Winter 2014
WE’LL STAY HERE, THANKS! Donors secure Jayhawk collection for KU
CALL YOU MAYBE MEET OUR PHONE-RAISERS
TO DRIVE DISCOVERY RECENT RESEARCH
KU Giving is published by KU Endowment, the private fundraising foundation for the University of Kansas. You are receiving this magazine because you support KU.
CHAIR, BOARD OF TRUSTEES A. Drue Jennings
PRESIDENT Dale Seuferling
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, COMMUNICATIONS & MARKETING Rosita Elizalde-McCoy
EDITOR Charles Higginson
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Chad Arganbright Valerie Gieler Rachel Meyers Jessica Sain-Baird Lisa Scheller
ART DIRECTOR Sarah Mosher
We welcome your comments, suggestions and questions. KU Giving magazine P.O. Box 928 Lawrence, KS 66044-0928 785-832-7400 kugiving@kuendowment.org
Postmaster: Send address changes to: KU Endowment P.O. Box 928
Bronze “JayDoc,” created by alumnus Dr. Gene “Yogi” Williams. He also created the “Fighting Jayhawk” design that was KU’s standard from 1941 to 1946 and appeared on the red helmets worn by the 2013 KU football squad. Williams died in a hot air balloon crash in 1979.
BRIAN GOODMAN
Lawrence, KS 66044-0928
CONTENTS | WINTER 2014
FEATURES WE’LL STAY HERE, THANKS! | 8 Donors ensure that 1,000 Jayhawk items will remain at KU.
This felt pennant, like many items in the collection, is believed to be one-of-a-kind.
TO DRIVE DISCOVERY | 12 Far Above: The Campaign for Kansas promotes research across all KU’s campuses.
CALL YOU MAYBE | 14 Some of our 60 student fundraisers talk about what keeps them on the line.
DEPARTMENTS PRESIDENT’S NOTE | 2 All’s well ...
GREATER KU FUND | 19 Tradition — here’s how it’s done
EVERY GIFT MATTERS | 3 New uniforms for Marching Jayhawks
KU VOICES | 20 Colby Liston: determination defined
ON THE COVER The Simons family, owners of the World Company, publishers of the Lawrence Journal-World, commissioned the Jim Brothers Sculpture Studio to create a large “John Brown Hawk” as part of the Jayhawks on Parade art-icon event in 2003. Jim Brothers retained this piece, a smaller bronze maquette now in the Kansas Union’s collection. Brothers died in August 2013. Photograph by Brian Goodman.
WHY I GIVE | 4
ACROSS KU | 16 The Forum at Marvin Hall; dance the night away; art museum goes blue; sweetening Swarthout
PAST AND PRESENT | 21 We’ve managed Pioneer Cemetery for 60 years
LET’S BE SOCIAL
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PRESIDENT’S NOTE
ALL’S WELL ... Yet, I venture to say that the Jayhawk occupies a place of honor in the national panorama. A more beloved and unique mascot would be hard to find. That’s why the impending loss of a flock of about 1,000 historic Jayhawk figurines and memorabilia, housed for several years at the Kansas Union, was so sad and poignant. The collection was a source of pride and fascination for people of all ages, its individual pieces ranging from the historic to the odd to the hilarious. But the collection didn’t really belong to KU — it was actually on loan. Every item in that collection was packed up last year in dozens of boxes, the individual pieces destined to be auctioned or sold online — possibly dispersed around the world. A true treasure trove of history was about to depart from Mount Oread. That’s when serendipity struck. I won’t tell you all the details of how we were able to keep this collection together. You’ll have to read our feature story to learn about it. Suffice it to say, it involves a bit of Jayhawk luck, a last-minute SOS, and a generous gift from a couple. I couldn’t have imagined a more fitting ending. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention a place dear to the hearts of many alums that also is benefitting from a generous gift: Swarthout Recital Hall. Swarthout is one of those iconic spaces that bring back memories for many of us. If you majored in music, you know it intimately; if you attended performances there during your KU career, you may recall sitting in that venerable hall. After 60 years of service, it’s getting a much-needed facelift. The people we love, the fond memories we hold and the traditions we revere sustain us and give meaning to our lives. I’m thankful to our generous donors for helping us preserve some of KU’s most cherished traditions. EVERY UNIVERSITY HAS A LOVE AFFAIR WITH ITS MASCOT.
Rock Chalk,
Bronze gliding Jayhawk by 1955 alumnus George Knotts.
