The art department opened in September with Miss Ruth Sturgeon instructing in crayon, watercolor, pastel, oil, china painting, and decorative work.

The university invested $2,000 in Alumni Auditorium, adding ten custom-designed stained glass windows and a large rose window at the west end.

Roy Campbell, head of the Friends University Music Department, coined the name Singing Quakers for the combined men’s and women’s glee clubs. Before the Christmas holidays the two clubs gave an outdoor pageant. During Easter vacation they made a short tour to nearby towns and their final spring performance was..Read More

Because of World War II, the only sports tournaments held this year were those sponsored by the Woman’s Athletic Association. Sports included basketball, speedball, baseball, swimming, badminton, tennis and archery. The Singing Quakers was now an all-women ensemble.

To accommodate the increasing enrollment (now at 569), the South Hall men’s dorm was converted into the Music Hall, complete with two classrooms, four studios, seven practice rooms, a department head office, and a listening room. Several foreign students also lived in the building.

The Singing Quakers celebrated their 25th anniversary under the direction of Fred C. Mayer. One of the notable students in the 50-voice ensemble was that of Cecil J. Riney, who became the director of the Singing Quakers 10 years later.

October 23 was the debut of the marching band. Developed to encourage school spirit, the band began with 35 members.

The City of Wichita was presented with an “All-America City” award, an award given annually to 11 cities on the basis of citizen participation and achievements. Look Magazine and the National Municipal League were co-sponsors of the award. Friends University’s Singing Quakers provided music at City Hall when the “All-America..Read More