Kansas State University - Royal Purple Yearbook (Manhattan, KS)

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In a period of lightness and frivolity, the arts enjoyed a period of great success. Living groups competed in dance and drama in one of the predecessors of the present Y-Orpheum during the gay 20 ' s. ' Roaring 20V Affect All College Activities Forgetful of the war, which had so recently been fought, and unsuspecting of the depression which was to come, K-State students, as did all Americans, lived the Twenties to their fullest enjoyment. Crisis of the day ranged from the bloomer scan- dal, which brought national acclaim to the school, to the administration ' s attempts to ban the Brown Bull, a campus humor magazine. The bloomer crisis occurred in 1927 when Dean Mary Van Zile declared that no coed could attend a dance unless at- tired in bloomers. This brought such an uproar from the student body that several metropolitan papers printed coverage on the battle. The Brown Bull was censored when the admin- istration felt that its jokes were beginning to lean toward the risque. Serious pursuits of the students of the 20 ' s were preparing for the Ag Fair, the May Fete, the regular snake dances, and hazing pledges. Through this period of rebirth and gaiety, the school continued to grow in size and prestige. En- rollment passed the 4,000 mark for the first time in 1924. Further esteem came in 1928 when the Associ- ation of American Universities approved the College. Blushingly modest beauty was one of the trademarks of the period and fair queens were selected for every occasion. 29

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Following the crucial years of WW I, lighter living and prosperity returned to the campus. The motor cars, quite Annual May Day cele- brations gave the stu- dents an opportunity to welcome spring, the birds, and the flowers. The May Day Queen ruled the festivities as maidens danced and the May Pole was wound. a luxury for a student in the 1920 ' s, began to make its appearance as a vehicle of prestige and entertainment. 28

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Deprivations of the 1930 ' s brought hardships upon all, and especially those areas that needed expansion. The burn- ing of Denison in 1934 worsened the problem of crowded cl asses brought on by the halt of the building program. National Depression Halts K-State Growth The smiles that had prevailed disappeared rapidly as the effects of the depression spread. Among the hardest hit in the financial crisis were the state- supported institutions. The legislature tightened its budget and K-State felt full pressure. Building was brought to a rapid halt and enroll- ment fell, as students could no longer afford room, board and tuition. Attempts were made to trim the size of the faculty as closely as possible, and cuts in salaries ranging up to 25 per cent were initiated. State appropriations for the school for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1933, were $1,954,000, which was 28.9 per cent less that the budget for 1931. That same year, 1933, John Holt, a forum speaker, lectured on one of the controversial topics of the day, Hitler is not a demagogue, but is sincere. Dr. F. D. Farrell is the K-State president who brought the school through the depression and back to prosperity.