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BRIAN GOODMAN
Dale Seuferling, President
EVERY GIFT MATTERS
IN STEP AND IN STYLE as the Marching Jayhawks burst from the tunnels into Memorial Stadium and flood the field with crimson and blue. Iconic KU songs echo off Mount Oread. It’s not only the familiar notes of our Alma Mater or Home on the Range that seize our attention; it’s also the spectacle — the formations, the sea of instruments, the bright uniforms. “Most large collegiate marching band programs get new uniforms every seven to 10 years,” said Matthew O. Smith, associate director of bands and director of the Marching Jayhawks. “We are currently in our tenth year.” The University’s visual identity also has changed considerably in the past decade, and integral elements of the uniforms, such as font and logo, have become outdated. In short, it’s time for new uniforms. To that end, the Marching Jayhawks have launched a fundraising campaign, The Tradition Marches On, in partnership with Kansas Athletics, KU Endowment
and the School of Music. To date, more than 80 donors have directed almost $83,000 to the campaign. The overall goal is $300,000, providing new uniforms in time for the kickoff of the fall 2014 season. Fruhauf Uniforms, of Wichita, a partner of KU Bands for more than 60 years, has developed a new design combining classic elegance with the modern KU identity. The new uniforms will accentuate crimson and blue rather than the black of the current uniform. “We wanted a look that would return to the image used from the 1970s to the early 2000s, that highlighted our school colors, yet also projected the image of a tradition-rich collegiate program,” Smith said. “We work hard to contribute to the environment in Memorial Stadium. Our role is to support the team and entertain the crowd, and we want to make sure that we look and sound our best for the KU students, fans and alumni.” — Rachel Meyers
YOU CAN HELP Keep the Marching Jayhawks looking sharp while they create the soundtrack to the KU experience — visit kuendowment.org/ banduniforms or contact Michael Arp, marp@kuendowment.org or 785-832-7410.
JON ROBICHAUD
GAME-DAY EXCITEMENT ERUPTS
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WHY I GIVE | SNAPSHOTS
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1 “We have supported many other areas of the university, and we were looking for a way to directly benefit education. Because the Edwards Campus was named for my parents, it is an overwhelming honor to be able to establish this scholarship here. At the time we decided to start this scholarship, my mother was still living, and it was great to be able to tell her we were doing this.” — Susan Miller “This gift has a Kansas City flavor to it. We have been blessed in business here and with our family, and it’s a nice feeling to give back.” — Doug Miller Susan Miller, B.S. education 1972, and Doug Miller, B.S. business administration 1971, J.D. 1974, Mission Hills, Kan. $100,000 outright — to establish the Doug and Susan Miller Family Scholarship for education or business majors at the Edwards Campus.
2 “School provides a series of minor revelations, and these, ideally, add up to more than the sum of their individual parts. In a graduate seminar on American art of the 1930s with Charlie Eldredge, it occurred to me: Kansas has culture, and it has its own history, which is part of the larger national
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KU GIVING | WINTER 2014
story. That gave me a stronger sense of identity as an aspiring art historian, and I changed the focus of my studies from European art to American art.” Randall Griffey, M.A. art history 1994, Ph.D. art history 2000, New York City $500,000 estate commitment — divided equally between support for acquisitions by the Spencer Museum of Art and to create a fund supporting graduate students in the Department of Art History named for Professor of American Art and Culture Charles C. Eldredge. 3
“During the four years that
Julie had treatment at KU, she participated in a number of clinical trials. Each time she was given the opportunity to participate in one of these, she had hope — you could see it in how she smiled and remained positive through it all. Our wish all along was that the next trial could be it. I would like to pass that hope along to other people in memory of Julie.” David Sanford, Kansas City, Mo. $60,000 — to the Julie A. Sanford Lung Cancer Research fund at the KU Medical Center. 4 “I arrived at KU, a very young 17-year-old, in 1946. Enrollment in a foreign language was obligatory.
By his dynamic presence in the classroom, Prof. Toni Burzle taught me about teaching, which has been my life work for at least six decades. He nurtured my love for words and for the beauty and complexity of language. More important, he and his wife, Muriel, expanded my vision of the world, sending this Kansas girl off for a life-changing year of study in Europe. May the Burzle Scholarship continue to flourish!” Margaret Guenther, B.A. 1950, M.A. 1952, Washington, D.C. $40,000 outright — to the J.A. Burzle Travel Fund in International Studies. 5 “The Emilie Rosebud Diabetes Research Foundation supports the University of Kansas because KU is doing some groundbreaking research on finding a cure for diabetes. It also helps our local job market. We believe it’s important to give locally to KU.” David M. Block, Prairie Village, Kan.; shown above at right, with David Robbins, M.D., director, KU Diabetes Institute $50,000 outright — for research at the KU Diabetes Institute, marking a total of $300,000 given since 2005.
WHY I GIVE | ESTATE GIFTS
THE LAST FULL MEASURE Many people make their final gifts to KU their most significant, by including KU Endowment in their estate planning.
