University of Kansas - Jayhawker Yearbook (Lawrence, KS)

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On Sunday, September 6th, thou- sands of people lined Westchester Road on the east side of Gage Park in Topeka to see Alf Landon ' s guest of honor at his 100th birthday cele- bration. Dignitaries, members of the media and the KU marching band were all in attendance as President Reagan honored the former governor. Governor, you preceeded me by a bit as our party ' s nominee for presi- dent and I had a little better luck, but I also had better years and an easier field, Reagan said. But no one ever did prouder as a candidate by his party or the nation than you. Two months later, a more somber and saddened procession made its way up the Topeka Capital steps as states- men, friends and relatives came to pay their last respects to the man who had become to be known as the grand old man of the Republican Party. Alf Lan- don died in his Topeka home October 12 after a bried illness and hospitaliza- tion. Landon, who once claimed himself to be a lawyer who never had a case, an oilman who never made a million and a presidential candidate who carried only Maine and Vermont, graduated from the University of Kansas in 1908 with a law degree. Through the years he remained faithful to KU, following many of its sports and activities. The last public appearance Landan was to make was at KU ' s September 19th Par- ents Day. Landon returned to his homestate, Kansas, after losing his 1936 presiden- tial bid, and remained there as a politi- cal and philosophical sage, continuous- ly sought out for his diplomatic opin- ions and advice. Shortly after the election, he turned down a position in President Franklin Roosevelt ' s cabinet and a seat in the U.S. Senate which he could have easily gained for a more comfortable seat as he chose to remain an armchair politician. As governor of Kansas from 1933 to 1937, Landon led the state through the Depression with his common sense and pragmatic philosophy, supporting mea- sures that established a strong finan- cial basis and responsible legislature. Landon also advocated an advanced outlook on foreign relations and warned against increasing protection- ism when the U.S. was moving towards a restriction on foreign trade. In a 1966 lecture inaugerating the presitigious lecture series bearing his name at Kan- sas State University, he called for U.S. recognition of Chinayears before President Richard Nixon finally opened up the doors of the Western World. Landan ' s daughter, Kansas Senator Nancy Landon Kassebaum, comment- ed that in the 100 years of her father ' s life, the world has literally remade it- self. Despite all of the change he has wit- nesses, or perhaps because of it, he de- veloped a knack for combining a keen awareness of current events with a deeper appreciation for the underlying flow of history, -by Carla Krause

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We got more peo- ple involved, which was great! Brook Menees, junior class president. The Lion, Tinman and Dorothy make their way down the parade route. A hip Jayhawk joins in the parad Increasing student participation was the goal for the Homecoming parade organizer and Junior class president, Brook Menees. Consider- ing that twelve floats were entered this year compared to seven last year, it could be said the goal was achieved. The increased interest was also shown in the number of banners made by student organizations - 10 this year, which was 8 more than last year. Adding to the parade en- tertainment were six local high school bands, along with the KU band. All the renewed excitement helped to contribute to a successful homecoming of Great Faces, Great Places. The 1987 homecoming celebration started with the 68th annual Engi- neering Exposition at noon on Fri- day. Renunion banquets were also held for the classes of 1957, 1962, and the Carruth Hall class of 1943 on Friday. Saturday morning the homecoming parade down Massachusetts Street. The parade ex- hibited a collection of floats, bands, banner groups and dignitaries. The float winners in the moving category were the Theta Chi - Chi Omega float, which depicted several Mount Oread sites and several famous alumni. The Sigma Nu - Kappa Kappa Gamma float captured first place in the non-moving category. Their float featured a Jayhawk wearing a crown and robe walking down the hill. The only thing that clouded the otherwise successful homecoming was the Jayhawks ' 42- 28 loss to Iowa State, after 14-10 half-time lead, the potential victory turned to a loss as the Jayhawks turned the ball over three times to the Cyclones. The game belonged to the Iowa State team from then on. This year ' s attendance at the game increased by almost 8,000 as 28,300 fans were in the stands to cheer on the Hawks. Football was not the only thing being played on Saturday, as many musical activities also took place - such as an informal jazz concert by the Chuck Berg Band. The 15th annual KU alumni band also took a special place in the homecoming events as the 150 alum- ni members braved the chilly morning temperatures to march down the parade route and partici- pate in the half-time show once more. The student and alumni participation was encouraging to Menees, to whom the task of organizing the parade fell. I ' ve enjoyed it. We got more people in- volved, which was great, he said.-by Teresa Rohn and Stacy Wiegman 23

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Grand Old Party Leader Gives a Lifetime of An oilman who never made a million... Alf Landon, former Governor Kansas Brigadeer General Phillip Bradley pre- sents the American flag to Theo Landon at the Memorial service on the south steps of the capi- tol. (Gary Mook) Achievements Kansas Governor Mike Hayden pauses for a mo- ment of silence during the Memorial service in the capitol rotunda. (Gary Mook) University of Kansas Chancellor Gene Budig, Nancy Landon Kassebaum, and Alf Landon begin to clap as the last strains of the national anthem fills the stadium during the Parents ' Day football game in September. (Gary Mook) 25