Lawrence Attractions Lawrence and the University of Kansas
Old West Lawrence is one of the few neighborhoods listed on the National Register of Historic Places and was a finalist in the "America's Prettiest Painted Places" competition. The neighborhood is located two blocks west of downtown. In 1863, Old West Lawrence was home to society's early elite, making it a prime target for Quantrill's raiders (discussed on page 5 below). (Self-guided tours are available at the Lawrence Visitor Information Center, located at 402 N. 2nd St, across the river from the Springhill Suites Marriot.)
“The motives for the settling of Kansas were social and moral, and the issues stupendous.” (Hannah Oliver, survivor of the Lawrence massacre.) http://www.legendsofamerica.com/OZ-Lawrence2.html
After the war, the railroads opened Kansas to a large influx of settlers. In 1865, local citizens founded the University of Kansas. Lawrence rapidly recovered from Quantrill’s atrocity, quintupling in size by 1870--a phoenix rising from the ashes is Lawrence’s symbol. Lawrence also is known as the city where basketball came of age--it was brought to KU in 1898 by James Naismith, who had created the game only seven years earlier. After a slow growth period in the first part of the 20th Century, Lawrence, paralleling KU’s expansion, tripled in population during 1940-70, and many young people from the east, originally on their way to the counter-cultural revolution in California, settled here. The late 1960s and early 1970s were a turbulent time in Lawrence. In spring 1970, several campus buildings were fire-bombed, the National Guard patrolled the campus, and after the Kent State tragedy, students voted to shut down the university. That summer the upheaval in Lawrence culminated in the deaths of several young people.
Extending beyond the southwest periphery of Lawrence, Clinton Lake offers boating, swimming and fishing, and is the site of a popular summer music festival. Boating World has featured Clinton as one of the “The 50 Best Boating Lakes” in the country. The University of Kansas
Sight Seeing. Downtown, we suggest exploring Mass St. and Old West Lawrence. On campus, we suggest visits to the Spencer Art Museum and the KU History Museum, both a short walking distance from the Adams Alumni Center; the Booth Family Hall of Athletics and Allen Field House, about a kilometer from Adams; and the Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics, located in the West Campus, about 2 kilometers from the Adams Center. On the afternoon of Friday, April 6, 2007, time has been set aside to do some sight seeing, and we’ll arrange transport to the Hall of Athletics/Allen Field House and the Dole Institute for those who are interested. You also may wish to consult performing arts venues in Lawrence: (http://www.lied.ku.edu/, http://www.lawrenceartscenter.com/, http://www.kutheatre.com/, http://community.lawrence.com/CommunityTheatre/, http://www.libertyhall.net/; the Dole Institute: http://www.doleinstitute.org/, and the KU and Lawrence events calendars: http://www.calendar.ku.edu/,
Text sources and photo credits:
Author: Lynn Ground, KU CIBER Advisory Board, October 2006 (). |
Lawrence, nestled in the heavily wooded Wakarusa Valley, is flanked and crisscrossed by ridges and hills. The city has a population of about 85,000, exclusive of the 30,000 students who attend the University of Kansas. With its hills, colorful Victorian dwellings, stately churches and tree-lined streets, central Lawrence might appear to be a misplaced New England village. Lawrence periodically is featured in national publications and web sites on “the best of lists.” In 2000, the National Trust for Historic Preservation named Lawrence one of its Dozen Distinctive Destinations, touting the city as one of the "best preserved and unique communities in America." Recently, MSNBC ranked Lawrence as one of the top six university towns in the U.S. (The others were Athens, Berkeley, Boulder, Madison, and Princeton: 
More Lawrence Bests. Kiplinger’s Personal Finance Magazine (November 1, 2002) found Lawrence to be “an oasis on the prairie” and one of the three best U.S. college towns (with Charlottesville, VA and Bellingham, Washington) for retiring baby boomers. 
Linger on Massachusetts Street and you'll discover why "Mass" has been called one of America's loveliest main streets. The historic downtown district is populated by century-old buildings, eclectic boutiques, diverse watering holes and restaurants, music venues and antique shops. Art galleries, studios and a museum also are located downtown, including the Lawrence Arts Center and Watkins Community Museum. Liberty Hall, a restored 19th Century opera house, across the street from the Eldridge, features live entertainment as well as artsy cinema. (Left: Mass St. view including Liberty Hall.) 