John Kaiser earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from KU in 1951. He began his journalism career in the U.S. Coast Guard, later working for Capper Publications in Topeka. His wife, Mary, graduated from Fairmont State College (now Fairmont State University) in 1950. She began her career as secretary to the director of the FBI and later worked at Bessemer and Lake Erie Railroad Company. John retired in 1986 as vice president of marketing for the magazine division of Dun & Bradstreet in Chicago. In 2005, their $500,000 gift established a journalism scholarship fund that since has supported nine students. John died in 2007 and Mary died in 2013; their estate included a $1.36 million gift to enhance the scholarship, allowing the journalism school to more than double the number of recipients. Barbara Meek met her husband, Richard, at KU at a sorority/fraternity dance, and he called her for a date later that evening. They married in 1959. Barbara earned a bachelor’s degree in education from KU in 1960, and Richard earned two degrees in geology from KU — a bachelor’s in 1958 and a master’s in 1962. Richard had a long career with Exxon, traveling the globe to manage oil and gas discovery projects. In the late 1980s, he served on the Campaign Kansas national council and the Geology Associates Advisory Board. Shortly before his death in 1999, he asked Barbara to make estate plans to leave an unrestricted gift for KU. Honoring his wish, Barbara committed an IRA to provide unrestricted support for KU. When she died in 2013, the $1 million gift created the endowed Richard M. and Barbara Werbe Meek Memorial Fund. John Peterson was born in 1921 in Hays, Kan. He came to KU as a Summerfield Scholar and received a bachelor’s degree in business in 1942. After serving in the U.S. Army Air Corps, he returned to KU and received a master’s degree in political science in 1947. He entered federal service in Washington, D.C., with the U.S. Treasury Department. His wife, Frances, was born in 1917 in Mansfield, Texas. She also worked for the Treasury Department. They married in 1952, the same year John moved to the Department of Defense. When he retired in 1974, they moved to the Lawrence area. They were active in several social service, historical and arts organizations. John died in 2009, Frances in 2012; their combined estates directed more than $1.2 million to KU, divided among initiatives in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the School of Music.
Estate gifts to benefit KU should be designated for KU Endowment. Please contact Andy Morrison or Dan Almanza in our Office of Gift Planning, 1-800-444-4201, when you set up your estate to make sure your wishes can be fulfilled. If you have included KU Endowment in your estate plans, please let us know so we can recognize you in the Elizabeth Watkins Society. We respect all requests for confidentiality.
Bev Billings, Deb Teeter and Mary Burg chat at the 10-year celebration. Teeter is a current member of the WP4KU advisory board.
TEN YEARS OF BRINGING WOMEN TOGETHER JUST MORE THAN 10 YEARS AGO, KU Endowment staff members created a group that has become a true community. Women Philanthropists for KU (WP4KU) invites women donors to attend special events and to support KU through philanthropy and leadership. The group’s primary fundraising initiative is the KU Women for KU Women Fund, which makes one-time emergency grants to KU women students. “KU has such an important history of YOU CAN HELP Learn more about WP4KU at incredible women philanthropists,” said kuendowment.org/wp4ku. Ellen Chindamo, director of stewardship programs at KU Endowment. “WP4KU carries on that strong tradition for the next generation.” More than 100 WP4KU members and guests gathered in September at The Commons in Spooner Hall to celebrate the 10-year milestone. Among other inspiring speakers, Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little spoke about the strength of women in philanthropy. She emphasized that women tend to collaborate with others, commit to organizations, connect with recipients and celebrate accomplishments. “The responsibility falls on you, and you have not disappointed,” she said. “We will continue to enhance quality and raise KU far above.” Ph.D. student Saatvika Rai expressed her gratitude for a grant from the KU Women for KU Women Fund, which enabled her to attend a conference in her field of study, political science. “When you help one woman, you help not only their family, but five women they are connected to,” Rai said. “I feel like WP4KU is a family of women.” — Jessica Sain-Baird
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WHY I GIVE | FEATURED GIFTS
IN THE RIGHT PLACE Alumnus makes $1 million gift for School of Law for Frederick “Beau” Gould to find his path. After he earned a bachelor’s degree from Arizona State University, he wasn’t sure what career to pursue. His father suggested he work at a law firm to decide if he wanted to be a lawyer. Gould took a job at Snell & Wilmer in Phoenix, Ariz. He soon applied for admission to the KU School of Law, supported by a letter of reference from Frank L. Snell Jr., a 1924 KU Law alumnus and a founding partner of the firm. It was a familiar path; his grandfather, George R. Gould, and his father, George R. Gould Jr., both earned law degrees from KU, in 1922 and 1952 respectively. They were longtime attorneys in Dodge City, Kan. While attending KU Law, Gould benefited from scholarship support. Without that assistance, he said, he would not have been able to attend. To make ends meet, he also held four parttime jobs — as a disc jockey for several area radio stations, and as a kitchen helper in a sorority. He earned a law degree in 1989. IT TOOK A WHILE
WHY I GIVE
“ I felt that this was the right thing to do, so that someone else would be
”
a beneficiary of a scholarship.
