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ONTOSHY OF NEBR)
LIBRARY
AUG 1 ibi
Summer Nebraskan
Tuesday, August 1, 1961
.Define '
By Gretchen Shellberg
What is the Midwest?
In a series of five articles the Summer
Nebraskan has attempted to answer this
question by studying education, defense,
agriculture and young people in the Midwest
and, more specifically, in Nebraska.
Although no conclusions were stated in
these articles, one attitude appeared to be
prevalent in each area. That is that the Mid
west is changing. It's social, political, eco
nomic, educational, and religious philoso
phies no longer reflect so strongly the tra
ditional "isolationism" which once ear
marked the Midwest.
This change in attitudes is reflected in Ne
braska, the geographic "mid" of the Mid
west. This state has advanced a great deal
since the very core of the agricultural con
servatives met and drew up their Populist
Party platform at the Omaha convention in
1890.
Today, Nebraska is beginning to empha
size industry along with agriculture. It is no
longer strictly isolationist. It has become
Their Midwesl
America's "front line" defense-wise despite
the fact that it is located in the geographic
interior. '
Nebraska, and the Midwest, are not
"apart" from the world. They are "a part"
of the world. Our farm problem is the
world's economic problem as well.
Although the Midwest has been accused of
being too slow and too conservative, it is the
conservatism that makes it what some would
call "solid," the backbone of the nation.
As a conclusion for this series on the Mid
west, the Summer Nebraskan has asked
leaders in Nebraskan government, educa
tion, business, religion and communications
to comment on what they think the Mid
west is.
These men's answers are printed in full.
Some give an overall picture of the Midwest;
others refer specifically to their field. These
men are the leaders that have shaped the
Midwest, the Nebraska .which we know to
day. They are commenting on a land they
Jmof well, for they, and men like them ia
other states, have built the Midwest.
S. DAK.. I 5 w,s' L cST Qj.
vF C0tO KAN. j w. w' J
WHAT IS THS
MlOU)ST?
A lumni Association Strives
'To Strengthen Friends hip '
By Don Ferguson
"To strengthen loyalty and
friendship among the Univer
sity's graduates and former
students."
This, along with encourag
ing a greater interest in the
University, is the primary
goal of the Nebraska Alumni
Association, according to
Association Secretary Arnold
J. Magnuson.
"Membership ia the assod
tioa is at an all-time high,"
stated Magnuson in his year-
rnd report, "showing as in
crease from 8,60$ to 1,979 in
the past twelve months."
The Association had its be
ginning in 1874 when J. S.
Dales 73 was elected presi
dent and began publishing
the "Alumni Bulletin" in 1900.
The publication was short
lived, but was revived in 1904
under the name of the "Uni
versity Journal," published
in the interests of alumni."
"Nebraska Alumnus"
The magazine, which be
came the "Nebraska Alum
nus" in 1924, is the only con
necting link between the Uni
versity and its alumni. It is
a 32-page magazine published
ten times yearly.
Edited by Dick Coffey ('55),
the "Alumnus" is devoted to
interpreting the University of
Nebraska to its graduates
graduates and friends."
"Continuing Education," ac
cording to Coffey, "Is another
major consideration ia plan
ning the magazine. We ese
many articles which reflect
the opinions of faculty, guest
lecturers and alumni."
The Alumni Association
maintains addresses, b i o
graphical, and occupational
information on over 80,000 stu
dents. All inactive alumni re
ceive at least one solicitation
each year.
Alumni Clubs
Alumni Clubs are current
ly active in 50 major cities
throughout the United States.
Last year, 44 meetings were
held in 31 cities with an at
tendance varying from 30 to
500. The Association secre
tary attended the others.
Gubs can obtain films,
slides, name tags, red "X"
feathers, prepared programs
and other promotional mater
ials from the Association of
fice. Homecoming is one of the
key dates for the Associa
tion Coordinated with the
Alumni Innocents reunion, N
Club reunion and various oth
er reunions, the Association
promotes the Alumni Luncb-
eoa and various other class
reunions.
In the spring, in connec
tion with graduation, the
Association sponsors the
Alumni Round-Up Luncheon.
This year's luncheon featured
18 class reunions.
Service -Awards
Also, on graduation day,
the Association presents from
three to five Distinguished
Service Awards to prominent
faculty or graduates. The
awards are based on individ
ual contributions and achieve-1!
ments.
In 1936 the Alumni Associ
ation promoted the founding
of the University Foundation
with its primary purpose be
ing to administer gifts and
funds. The Foundation broke
from the Association in 1940
and incorporated, however,
both organizations work hand-in-hand
in the promotion of
the University.
Working together, the two
groups have developed the
Distinguished Teaching En
dowment Fand, the Hisker
Educational Athletic Award
Program and "Big Red."
