participate in the teaching and learning Center, an expansion of SAM, which process. Full inclusion in the classroom assists and supports kindergarten through “People who work in the cafeteria are beneﬁts students of all abilities, eighth-grade schools nationwide in not just responsible for preparing lunch, KU researchers conclude adopting a full-inclusion model of but they help implement positive behavior teaching. e center was funded with a interventions and support,” McCart says. ve-year, $24.5 million grant—the largest “We have support sta paraprofessionals or years, the so-called “norm” in in KU history. engaged in helping students in small group Fclassrooms nationwide has been to e goals of the SWIFT Center are settings with additional reading enhance- segregate special education students from ongoing and include identifying and ments. We have everyone. Everyone’s general education students. Now, research- supporting select schools, districts and involved.” ers at KU insist it’s time to move away states across the country to help transform Sailor points out, however, that in order from that outdated teaching model and their educational practices; expanding that to truly implement sustainable transfor- implement one that benets all students. eort nationwide; and building a knowl- mation in schools, the school districts and Over the past 10 years, Wayne Sailor, edge bank of resources and tools to benet states must nurture the process and professor of special education and director schools that are interested in adopting this remain dedicated to implementing of the Schoolwide Integrated Framework new way of education. e center cur- changes in multiple schools. for Transformation (SWIFT) Center, and rently works with 67 schools in 16 districts “We’re very interested in making sure Amy McCart, associate research professor in ve states. when we leave, the states and districts and director of technical assistance for the One of the most challenging obstacles we’re working with now have the capacity center, conducted research in inner city, Sailor and McCart face when transforming to do what we’ve done,” he says. “Our job low-performing schools across the country a school is breaking down the fragmented is to set the process in motion.” and developed an approach to inclusive support “silos” and integrating the —Heather Biele

ISSUE 3, 2015 | 67 KU 150 Historical notes in celebration of the University’s sesquicentennial SPENCER RESEARCH LIBRARY (6) LIBRARY SPENCER RESEARCH

he May 7, 1982, journey Tfrom the Art and Design Building’s foundry at the west end of Jayhawk Boulevard to a Smith Hall perch was hardly the most arduous ever under- taken by Moses. Although short in distance, the trek lasted 15 years for Professor Emeritus Elden Te , f’49, g’50, who once described his 3,000-pound masterwork as “massive yet ethereal.” Te ’s own journey, itself massive yet ethereal, ended Feb. 17. He was 95. anks to “Moses,” Strong Hall’s “Academic Jay,” and the James Naismith statue he designed for the new DeBruce Center at Allen Field House, Te ’s journey will continue, as generations of Jayhawks pause and ponder the creators who came before. —Chris Lazzarino

68 | KANSAS ALUMNI

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