COURTESY OF FREDERICK “BEAU” GOULD
—Frederick “Beau” Gould
He briefly considered staying in the radio industry. On a whim, he moved to Seattle because his sister lived there. He began working for a real estate attorney and eventually started investing in commercial real estate. He’s now a practicing attorney and a commercial real estate investor. Not long ago, he and his wife, Julie Gould, made a $1 million gift to establish the Gould Family Scholarship at the KU School of Law. Now that he’s financially able to give back to KU, Gould said, it’s important to do so. “I felt that this was the right thing to do, so that someone else would be a beneficiary of a scholarship,” Gould said. His family tradition of Jayhawk education might continue: The couple’s two teenage daughters, Grace and Hope, visited KU during Homecoming weekend. Gould said he would be thrilled if they chose to follow that path. — Lisa Scheller
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A GRAND MASTER’S TRANSCENDENTAL GIFT Sci-fi novelist, professor creates professorship as one of “The Grand Masters of Science Fiction,” KU Professor Emeritus James Gunn continues to focus not only on the future of the world, but also on the future of KU. Gunn has made a $1.5 million gift to KU Endowment to create the James E. and Jane F. Gunn Professorship in Science Fiction within the Department of English. The professorship is named for Gunn and his late wife, Jane; both earned bachelor’s degrees in journalism from KU in 1947. James Gunn earned a master’s in English in 1951. Gunn’s career as a science fiction writer began in the late 1940s. He sold his first science fiction story, “Paradox,” to the magazine Thrilling Wonder Stories. Gunn started his career at KU in 1955, teaching remedial English. He later edited KU Alumni magazine, wrote features for the KU news bureau and served as administrative assistant to the chancellor for University Relations, all the while teaching part-time in the English Department. In 1970, he became a full-time lecturer and taught the first science fiction course at KU. Four years later, he was promoted to full professor. Among other achievements, he established the Center for the Study of Science Fiction and the Intensive English Institute on the Teaching of Science
COURTESY OF JAMES GUNN
INTERNATIONALLY KNOWN
YOU CAN HELP To support the Center for the Study of Science Fiction, beam yourself up to kuendowment.org/scifi or contact Brian Friedman, bfriedman@kuendowment.org or 785-832-7465.
Fiction in 1974 to help teachers learn how to teach science fiction. The institute has attracted teachers from around the world. At 90, he continues to work several days a week in his office in Wescoe Hall, and last fall he published Transcendental, his 14th novel and 42nd book. He said science fiction assumes that changing humanity’s environment, which is increasingly technological, also will change humanity itself. “One of the things that I’ve become convinced of over the years is that science fiction has certain special qualities in discussing contemporary issues in ways that allow writers and readers to explore possible outcomes,” said Gunn. “It isn’t that it is concerned with prediction, but it’s concerned with creating scenarios that explore possibilities which may arise, particularly from technological and scientific developments.” He said he hoped his gift would encourage and enhance KU’s science fiction program, allowing it to do even more for the university than it has. “I think it’s important, both for the university and for the world,” he said. — Lisa Scheller
James Gunn, professor emeritus of English, holds two of the magazines that published his work at the beginning of his career in the late 1940s.
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CALLING ALL HAWKS Do you have an antique, unique or just plain weird Jayhawk item? If you’re willing to part with it, Mike Reid would love to add it to the flock permanently nesting in the Kansas Union. Contact him at 785-864-2471 or mreid@ku.edu.
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O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay! The Hawks will stay! BY CHARLES HIGGINSON
PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRIAN GOODMAN
HE FLOCK REMAINS!
A collection of more than 1,000 Jayhawk statuettes, memorabilia, knockoffs and oddities occupied display cases in the Kansas Union for about four years. They were on loan from owner Bud Jennings, who started collecting in 1939, when he was 19. In 2013, he decided to sell them. Union Public Affairs Director Mike Reid had no choice but to box them up and prepare to return them. Reid wasn’t happy about it, and he took to the KU History Facebook page, letting it be known that the collection could stay if a donor could be found willing to give $130,000. Regional media picked up the story.
Ceramic salt and pepper shakers; origin unknown.
Jay-berwocky (with apologies to Lewis Carroll)
MORE To see more of the indexed catalog, visit bit.ly/jayhawkcollection
Bronze, by 1955 alumnus George Knotts, who has created more than 100 Jayhawk designs.
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Hand-painted cast metal paperweights, patented in 1939 by W.A. McClain.
Plaster of Paris or chalkware; origin unknown.
Boots that once belonged to Dick G. “Skipper” Williams, one of the three founders of the Outland Club, now the Williams Education Fund.
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Enter James and Mary Ellen Ascher, of Overland Park. They saw the news and decided to answer Reid’s plea. They committed a gift sufficient to secure a permanent home for the collection — sight unseen. “We had a couple of reasons,” James Ascher said. “The collector had spent pretty much his whole life pulling these together, and it could take years to sell them piece by piece. And second, there’s just no other place in the country that collection belongs than in the student union.” Recently the Aschers added $30,000 to support construction of display space for the collection. James Ascher attended KU in the early 1950s until being drafted to serve in the Korean War. After military service, he returned to Kansas, married and went to work. The family’s Jayhawk tradition has continued; two of their three children are alumni, and a grandson is a freshman at KU.
