H I S T O R Y O F T H E F O R M E R C O L L E G E O F E M P O R I A

By Bobbi Mlynar

Special to The Gazette

EDITOR ’ S NOTE : This is the second in a series of articles about the former College of Emporia , a private Presbyterian institution that operated here from 1883 through 1973 . Alumni will be in Emporia this weekend for their annual reunion , related tours and activities .

Intercollegiate athletics came quickly to the College of Emporia after it settled onto a developing 38-acre campus slightly northwest of the Emporia city limits .

The college , established by the Presbyterian Synod of Kansas , had begun classes with 15 students in the upstairs of the Addis Building at the northeast corner of Sixth Avenue and Commercial Street .

By 1886 , classes had been moved to the partially completed Stuart Hall at the college ’ s permanent location .

In 1894 , the thriving college had a student population large enough to support academics and an athletics program . Intercollegiate football for the “ Fighting Presbies ” had begun .

Uniforms were red and white ; the chant “ C . of E . Fights ” took hold and carried cheerleaders and fans through almost 80 years of competitions , beginning with football .

Baseball followed in 1902 , track in 1903 , basketball in 1908 , tennis in 1922 , and golf in 1924 . The college fielded a wrestling team for four years , beginning in 1926 , and cross country teams competed briefly in the 1960s , according to a seven-part series on C . of E . sports written by Ed Shupe and published in The Gazette in January , 1974 , a few weeks after the college closed .

Roundball

C . of E .’ s first basketball coach was Homer Woodson “ Bill ” Hargiss , who had been hired to coach all sports at the college .

His first season brought only a 6-8 won-loss record , but by 1911- 12 season , the team compiled a 12- 2 record , still one of the best winning percentages in the history of the college .

The following season brought a 12-4 record , with defeats at the hands of Baker University in the championship game , as well as regular-season losses to Baker , K- State and K . U .

C . of E . avenged the K . U . loss , Shupe wrote , with a 28-18 win later in the season .

Five winning seasons were recorded in the 1920 . Basketball , however , proved to be less successful than football until 1933-34 season , which brought C . of E . its first conference title .

Athletics were suspended during World War II , Shupe wrote .

When the spring semester of the 1945-46 season opened , 13 veterans had returned to action on the court , with seven who had been lettermen before the war . They were , at the time , “ the tallest team in Kansas .”

The lineup included John Heckman , Bob Lodle , Wiley Alberg , John Webb , John Sample , Truman Haskell and Max , Jack , and Bill Smith . Jack Smith finished his senior year listed among the top five

Please see C . of E ., Page 5

Bill Danenhauer , co-captain of the Fighting Presbies in 1954-55 seasons , was twice named an NAIA All-American . The Baltimore Colts drafted him in 1956 , and he later played with the Denver Broncos and the Boston Patriots in 1960 .

Cheerleader Jerilynn Jones Henrikson of Emporia , right , is among the ‘ mourners ’ at a mock funeral service in the Gwinn Henry Cemetery . Corky Elbert and Mrs . Gwinn Henry are standing . Students and staff buried effigies of football opponents the Fighting Presbies defeated and marked the graves with headstones to celebrate victories .

P H O T O C O U R T E S Y O F T H E L Y O N C O U N T Y H I S T O R I C A L A R C H I V E S

By Jessie Wagoner jessie @ emporia . com

Kansas ended fiscal year 2016 in the hole — almost $ 75 million short when June revenues missed the mark by more than $ 34 million .

In June , the state expected to bring in more than $ 609.9 million in tax revenue . Instead , tax revenue was reported in the amount of $ 575.4 million . Revenue projections have been off throughout the year — so much so that the revenue estimating group lowered projections in April . Even with the adjustments , revenues were more than $ 107.3 million less than the revenue projections .

Kansas Department of Revenue Secretary Nick Jordan blamed a weak national economy for the low revenues .

“ Unfortunately , Kansas is a part of a national trend with many states reporting reductions in revenue collections because of a weak economy ,” Jordan said . “ Corporate income tax receipts are down nationally for 2015 ’ s fourth quarter on an average of 9 percent , according to reports .”

Governor Sam Brownback announced Friday that June payments to schools would be delayed

VOL . 125 , NO . 4 due to the budget shortfall . A $ 75 million dollar payment to schools was withheld . The June payment is scheduled to be made on July 7 but the school districts will record the payments as made in June .

The Kansas Association of School Boards issued a statement following the announcement expressing the association ’ s position on school funding .

“ The state should strive to achieve from the major revenue sources , sales , income and property taxes , a balanced and equitable mix of revenues that are suitable to support public services , including funding for quality education ,” the statement read . “ Taxes should be broadly based to ensure all Kansans share fairly in the cost of public services .”

While Brownback and Jordan continue to blame the national economy for the revenue shortfalls in Kansas , others say the tax plan pushed into law by Brownback and allies in 2012 is to blame . The plan resulted in large income tax cuts and included the elimination of state income taxes for more than 300,000 businesses in the state .

In addition to delaying payments to school districts Brownback announced he is also taking $ 23.6 million from highways , prisons and the Children Initiative Fund to cover the shortfall .

By Jessie Wagoner jessie @ emporia . com

Hostess Brands will soon be sold .

Current owners of Hostess Brands are selling the majority of the company to Gores Holdings , an acquisition company for $ 375 million in cash . The sale will lead to Hostess being a publicly-traded company .

Hostess Brands has been owned by a handful of different owners amid filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in July 2012 . The company has twice filed for bankruptcy protection but has seen success during the last four years .

Hostess is based in Kansas City , Missouri but considers the

Emporia facility to be a “ flagship facility .” In April of 2015 , two AutoBake lines were added at the Emporia location . One of the lines is capable of producing 1,100 Twinkies per minute . Increased automation and cost-cutting strategies have helped the company move forward with plans to be publicly traded once again .

“ This is our flagship ,” said Bill Toler , CEO and president of Hostess Brands at a ribbon cutting ceremony held in 2015 at the Emporia facility . “ It is our biggest facility , our best facility . It has our lowest costs and highest employee retention , our best trained people . It has — really the stars in every measure for us so it is great .”

The company also maintains

baking facilities in Indiana and Georgia . A bakery in Chicago was closed last year , resulting in 400 lost jobs . Yet , employment opportunities in Emporia continue to grow . Hostess Brands is currently seeking additional employees at the Emporia facility .

The Emporia Gazette attempted to contact Hostess Brands for comment about how the sale and eventual public trading of the company could impact the Emporia facility . Hostess Brands did not have any staff members available for interview .

“ No one is free for an interview , but I can tell you that Emporia will remain Hostess ’ flagship bakery ,” Hannah Arnold , media contact with Hostess Brands said in an email .