Find out what fellow Jayhawks are up to in our biweekly edition of “In the News.” It’s like an online version of Class Notes. If you’ve seen Jayhawks in the news who should be featured, email us at share@kualumni.org.
KU alumnus David Booth — who made headlines for purchasing James Naismith’s rules of basketball and donating them to the school — made a $50 million pledge to the fundraising campaign, the largest single donation in school history. Read full article.
Former Kansas guard Brady Morningstar was named assistant men’s basketball coach at defending NAIA Division I national champion Texas Wesleyan, Rams’ head coach Brennen Shingleton announced. Read full article.
Native American Body of Art is an exhibition featuring 30-plus nude paintings of Native Americans by nine Native American artists from different tribes. Brent Learned, a Cheyenne/Arapaho artist from Oklahoma City and a 1993 University of Kansas graduate, conceived the idea for the show. Read full article.
In a 20-minute interview shortly before the opening kickoff of Saturday’s football game at Memorial Stadium, won by West Virginia, 56-34, David Booth explained his gift, the biggest gift in the history of the athletic department. Read full article.
John and Sarah Lechleiter have given $2.5 million to honor James Still’s 20th season as IRT’s Playwright-in-Residence and officially name the James Still Playwright-in-Residence position in perpetuity though the designation of The James Still Playwright-in-Residence Fund. Still is 1982 graduate of the University of Kansas. Read full article.
Former KU basketball player Tony Guy was no stranger to guarding all-time great basketball players. He guarded both Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson during his KU career. Read full article.
Former Kansas basketball player Jeremy Case was inducted into the McAlester Athletics Hall of Fame. Case — who majored in communications and was twice named to the academic All-Big 12 first team — ended his Kansas career in 2008, when the Jayhawks won the national championship. Read full article.
Sharon Toulouse, assistant director of bands at the University, helps round up alumni for the halftime performance. Toulouse is an alumna herself and even performed with the KU Alumni Band in the past. Read full article.
Allan Allford, president and CEO of Delta Dental, explains how he ended up with a Jayhawk statue, lessons he’s learned in the business world, and what he does in his spare time. Watch video
Margaret Shirk, a longtime KU Alumni Association volunteer, died Sept. 15 at 100 years of age. Shirk was well known for her service to the Red Cross, local election duties, and her dedication to KU basketball. Alumni might remember parties at Shirk’s Barn. Read full article.
A $500,000 gift from a University of Kansas School of Law alumnus will create a new professorship in honor of the late KU professor William R. Scott, KU Endowment recently announced. Read full article.
Debra MH McLaughlin was sworn in as the 23rd Judicial Circuit’s newest judge during a ceremony at the Morgan County, West Virginia, courthouse. She has served as Morgan County’s top prosecutor since 2002 and graduated from the KU School of Law in 1993. Read full article.
As Debra MH McLaughlin packed up her office, she reflected on her career so far as an assistant prosecutor and prosecuting attorney for Morgan County since 2002. Read full article.
Distinguished Professor Rosemary O’Leary collected three lifetime achievement awards in public administration this summer. This makes her the only scholar to win all five major lifetime achievement awards in the field. Read full article.
Christopher J. Rockers, partner in Husch Blackwell’s Kansas City office, assumed the role of Chair of the American Bar Association’s Business Law Section during its annual meeting in Chicago September 14-16. He graduated from the KU School of Law in 1984. Read full article.
Catherine McGuire, Counsel in the Division of Trading and Markets, retired after 44 years at the SEC. McGuire is a graduate of the University of Michigan and the University of Kansas School of Law, which honored her with the Distinguished Alumna Award in 2004. Read full article.
Have you heard news about a fellow Jayhawk, or maybe you have news of your own to share? Email us at share@kualumni.org, or fill out our Class Notes form to be included in a future issue of Kansas Alumni magazine. Read more about newsworthy Jayhawks.
On Friday, September 22, Kansas Athletics and the Williams Education Fund launched Raise The Chant, a $350-million fundraising campaign, focused primarily on a major renovation of Memorial Stadium.
University of Kansas Chancellor Doug Girod and Athletics Director Sheahon Zenger presented renderings of the multi-million dollar project, lead by a $50 million pledge from Kansas alumnus and benefactor David Booth, c’68, g’69.
The Booth gift will launch facility improvements with the construction of an indoor football practice facility immediately following the 2017 season. Improvements to the south end zone and the west side of the stadium will follow after the completion of the 2018 season, with enhancements to the north end zone and the stadium’s east side to begin later.