Chalkware, rarely found in such good condition; origin unknown.
Many of the items in the collection were not made to reflect official representations of the Jayhawk. These adaptations — some crude, some whimsically outlandish, some commercial — only prove that, in the case of an imaginary animal, well, imagination rules. In 1912, student cartoonist Henry Maloy drew the first version of the Jayhawk to be adopted widely. His bird looked friendly, but it wore blue shoes for kicking opponents. A series of official Jayhawk images followed, successively adopted in 1920, 1923, 1929 and 1941. They range from goofy to owlish to belligerent. In 1946, Harold “Hal” Sandy drew the Jayhawk as we know it today. His version has been the sanctioned, trademarked Jayhawk for 67 years — two thirds of the Bird’s entire life. He had produced the image as decals that he sold to fellow students as a way to earn money. Upon graduating in 1947, he sold the rights to the Kansas Union Bookstore for $250. It was the only cartoon he ever drew for money.
Cast metal; origin unknown.
HELP THE HAWKS OUTTA THE BOX! The Jayhawks will remain in the Kansas Union, but the collection came so close to the auction block that they were packed in boxes marked “auction,” where they remain. The Union seeks funding to support continuing costs of appropriate display space, maintenance and security. To help unbox the Hawks, contact Becci Blaesing, 785-832-7461 or rblaesing@kuendowment.org.
Metal, mounted on base made from the original floor of old Robinson Gymnasium.
Material and origin unknown.
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to accelerate
discovery
donors have created professorships in physiology, special education, neuroscience and other disciplines …
TO SUPPORT FACULTY, WHO DESIGN AND CONDUCT RESEARCH,
TO ENHANCE SPECIFIC RESEARCH INITIATIVES ACROSS ALL OF KU’S CAMPUSES,
as diverse as psychology, the humanities, law, biodiversity and medicine …
in fields
TO RECOGNIZE AND REWARD RESEARCH EXCELLENCE AT ALL LEVELS, from exceptional efforts by undergraduates to lifetimes of achievement by distinguished faculty …
whose assistance makes advanced research possible, donors have established graduate fellowships in engineering, English, special education, art history and other programs …
TO BUILD SPACES SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED TO FOSTER RESEARCH,
TO ACCELERATE DISCOVERY,
TO ATTRACT AND RETAIN GRADUATE STUDENTS,
Robert Hagen, lecturer in environmental studies, leads a group of students in an outdoor laboratory session at the Wakarusa River. This semester, two environmental studies students won Undergraduate Research Awards, a KU program supported in part by private giving.
in the KU Libraries, the Hall Center for the Humanities, the schools of Business and Engineering, and more … one of the four main goals of Far Above: The Campaign for Kansas, means all this — and much more.
Near right: Donors have supported medical research initiatives seeking treatments for asthma, diabetes, cancer, neurological diseases and disorders, and much more.
Far right: Undergraduate students in the School of FIne Arts, with mentors like Carol Ann Carter, professor of visual art, push themselves into new territory every day.
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RANDY TOBIAS
Center right: Campaign chairs Kurt and Sue Watson recently endowed a graduate assistantship fund in the School of Education to support special education graduate students like Amy Clark.
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CHUCK FRANCE/KU MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS
PAULA NAUGHTIN
KELSEY KIMBERLIN/KU MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS
Call you maybe BY JESSICA SAIN-BAIRD
PHOTOGRAPHY BY EARL RICHARDSON
S KU ENDOWMENT OFFICES IN LAWRENCE BEGIN TO EMPTY AT 5 P.M.,
the student call
center in the basement just starts to fill up. About 60 KU students each semester — 24 a night — make calls to alumni. The students update alumni contact information, share what is new at KU and solicit for donations. In fiscal year 2013, student fundraisers raised more than $1.2 million for KU — but Ethan Rempel, assistant director of telephone campaigns, believes the worth of the call center goes beyond a dollar value. “Our student fundraisers benefit from the experience of talking to alumni just as much as the school benefits from alumni contributions,” he said. Student fundraisers stay busy. Each student dials about 200 numbers during a shift, and they spoke to 12,453 alumni in fall 2013 alone.
“ I was calling an alumna who had given in the past but not in two or three years. It was right after a big alumni weekend, and a lot of alumni had just been here. She said it was so funny I had called, because she and her husband had just talked about what they wanted to give. We talked about all the different designations they wanted to donate to, and it was $2,500 to this building, $2,500 to this program and $1,000 to that program. It ended up being a $9,000 pledge. It showed the importance of our call center and keeping a relationship with our alumni.” — KRIS BORDEN, SENIOR, ACCOUNTING: FUNDRAISER 2 1⁄2 YEARS
“The most fun call I’ve had was talking to a college friend of my
“A lot of alumni don’t always get the chance to
mom’s. My mom had told her to expect a call from me, because
make it back to campus. It’s nice to just be able
she’s a music alumna and I call them a lot. When I finally did get
to share updates about KU.”
hold of her, she yelled, ‘I finally get to talk to you!’ She ended
— BETHANY BOESCHEN, SENIOR, MICROBIOLOGY
up giving $50, and I had a nice time talking to her.”
