University of Kansas - Jayhawker Yearbook (Lawrence, KS)

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The Cottage was first with a jam band, 4 to 5 P.M., M.C ' d by Brody Schroff. The fellow in the foreground is Jake Ward, whose particular brand of skiddledybip was in great demand for a while. Guest stars were a part of the plan. Here Dorothy Fritz, see page 59, and Eddie Singleton, front man for Louie Kuhn ' s band, have their turns at the mike. The Cottage packed ' em in, wished for expanding walls, slapped on a cover charge in self-defense. Not to be outdone, Jack Townsend, new manager of the Union Building, an early swing enthusiast himself, installed a second jam unit, playing for lunch and dinner. When the Jayhawk, too, got on the band-wagon, Townsend threatened to add a fan- dancer. The spectators watched, swung to the rhythm, ap- plauded wildly. Cokes by the gallon and cigarettes by the thousands were consumed.

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OCTOBER 1937 19 THE athletic hysteria which gripped the university last year has largely died down. The Kansan is less vitriolic; the students show more sincere interest and constructive hope, less cynicism and despair. The reorganization of the athletic department is com- pleted, with a new personality at its head. To Gwinn Henry look other Big Six coaches, reinspired alumni, students of K. U. It is time we got to know the man and his plans. Versatility and variety are predominant character- istics of Gwinn Henry ' s life. Born in Southwest Texas, he has spent most of his life in the midwest. In college including Howard Payne college, South- western college, and Columbia University he took second in a national oratorical contest, ran, played football, liked mathematics. Observes Mr. Henry, In Texas everyone thinks of me as a track coach. And with good reason. In 1911 and 1912 he held undisputed the title of the fastest man in the world. His races were innumer- able; in a single four months period he ran three- hundred races from one end of the country to the other. Yet, in his entire career, he was defeated only once. And then the man who gave him his only defeat was himself defeated by Mr. Henry on twelve other occasions. He ran against all the fastest men of his time and defeated all of them. Called the Texas Speed Marvel by the New York Times, he equalled the world records in the 120 yard dash, the 110 yard dash, the 75 yard dash, and held the world record in the 125 yard dash. He was national champion in the 110 yard dash. He was national champion in the 110 yard dash and the 220. As a result of his astonishing record he was chosen a member of the 1912 Olympic Team without even a tryout. Yes, there is a good reason to believe Gwinn Henry might be a top-notch track coach. Kansas and Missouri think of Mr. Henry as a By BLAINE GRIMES football coach, and they too have a good reason. Though fairly light, he was all-Southern and all- Western end for three years. During his five years stay as football coach at the College of Emporia, his teams lost only three games out of forty played. In nine years of coaching at Missouri University, Henry ' s teams won the Big Six championship three times and took second place three times. This was in the days of the Four Horsemen at Notre Dame and of Red Grange at Illinois. And yet in those days Nebraska, with the greatest teams in all her history, was beating Notre Dame and Illinois. In the previous twenty- six years, Missouri had been able to score on Nebraska only once. Then, under the leadership of Gwinn Henry, Misosuri whipped Nebraska three consecu- tive years. Nebraska almost never recovered. Such a thing was not only unbearable; it was utterly im- possible. So the Kansans and the Missourians are as right as the Texans. This is the Mr. Henry we welcome to Kansas University. I started to college at seventeen and I ' ve never been out, says Mr. Henry. Perhaps this explains his understanding of and interest in students which is so striking in the man and in his plans. He feels that the University of Kansas is badly in need of increased facilities for physical training and for the intramural program. He believes that the gym- nasium is absolutely inadequate and that our swim- ming pool is built only for those who are already good swimmers. He states, Girls should have a gymnasium of their own such as girls in every other large university have. There would be less need for a student hospital if girls had the means of securing much-needed exercise, and if boys had the oppor- tunity to participate in the competitive sports which they enjoy. (Continued on page 79)

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21 1 J 1 J Photo by Hoffman In pairs and in crowds the stu- dents flocked to the afternoon sessions. I ONG predicted and hailed enthusiastically, swing has burst onto the | Hill. Blaring music, truckin ' , jam bands, the Big Apple all are part of the same sweeping trend for free expression. The style of this fall ' s dancing is a far cry from that of no farther back than last Christmas. Today ' s swing mania at K.U. was forecast just before school opened, as early arrivals pushed back the tables at the new Cottage and danced to the nickelodeon phonograph. Excitement of boys ' rushing was over- shadowed by excitement over the first jam band in a Hill hangout, as sweating, swaying humanity piled three layers deep in booths just for a peek. The cafeteria was next, and then the Jayhawk. When Benny Goodman came to Kansas City, K.U. made a mass pilgrimage, jamming the trains, paralyzing the highway, to stand in wide-eyed worship. Said Goodman over the air: K.U. is definitely an important branch of the swing school. Phcto by Hoffman In the afternoon, they just watched, sometimes standing. In the evening, they danced, at a Varsity or other party, swinging out with abandon. This year ' s music, this year ' s dancing, demands timeouts. These girls were sitting here partly to rest, partly to cool off, partly because room was all gone inside. The ' rested at night too. This gang is on the steps just outside the Union ballroom during one of those sweltering affairs that first week.