The Teaching Endowment
Fund povides "supplemental
salary incentives for outstand
ing University faculty mem
bers" and the Athletic Award
Program secures gifts of
11,000 from a maximum of
75 firms, industries and in
dividuals for the support of
a scholarship for a University
of Nebraska Athlete.
Big Red
The "Big Red" project was
started in 1954 when the Asso
ciation devoted one issue of
the "Alumnus" to a discus
sion of the athletic program
at the University and' its
needs. It presented a pro
gram to secure $4,000 for
grant-in aid scholarships for
worthy athletes who are C
nancially in need and scho-
lastically qualified for help.
Since the Legislature was in
session this year, the Associ
ation saw the need to tell the
story of the University and
its financial needs. It sent 400
packets across the state to
secure support for the Uni
versity's program.
The Association, which is
opea to any graduate or per-
soa that has attended the Uni
versity for two semesters,
caa point to the stadium and
the old Student Union build
ing with pride, since it helped
promote both additions to the
campus.
"It (the Association) pro
vides the means for appre
ciative alumni to help insure
that young people following
them win have the same or
better opportunities than they
did," according to one-time
Association Secretary James
S. Pittenger.
Ratings
Pittenger, now assistant to
the Chancellor, said that peo
ple are often talking about
the ranking or ratings of a
University as compared to
other colleges.
If no such rating were
available, the greatest single
status symbol of an. institu
tion lies in the success of its
Alumni," he said. "Through
the Association it is possible
to keep track of our alumni
accomplishments and promote
them to the public."
"The association is doing
an excellent job of helping
to build our University," Pit
tenger said.
Gov. Frank Morrison
Ill. ll,ar.1.i,n, , t, ,, ,..,.
Governor Frank B. Mor
rison is a past farmer,
teacher and lawyer. He was
elected governor in 1960.
Morrison has served in
the past as District Gov
ernor of Rotary Internation
al, director of the McCook
Chamber of Commerce, and
member of the Board of
Consumers Public Power
District. He is a member
of the Lincoln Rotary Club,
Masons, Scottish Rite and
Shrine.
"We're living in a world of transition or of rapid
change in our economy, political concepts and society.
Scientific research is opening doors to storehouses of
knowledge that were inaccessable to former generations.
' This storehouse of knowledge is available to the
peoples of the world regardless of nationality, ideals, creed
or geographic location because transportation and commu
nication makes knowledge available to all men.
"Life in the Midwestern part of the United States,
perhaps is sounder than that in other parts of the world
because the Midwest is in the center of the great land
mass and not subject to the hysteria of other fermenting
parts of the world.
"The people here are honest, sincere and hard-working.
They are trying to build civilization, not to destroy man
kind. "The air is a little purer.
"The sun is a little brighter.
"We have large areas of uncontaminated water and
unutilized land that as yet haven't been tapped by human
consumption.
"Midwestern people have intellectual and spiritual
qualities which can be used to attack economic and polit
ical problems.
' "Our problem is, basically, to upgrade our educational
structures and interest our young people in fields of engi
neering, research and agriculture and to take a renewed
interest in making our economy keyed to possibilities of
expansion in all these areas.
"Educational structures in the Midwest must be up
graded to serve as a nucleus around which our potential
can be achieved.
"The Midwest has unlimited opportunity if we have
the motivation and ambition and vision to achieve it.
"The future depends on truth and its dissemination to
people through education (here education includes school
systems, the church and the press). We must implement
lessons of truth to make human life more valuable. Teach
ing is at the core of civilization and those in the teaching
profession should be the most able, the most knowledgeable
and the most informed of all professionals.
"We need a psychological readjustment to our respon
sibilities in the Midwest.
"Education in the Midwest compares favorably with
education throughout the world but it still leaves much to
be obtained. We haven't scratched the surface of our
potential yet. If we consider education's relative import
ance in society, this area should be of primary concern."
Dr. Frank A. Court
Dr. Frank A. Court has
been pastor of Saint Paul
Methodist Church in Lincoln
since 1948. He conducts a
weekly radio broadcast en
Sunday mornings from sta
tions KFAB and KFOR.
Dr. Court has also been
active in civic affairs, par
ticularly in the area of
youth work. He is a mem
ber of the Governor's Youth
Committee and the Lincoln
Youth Committee. He h a
also served as Imperial
Chaplain of the Shrine.
"Nebraska is many things to many people. You will
find in Nebraska just about what you desire. While it is a
conservative state, yet it has given to the nation such
liberals as Frank Norrii and William Jennings Bryan.
"It is a state of many school districts and churches.
This came about as the early settlers desired schools and
churches close by. We may have outgrown this phase of
many school districts and churches, yet we have not out
grown a desire for education coupled with spiritual under
standing and inspiration.
"Nebraska believes in a life guided by knowledge and
inspired by Christian love. This is seen in the high moral
standards of the city, hamlet and country alike.