AND PRE-PHARMACY: FUNDRAISER 2 YEARS
— TED OLIVER, MASTER’S STUDENT, MUSIC COMPOSITION: FUNDRAISER 1 1⁄2 YEARS
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“ There’s a really sweet woman who gives every year to the bees in Dyche Hall. I used to go there as a kid because I have family in Lawrence, and I thought it was the sweetest thing that she gives to the bees every year. She’s retired, and she said it was one of her
“ It’s really fun. I wish we could have a larger call center. I say that because I wish more students could
favorite places on campus.” — TESSA MAGANA, SENIOR, POLITICAL SCIENCE: FUNDRAISER 2 1⁄2 YEARS, MANAGING 1 SEMESTER
understand the mission, and the message would be spread quicker. What we do here is so important. I really like my job.” — NICHOLAS MANOOGIAN, JUNIOR, INTERNATIONAL STUDIES: FUNDRAISER 3 YEARS
“I was calling law alumni and speaking with a lawyer who ended up becoming a vice president of a bank. Both of my parents are lawyers, so we connected on that level. Alumni tell me it’s important to get a degree but degrees don’t dictate what you have to do forever. That’s been good advice: Follow your gut and do what you love.”
“ I like the fact that what we do here
— ALLISON JAMES, JUNIOR, BEHAVIORAL
makes a difference.
SCIENCE AND PSYCHOLOGY:
My previous major was
FUNDRAISER 1 SEMESTER
graphic design, but I’d much rather talk to someone for a little
“I am the alumni chair for Sellards Scholarship Hall. I called an alumnus who
while and then let them know how to get involved
was coming to a gathering of alumni of
and make a difference. That’s why I switched my
Sellards, Pearson and Stephenson Halls.
degree to communications. You have a connection
We got talking, because I’m in pharmacy and he was pharmacy, and I got to meet him at the event as well. It was really cool to have that connection on the phone and then meet him face-to-face.”
with these people for three minutes and you get to really know them. I love this job because of it.” — ASHLEY BRAGG, JUNIOR, COMMUNICATIONS: FUNDRAISER 2 1⁄2 YEARS
— ALLI ROHMAN, SOPHOMORE, PRE-PHARMACY: FUNDRAISER 1 1⁄2 YEARS KUENDOWMENT.ORG
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ACROSS KU
STUDENTS BUILDING FOR STUDENTS
MORE Read about Studio 804 at studio804.com; follow the Forum at sadp.ku.edu
WHILE MOST STUDENTS ARE LEARNING inside buildings this year, Studio 804 architecture students are learning about buildings, by designing and constructing one on Jayhawk Boulevard. The Forum at Marvin Hall will add a 120-seat lecture hall, breakout space and a central commons for the School of Architecture, Design and Planning. “The school doesn’t have a large lecture space, and this will create a hub for students,” said Ian Heath, a current Studio 804 student from Orinda, Calif. “I had to travel all over campus for lectures.” Ian’s parents, Dennis and Laurie, directed a $10,000 gift to the project, and they recently visited the Forum site to see Ian and his classmates at work. Dennis is CEO of
MBH Architects in Alameda, Calif. “My wife and I and MBH Architects gave to the Forum project because we support Dean John Gaunt’s vision and leadership,” said Dennis, a member of the school’s campaign committee. “This is the right project at the right time for the right reasons — and it deserves the support of all of us who have gone through the school.” Dennis Heath is a KU Architecture alumnus, but Ian said Studio 804’s innovative program is what brought him to campus. “Studio 804 is the closest academic experience to the real world, and it will better prepare me for the future,” he said. Ian believes this is Studio 804’s most complex project so far, and it may be the first time students have added on to an architecture school building in the U.S. “If you could imagine the most ideal Studio 804 experience, this would be it,” he said. “Talk about leaving a legacy. The Forum will show what 804 does and inspire generations of students.” — Valerie Gieler
Ian Heath, master’s student in architecture, and his father, Dennis, bachelor of environmental design 1977, on the Studio 804 worksite.
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EARL RICHARDSON
YOU CAN HELP The Forum is being funded entirely through private donations and needs additional support to reach the $2 million fundraising goal. Visit kuendowment.org/forum or contact Lindsay Hummer at lhummer@kuendowment.org, 785-832-7428.
SERIOUSLY LIGHT-ARTED
DANCING FOR SMILES HUNDREDS OF STUDENTS TOOK OVER THE KANSAS UNION BALLROOM for
GARD BLUE, 1968 © JAMES TURRELL PHOTOGRAPH BY FLORIAN HOLZHERR COLLECTION OF MARK AND LAUREN BOOTH
12 hours on Nov. 9, dancing and carrying on for a serious cause. KU Dance Marathon sponsored the event, which raised $61,500 to benefit KU Pediatrics at the KU Medical Center. More than 450 participants registered, and a large majority lasted throughout the 12-hour span. “Our team led a dance to perform throughout the night,” said Ilana
“THERE IS A TRUTH IN LIGHT.”