“In listening to Sheahon’s vision of many years,” Booth said, “and believing in where Coach Self’s program is and where Coach Beaty’s program is headed, I am proud to support my alma mater’s athletic program. I believe Sheahon’s plan for football and basketball is essential not only to the future of Kansas Athletics, but also to the university as a whole.”
“The Raise The Chant campaign, with its primary focus on football, addresses an institutional priority for the University of Kansas,” Chancellor Girod said. “A competitive football program benefits the entire university and is important for KU to continue being a strong member of the Big 12 Conference. In recent years, we have transformed the university with nearly $1 billion in new and renovated facilities, and this is the next step in that transformation. I have the utmost confidence in Sheahon and believe we have the right people at the right time for this campaign.”
The campaign continues a trend of rapid growth in athletic facilities, including soccer, track and field, softball and tennis at Rock Chalk Park, and the construction of the DeBruce Center, home of the original rules of basketball, and McCarthy Hall, where the men’s basketball team and other students reside.
Also announced as part of the campaign was a $10 million pledge from volleyball benefactor Stewart Horejsi, b’59, and his family, to build a new, 3,000 arena for the defending Big 12 volleyball champions. Baseball’s long-time home, Hoglund Ballpark, is also in line for renovations and improvements during the “Raise the Chant” campaign.
“We want to extend a heartfelt thanks to our generous donors,” Zenger continued, “in particular David Booth, and Stewart Horejsi and his family. They, once again, have not only bought in to our vision of what Kansas Athletics can be, but also have actively participated in that vision. We appreciate very much the leadership they have shown, and we are confident that others will follow their lead and help make that vision a reality. I’d also like to express our appreciation to Dale Seuferling and the KU Endowment Association for its leadership as we embark on this important campaign.”
Learn more
To learn more about the campaign or to donate, visit RaiseTheChant.com
Photos
Top: Rendering of projected renovations to Memorial Stadium
1911: Fans watch a game against Nebraska at McCook Field. The Jayhawks played at McCook from 1892 to 1921, when Memorial Stadium was built.
1924: Aerial view of Memorial Stadium
1967: KU hosts Missouri in the Border War
1978: Memorial Stadium after receiving a $1.8 million dollar renovation
Find out what fellow Jayhawks are up to in our biweekly edition of “In the News.” It’s like an online version of Class Notes.If you’ve seen Jayhawks in the news who should be featured, email us at share@kualumni.org.
Colombia President Juan Manuel Santos won the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to end a five-decade civil war that has killed more than 200,000 people — and said he received the award in the name of the Colombian people. Santos, b’73, earned degrees in business and economics from the University. Read full article.
Caleb Knueven, c’11, is writing and directing a new short film titled “Stadium” about the beginning of a breakup. On Aug. 19, the film received funding through Kickstarter and surpassed its goal of $6,000, with a final tally of $8,075. Read full article.
Jesse Hufft describes her position as co-founder and CEO of Hufft Projects as the job she never knew she always wanted. She and her husband, Matthew Hufft — a KU architecture graduate — started the architecture firm, which is based in Kansas City, Missouri, in 2005. He serves as the firm’s creative director. Read full article.
Diana Robertson, director of Student Housing at the University of Kansas, has announced her retirement effective June 27. In her 17 years at KU she has served as director for 11 years and associate director for residence life for six. Read full article.
A video from the Kansas City star narrated by KU alumnus and television journalist Bill Kurtis describes the DeBruce Center, built adjacent to Allen Fieldhouse to house the historic rules of basketball purchased by alumnus David Booth. Watch video.
Speaking of David Booth, the Wall Street Journal published an article about his company, Dimensional Fund Advisors, LP, the fastest-growing major mutual-fund company in the United States. The company was launched in 1981. Read full article.
Legendary KU football player David Jaynes, who lives in Los Angeles with his wife Barbara, was in town for a KU football reunion he organized for former KU coach Pepper Rodgers’ 85th birthday, which coincided with Saturday’s 24-23 loss to TCU. Jaynes placed fourth in Heisman Trophy voting in 1973. Read full article.
Have you heard news about a fellow Jayhawk, or maybe you have news of your own to share? Email us at share@kualumni.org, or fill out our Class Notes form to be included in a future issue of Kansas Alumni magazine. Read more about newsworthy Jayhawks.
David G. Booth, c’68, g’69, chairman and co-CEO of Dimensional Fund Advisors in Austin, Texas, purchased at auction and then promptly donated James Naismith’s original “Rules of Basket Ball” to KU.
So what small item of KU basketball history does he keep close at hand on his office desk? What trip memento could Booth not resist buying while visiting his company’s Beijing office, and why does he encourage employees to leave the office by 5 p.m.?
