University of Kansas - Jayhawker Yearbook (Lawrence, KS)

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The Univers4y Bre by SHIRLEY PIATT t all began with the dents. They needed and were going to need more room, and as far as the University administration was cerned, they were going to get it. Reacting to the cries of overcrowded classrooms in educational systems all over the country, University officials last year set up a ten year building plan involving more than 12 and a half million dollars. The extensive gram includes classrooms and living units for University students expected to enroll en masse within t he next decade. The anticipated increase in ment could not be overlooked since estimates show a future student lation of between ten and twelve sand. A look at crowded conditions in Kansas elementary schools will assure any doubting Kansas citizen of these facts. Last year the new Student Union and three scholarship halls were pleted. Projects also begun were the stack addition to the law library, the science building, and the fieldhouse. lawyers ' books Law students this f all began using the $200,000 stack addition to the law library behind Green hall. The tion consists of seven floors and its windowed posterior provides the pus ' best view of the University. And students will move into the new science building, located on the south slope of Mount Oread below Robinson gymnasium, next September. When the building is about March of this school year ap- proximately $500,000-$750,000 worth of equipment will be installed. The million structure was hampered in early stages when a severe wind storm toppled a portion of the superstructure. It will house the School of Pharmacy, the basic sciences, and physics and chemistry departments. Within two years, student sport spectators can bid goodbye to Hoch auditorium. Thereafter they will be able to spectate in the comfort of the new fieldhouse. The structure, which will be one of the nation ' s largest, will be situated southwest of the Military Science building in the southwest portion of the campus. The long axis will run north-south on the extreme western intramural field, and the vacant area to the north will straddle an imaginary projection of 16th street. THIS MODERN men ' s dorm to be erected soon on West campus drive will solve in part the housing problem predicted for future years. 27 a

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DON ALDERSON, dean of men, Martha Peterson, dean of women, report to Laurence Woodruff, dean of students. 26 Mr. Lawton reviews plans, receives bids, and keeps all projects moving as swiftly as possible. Frequently he me- diates between contractors and sub- contractors. Serving as secretary of the Planning Council, he aids in the long- range building program. George B. Smith, in the recently re- created position of dean of the Uni- versity, is overseer of the third phase of the administration—the academic division. Formerly dean of the School of Education, Dean Smith is also director of the Summer Session. My position corresponds with oth- ers all over the country. Although there used to be a dean of the Univer- sity, the position was discontinued at KU until the increased enrollment after World War II made necessary a ALUMNI SFC ' Y Fred worth, assistants Dick termote and Mildred felter edit the Kansas U. Alumni Magazine. third administrative assistant to the chancellor, he explains. Dean Smith insists that his specific task depends on what is waiting for me when I come to the office each morning. ' ' Essentially, all three of the chancel- lor ' s assistants are co-ordinators and planners, he says. We are endeavor- ing to reach a standard policy within the bounds of the University to pre- vent school conflicts, and outside to find an interrelation with other insti- tutions, Mr. Smith said. To reach this goal, KU ' s chancellor is implementing a vigorous program. So every student is cognizant of those signs along Strong hall, but few realize the tremendous responsibility those signs represent. Masterpieces of understatement? More than that !

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UNIVERSITY science students may look ward to classes in the new science building beginning with September, 1954. A 7-floor addition to the law library (left) was opened to law students early this fall. 16,000 seats The fieldhouse will seat 16,000 per- sons almost four times as many as Hoch auditorium—so all students will have an opportunity to see all games. It will have a basketball floor which can be moved aside for indoor track events, football, and baseball practice. The building will have a track one- eighth mile long and 30 feet wide. The 1949 legislature appropriated $750,000 for the structure. In 1951 the board of regents asked the legisla- ture to appropriate an additional $1,- 100,000 for its construction. It is esti- mated the total of $1,850,000 will in- clude the necessary equipment. Last year work was delayed on the fieldhouse due to a lack of 2,700 tons of steel necessary for its completion. The material could not be acquired be- cause of an embargo on steel in 1951 and a steel strike in 1952. However, construction will soon be underway so that this year ' s freshmen and sopho- mores should see it finished within their college careers. The newest addition to the building agenda is a proposed million music and dramatic arts building, which will probably be located south- 28 west of Lindley hall and almost di- rectly west of the Military Science building. Architects and members of the Uni- v ersity staff visited other schools this summer to observe similar buildings. Plans are expected to be finished be- fore the end of 1954. Bids on the structure will be taken by January, 1955, so the exact amount of money needed may be asked of the legislature. Preliminary design work is being financed from a 1953 legisla- ture appropriation of $700,000. more living units Applicants for women ' s scholarship halls will stand better chances of ob- taining residence scholarships next year. A fourth residence hall to ac- commodate 48 women will be ready for use in the fall of 1954, if con- struction goes according to schedule. The hall will be erected on the lot at the corner of 14th and Louisiana streets on the former site of Carruth hall. The building, to be called Dou- thart hall, will be constructed with funds left to the University by the late Miss Lela Douthart, ' 99; her sister, the late Mrs. Ava Douthart Chronister, ' 01, and Bert Chronister. The hall will be similar in design to Sellards, Pearson, and Stephenson scholarship halls, which were com- pleted last year.