As viewers enter the dimly lit gallery at the
Cypes, KUDM executive director. “We taught one step at a time, with
Spencer Museum of Art, currently housing
the final step given at the end. This helped people to stay the entire
an exhibition titled James Turrell: Gard Blue,
night, to learn the whole dance.”
those words, written by Turrell, are the first
The November event set records both for number of participants
visuals that come into focus. It seems initially
and for amount raised. Since its founding in 2008, Dance Marathon
to be a subtle hint on exploring his art, but as
has become the most productive student philanthropic organization
viewers experience each light-twisting piece,
at KU; through two marathon events and other activities this year,
it’s clear how perfectly those words capture
the group raised more than $120,000 for KU Pediatrics. The money
the simultaneous authenticity and illusion of
is administered through the Children’s Miracle Network, which counts
Turrell’s work.
the medical center among its 170 members.
A pioneer at using light as medium and
In addition to dance events, marathon members raise money
space as canvas, Turrell creates art that begs
through letter-writing campaigns and direct personal appeals. “You
to be explored from every distance and per-
can change your goal at any time during the process to reflect your
spective. “Experiencing a Turrell work can be
progress,” said Cypes, whose initial goal was $1,000. She ended up
transforming,” says Saralyn Hardy, director at
raising $1,700.
the Spencer, “because the viewer is truly part
Cypes said the rewards far outweigh the time and effort spent into putting on the event. “We work so hard putting this together, but to
of the work itself.” The exhibition features a range of Turrell’s
see the smiles on the kids’ faces makes it all worthwhile. In the end,
work, from recent explorations of light and
it’s all about helping the kids.”
space bent through holograms to the exhibi-
—Chad Arganbright
tion’s centerpiece, Gard Blue. Elegant, serene and surreal, Gard Blue demonstrates how light can skew perceptions of reality. This 1968 work is on loan to the Spencer from alumnus Mark Booth (B.G.S. 1978) and his wife, Lauren. Turrell’s work will remain up until May 18. “It truly has become one of those exhibitions that we see affecting people with its luminous power and amazing precision,” says Hardy. “It is a rare pleasure to bring an exhibition of this
STEVE PUPPE
importance to the university.” This is one not to be missed. —Rachel Meyers
KUENDOWMENT.ORG
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ACROSS KU
MUSICAL MAKEOVER and acoustics; new seating; an accessible entryway on for ADA seating; modern audio/video and telecomthe stage in Swarthout Recital Hall since it opened munications equipment; and the purchase of two new in 1957; 40,000 patrons attend concerts there each year. Daily use for nearly 60 years has taken its toll, Steinway D grand pianos. to put it mildly. The hall will soon look and sound “We are honored that the Muriel McBrien Kauffbetter than new, thanks to a $1 million leadership gift man Foundation has chosen to partner with us in from the Muriel McBrien Kauffman Foundation, of providing future generations of students the ability to Kansas City, Mo. pursue their dreams of a life centered in music,” said Julia Irene Kauffman, chair and School of Music Dean Robert Walzel. CEO of the foundation, said, “We The Kauffman Foundation gift lifts YOU CAN HELP are proud to be a catalyst for progress To support music education the total raised for the project to $2.3 at KU with a modern to help drive the School of Music million. The School of Music and KU performance hall, please visit kuendowment.org/swarthout to new heights with this grant and Endowment are working with alumni or contact Michael Arp, and friends to raise the remaining prito bring a renewed and regenerated marp@kuendowment.org or vate funding needed to meet the $2.5 excitement and synergy to the stu785-832-7410. million project budget. Walzel said he dents, faculty and the community.” hopes to have funding in place soon, so that construcRenovation and technological upgrades designed tion can begin at the end of the spring semester. to enhance the recital experience for performers and patrons alike include renovation of the stage, lighting — Valerie Gieler 18
KU GIVING | WINTER 2014
SABATINI ARCHITECTS INC.
