University of Kansas: A History Book

"This is a book for the record, one every University of Kansas alumnus should own." --Manhattan Mercury "For those who want to know how a university was born, how it survived and thrived on the prairie, how the politicians and the professors interacted, how educational fads congealed into clichés, how the chancellors postured, orated, and appealed, how the teachers practiced mutual karate and how a preparatory academy became an institution of distinction, this is the book." --Salina Journal "Traces virtually every aspect of the school's growth during its first century. Sports, pranks, feuds, social organization, and campus politics are included." --Kansas City Star "An honest and fascinating portrait of KU's first century. Most of KU's great names march across this book's pages, and refreshingly, Griffin presents them without a cosmetic façade." --Lawrence Journal-World "Conceived in the convulsions of 'bleeding Kansas' and born and shaped during the Civil War, the university began its work in 1866. Griffin gives us a well-written account of administrative, political, and curricular developments." --Choice "To this book Griffin brings the gifts of clear prose, mastery of vast sources, detachment, and a disarming skepticism about his subject. Above all, he is candid." --Chronicle of Higher Education "A monumental history. Critical, well organized, and skillfully managed." --Reviews in American History "Highly recommended." --History: Reviews of New Books Clifford S. Griffin was professor of history at the University of Kansas from 1959 to 1996.Read More