Once there was this sleepy little college...

There was once a small private college in Topeka, Kansas, with an enrollment of 700 students. Suddenly, in 1942, destiny became reality when this sleepy little college became a municipal university and got a brand new president. With flowery language typical of the day, the Topeka State Journal reported the change of guard:

"With the promise that Washburn university will maintain her liberal arts traditions and her superior law school, and with a plan to provide the university with the best fine arts program in the state, as well as the emphasis on business administration and political sciences, Dr. Bryan S. Stoffer, president of Doane college, Crete, Neb., has accepted the presidency of Washburn, it was announced Tuesday by the university board of regents."

Washburn now had a new young president full of dreams and plans who would, for the next 20 years, completely re-vitalize the small little university.