GENERATIONS OF KU STUDENTS HAVE PERFORMED
GREATER KU FUND
HERE’S HOW IT’S DONE IT MAY BE DIFFICULT FOR ALUMNI TO REMEMBER A TIME WHEN
EARL RICHARDSON
THEY DIDN’T QUITE KNOW HOW TO DO THE ROCK CHALK CHANT,
or how that clapping thing really goes, or that they shouldn’t walk through the Campanile before graduating. Like all traditions, these things must be learned. And to make sure they’re learned properly, KU offers Traditions Night each fall, a gathering in Memorial Stadium where new students learn the essentials of Jayhawkness: history, songs, cheers and customs. It’s part of Hawk Week, an official week of welcome before each fall semester that showcases what KU has to offer and opens doors to the campus community. More than 50 introductory and orientation events occur during the week, including organization open houses, residential community meetings, new-student welcome sessions by schools, block parties, games, bowling, introductions to various academic support entities like Information Technology and Public Safety — and that’s just a start. The Greater KU Fund boosts numerous Hawk Week activities. What better way to invest unrestricted funds than in training fledgling Jayhawks to fly? — Charles Higginson
MORE Find more Traditions Night photos at bit.ly/kutraditions
KUENDOWMENT.ORG
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KU VOICES
AN UNCOMMON DEGREE OF DETERMINATION Colby Liston was barely a week into his freshman year at KU when he was pinned between two vehicles in a car accident, resulting in the amputation of both legs. Despite the challenges of surgery, recuperation and learning to walk again, he remained steadfastly determined to return to KU. “It wasn’t ‘Will I get to come back to KU?’” said Liston, who is from Derby, Kan. “It was, ‘When am I going to come back to KU?’” His positive attitude, and that of his family and friends, helped. Further encouragement came through personal visits from Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little, who told him that when he returned to KU, a scholarship would be waiting for him. A year later, Liston moved back to Lawrence to start his freshman year all over again. He lives in Jayhawk Towers, appreciates the scenic walk along Jayhawk Boulevard and lifts weights at Robinson Gymnasium or the David Ambler Student Recreation Fitness Center almost every day. Academically, he’s immersed in freshman courses, his favorite of which is math. IN THE FALL OF 2012,
Colby Liston and his parents, brothers and grandmother were guests of Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little at last year’s KU men’s basketball game against Temple University. Front row, from left: Dara and Matt Liston, Chancellor Gray-Little, Colby Liston, Tyson Liston. Second row: Bonita Graham, Reid Liston.
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KU GIVING | WINTER 2014
Liston decided in high school that KU was the school for him. “I’ve always been interested in engineering, but I never really knew which field,” he said. “One of my good friends said I should check out petroleum engineering and showed me an article he had read about it. So I started doing some research. It interested me, and I just said, ‘Hey, that seems like something I would want to do.’ Then I started researching schools, and KU was the only one in the state that offered a petroleum engineering degree, so I made up my mind pretty quick.” While a positive attitude and determination go a long way in smoothing any student’s path through college, financial support also ranks right up there. Originally, Liston had planned to rely on student loans to cover most of his college education. The scholarship support will reduce his loan debt. His scholarship is named for the late 1930 KU alumnus Clinton R. Krimminger. Since 2007, when this renewable undergraduate scholarship fund was established through an estate gift, it has provided 96 scholarships for KU students. And because it is an endowed fund, it will continue helping KU students in perpetuity. Liston said the scholarship is important to him and to his family. “School is expensive for everybody,” he said. “Scholarships help anybody and everybody.” But there’s more motivation than the money: He wants to live up to Chancellor Gray-Little’s expectations. “It’s a big motivator to get good grades in school,” Liston said. “I think that was the biggest thing. You’re not going to have somebody award you a scholarship and then just go and throw it down the drain. You’ve got to put that money to use, get good grades, get a degree and get yourself a job.” — Lisa Scheller
CHUCK FRANCE/KU MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS
When it comes to being a Jayhawk, very little slows Colby Liston down.
PAST AND PRESENT
UNDER OPEN SKY, AMONG FRIENDS PIONEER CEMETERY WAS LAWRENCE’S ORIGINAL BURIAL GROUND, known then as Oread
Cemetery. Burials began in the 1850s. About 70 victims of William Quantrill’s 1863 raid on Lawrence were interred there, although all but six were later re-interred in Oak Hill Cemetery, which became Lawrence’s main cemetery. Burials ceased at Pioneer after 1882, and it was forgotten for decades despite its location on west campus, near the intersection of Iowa Street and Irving Hill Road. In the early 1950s, KU Chancellor Franklin Murphy became interested in the cemetery and engaged officials of the city and KU Endowment in discussions about its ownership. In 1953, the city deeded the cemetery to KU Endowment for one dollar. In 1968, Elmer McCollum, discoverer of Vitamin A, became the first person interred in Pioneer Cemetery in 86 years. A KU alumnus, he had expressed the wish to be buried there. Since then, more than 450 members of the KU community, qualified by 15 years of service, have chosen it as their resting place.
STEVE PUPPE
—Charles Higginson
YOU CAN HELP Private contributions to KU Endowment meet the costs of maintenance and improvement of Pioneer Cemetery. To help, contact Laurie Comstock at 785-832-7445 or lcomstock@kuendowment.org, or visit kuendowment.org/pioneer.
KUENDOWMENT.ORG
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P.O. Box 928 Lawrence, KS 66044-0928
Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Lawrence, Kansas Permit No. 72
BRIAN GOODMAN
Cowboy boots, created for a high-ranking official (name unknown) of the Kansas Jaycee Jaynes, a women’s auxiliary organization of the Junior Chamber of Commerce.
Make a gift to build a greater university at www.kuendowment.org/givetoku