Sculpture, design and paintings are found in galleries and museums as well as on buildings and street corners, such as the one at the left. The Downtown Lawrence Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit is the only one of its kind in the U.S. and features works from local as well as national artists. For Lawrence activities and restaurants during your stay, visit 
Lawrence History. New England Abolitionists belonging to the New England Emigrant Aid Society founded Lawrence in 1854 to prevent the then Kansas territory from becoming a slave state, leading to the first act in the U.S. Civil War. Lawrence is one of the few cities founded purely for political reasons and was named after a financier of the abolitionists. Lawrence acted as an important link on the Underground Railroad, helping escaped slaves reach freedom, and as a magnate for free state forces. In 1856, a raid on Lawrence by proslavery forces from Missouri resulted in the destruction of numerous buildings including the Free State Hotel (now the Eldridge) and was followed by the retaliatory Pottawatomie killings by John Brown, who two years later was hanged for his attempt to seize the Federal Armory at Harper’s Ferry, Virginia and spark a slave rebellion. After years of strife free state forces prevailed; in 1861, Kansas entered the Union as a free state even as the Missouri-Kansas border evolved into the American Civil War. In 1863, Confederate guerillas from neighboring Missouri, in obedience to William Quantrill’s order to "kill every man big enough to carry a gun," murdered about 180 males and burned most of the structures in Lawrence. Almost 10% of the population was slain—the massacre was the bloodiest attack on civilians of the Civil War. Many homes and buildings reconstructed or built after the sacking of Lawrence are in use today. The Lawrence massacre was portrayed in the 1999 movie Ride with the Devil, by Ang Lee. (The painting above depicts the August 21, 1863 atrocity—Lauretta Louise Fox, 1866-1919).
The University of Kansas is a highly regarded public university perched atop a high ridge, named Mount Oread, that dominates the Lawrence landscape and affords panoramic views of the Wakarusa Valley. Poet Walt Whitman said of the view from KU's hill: "Stretching out on its own unbounded scale, unconfined...Combining the real and ideal, and beautiful as dreams." The KU campus, which occupies 1000 acres on and about Mount Oread, is considered one of the most appealing in the country. We invite you to visit and judge. Some 30,000 undergraduate and graduate students attend KU, including 1600 plus from 110 countries around the world. KU has more than 40 nationally ranked academic programs, including 26 in the top 25 among public universities, according to U.S. News & World Report. Two graduate programs—special education and urban management—are No. 1 in their fields among public universities. (Above, a peak at Potter’s Lake below Mount Oread; at the left is Jayhawk Blvd, named after KU’s unique mascot.)
International Programs. KU has the oldest continuous study abroad program in the Western Hemisphere, offers more overseas programs than any U.S. university, and sends more students to study abroad than all but three U.S. universities. Fully one-fifth of all KU seniors study overseas. In 2005, KU was one of five Simon Award winners for campus internationalization. KU also has 47 graduates serving in the Peace Corps in 24 countries, ranking 24th among U.S. universities. KU’s heavy global orientation, which may seem surprising, partly reflects the openness of the Kansas’ economy to trade—Kansas exports a larger fraction of its output than the rest of the U.S. and the three main sectors of its economy hinge on exports—aerospace (seventh largest in the U.S.), machinery and farm products (fourth in the U.S.). (Right: The Lied Center, KU's performing arts center, rated one of "The Top Ten U.S. University Presenters," by International Arts Manager.)
Basketball is huge at Kansas. But it's not just because of the national championships, raucous and revered Allen Fieldhouse, NBA stars from Lovellette Chamberlain to Manning to Pierce or even because four of the most successful college coaches of all time played or coached here. It's also because James Naismith, our first coach, happens to have invented the game. KU has achieved 12 NCAA Final Four berths—fourth highest among all universities, and four national championships. KU’s Rock Chalk Chant is arguably the most famous collegiate chant—Theodore Roosevelt pronounced it the greatest collegiate chant he had ever heard. (KU scenes & sounds to the background of the Chant on YouTube: 
The Kansas Jayhawks. Colleges adore their mascots. KU is home of the Jayhawk, a mythical bird rooted in history. The term Jayhawk “combines two birds--the blue jay, a noisy, quarrelsome predator known to rob other nests, and the sparrow hawk, a stealthy hunter. The message: Don't turn your back on this bird (
KU CIBER. The Center for International Business Education and Research at the University of Kansas is part of a nationwide network of 30 CIBERs selected for the strength of their international programs. Across the U.S., CIBERs provide services and programs to help American business excel in the global marketplace. CIBERs are funded by the U.S. Department of Education, with additional support provided by each CIBER institution. Established in 1999, the KU CIBER serves as a catalyst for curricular, research, and outreach programs centered in the School of Business, in partnership with the University's area study centers, foreign language departments, and other campus units. KU CIBER recently was awarded funding for a third four-year cycle. During this period, a key area of our focus is the role of business in post-conflict development. Other CIBERs include Colombia, Duke, and the Universities of Illinois, Pennsylvania and Texas. (Above left: Potter’s Lake, in the center of the campus; below, fall in Lawrence, from Mount Oread.)
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