"This is a state of beauty, not only in the sand hills,
the Fort Robinson area, but all over the state. Nowhere
does God have a larger canvas to fling his colors against
in the dying day. To drive across Nebraska means an ever
changing scene of the yellow of sweet clover, the golden
wheat, the dark green of the alfalfa, the sombre green of
the corn with its golden tassels with the great ranges
to the west filled with the moving color of cattle.
"Primarily, Nebraska means opportunity for education
and growth. Much is made of the fact that many young
people leave the state. That is true in every state. We live
in the United States of America. Here in Nebraska, educa
tional opportunities are provided equipping the young peo
ple to go anywhere to meet the competition of the day
and to serve this present age.
"We are still idealists. We believe a person owes some
thing to the state, the community and the church.
"When big busniess today looks for a man or a woman
to join a company. It looks beyond grades and marks to
personality, character and initiative. Because Nebraska's
young people are high In this personality area, they are
much ia demand.
"I have taken graduate work at Stanford on the West
coast, studied four years at Boston on the East coast,' had
churches in the Middlewest and the North, and often visited
'X
the South. There are defects in all these communities and
states just as we have them in Nebraska.
"We are midway on the highway map to anyone driving
across the country, so we like to say we are the heart of
America. What other city of our population has so many
strong churches as Lincoln? And one can find the same in
any other Nebraska community. But not being perfect,
there are a great many things that need to be changed
and done to make Nebraska better. This gives an oppor
. tunity for all."
James Raglin
l . j
f .
l.V" v.'
JvjH
James Raglia Is tha
assistant managing editor of
the Lincoln Journal and a
past sports editor for that
paper.
Stagnant, behind the times, lacking in vision and un
able to, or uninterested in progress in any form.
That is a sampling of criticism of the Midwest often
voiced by its own residents.
This home-grown criticism serves to defeat itself. If
one looks in a mirror, smiles in satisfaction and goes on
unchanged then you produce a continuation of status quo.
But when the seed of disconent is sown by the mirror's
reflection and produces criticism, change soon follows.
The Midwest today is looking in the mirror and finding
blemishes that need to be eliminated. It is not as sleek
or chic as its Eastern or Western coastal neighbors.
Neither is it as content.
This discontent offers promise. Out of it surely will
come improvements and progress.
Why this faith in a people's ability to institute self im
provement? Because the people are still proud of their
ancestry and. still retain much of the vigor of their fore
fathers. What kind of people make up the Midwest? They are
too complex for brief analysis, but they include the:
M
Maverick: Robert Taft (Ohio), George Norris (Ne
braska), Col. McCormick (Illinois), Earl Browder (Kan
sas), William Jennings Bryan (Nebraska) are but some
of the Midwest sons whose divergent political and social
philosophies left their imprint on the nation and the world.
Aspiring to popular causes was not the goal of these lead
ers. The Widwest still spawns such leaders.
I
Inventive: The Wright Brothers of Ohio opened the
airways to man and its mysteries continue to be explored
by such Midwest men of science as James Van Allen of
Iowa, one of the world's leading astrophysists.
D
Devout: Though divergent in application, the Midwest
still stands firm in its sincere and devout belief in God and
remains a pillar of patriotism.
w
Wise: The Midwest is blessed with people who possess
that wonderful ability to practically apply their intellect.
The Midwesterner has 7 senses, the addition having that
wondrous commodity labelled "horse sense."
E
Energetic: Buffeted by winds, weather and wisecracks,
the people of the Midwest battle back today much as did
their forefathers. Creation of new uses of agricultura
products is being spearheaded by Nebraska; industry is
being vigorously sought; discontent with the status quo
continues to spur the Midwesterner to an unceasing aspir
ation for better things.
s
Stalwart: Courage is not a declining commodity in tha
Midwest. Fighting the elements to fighting the enemy
.Midwesterners have warranted honors for their resolute
ness, their bravery, their inherent devotion to completion
of the job. Midwesterners believe deeply in "seeing things
through" and don't believe in doing things half way.
T
Truthful: If, as critics say, America is losing its sens
of values in a wild pursuit of pleasure, the Midwest de
serves exclusion. For here there is still a majority that
won't join the pleasure pursuit if, in tha chase, principal ia
sacrificed.
Mayor Bartlett 'Pat' Boyles
' Lincoln Mayor Bartlett E.
"Pat" Boyles to a Lincoln
lawyer and University of
Nebraska graduate. Prior to
being elected mayor la
1959, he was a deputy elec
tion commissioner from
1951-59.
The 55-year-old attorney
was the first "write-in'
mayor in Lincoln and the
second to be unopposed for'
a second term.
"The Midwest has grown to include the Dakotas, Ne
braska and Kansas in addition to those states on the other
side of the Ohio line.
Continued on Page 4
