* Out of respect for the innocent, names have either been changed or withheld. Out of respect for the guilty, the rest has been told exactly as it occurred – with tongue firmly planted in cheek…
Monday night, the KU Alumni Association held a watch party at Seattle’s world famous Space Needle for the Jayhawks’ game against Iowa State. The CEO of the Space Needle is a KU grad, so the party was top-notch, with close to 200 alumni enjoying the view, food, drinks, company…and, oh yeah – a 76-72 victory against the Cyclones.
The watch party also featured KU library’s archivist in attendance from Lawrence, who brought with her a variety of memorabilia related to Phog Allen as well as the 1952 championship team – a title that the Jayhawks won in Seattle.
With advance notice, KU BALLS would have gladly contributed additional items to complement & enhance the display, in particular focusing on the 1952 championship team because of its ties to Seattle. Maybe the next visit. Until then, a smattering of items:
The evening was going well – spirits were high from dunks, spirits were drunk from drinks.
Some of the official memorabilia was sitting right next to a variety of giveaway items – stickers, pins, etc.
One individual, browsing the items, mistakenly thought that the 1952 yearbook celebrating the championship season was a freebie to take. So she did.
Fortunately, the KU BALLS crack security team was also in attendance and – being well-versed in the value of Jayhawk artifacts and their importance to the documentation of Western Civilization – sprang into action and alerted KU’s archivist. The archivist tracked down the (unknowing) would-be-thief, recovered the program, and tragedy was avoided.
The rest of the evening went off without a hitch, though KU BALLS felt obligated to keep its watchful eyes on the distinguished memorabilia. KU artifacts can demand a premium on the black market, and it is important to maintain constant vigilance and employ nothing but the most advanced and innovative security precautions.
Rock Chalk!
KU BALLS 
Hi- Wanted to let you know I really enjoy your site! I too am a huge KU vintage collector and have many Phog Allen items. One of my favorite scrapbooks I have is of Jack Wolfe’s, which you are related to! Would be glad to send you some pictures of it if you would like.
Hi! Glad you like my site and thanks for reaching out as I’m always interested to connect with other collectors. I would ABSOLUTELY be interested in seeing pics of the scrapbook. Jack Wolfe was my great-uncle, and even though he died in a plane crash long before I was born, my Dad raved about how great of a guy he was. I would love to see pics and you can send them to: chief.curator@kuballs.com
Thanks again!