The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-04-25

Lawrence, Kan. April 25-The Kan
sas college girls have fixed the STAN
dards for the ideal young man, the
possible husband, and throughout the
state. in the college Y. w. G. A build
ings there is posted the list of things
which go to make up the Kansas ideal
man.
Physically, mentally and morally.
this makes the man whom the girls in
the Kansas colleges, think they could
learn to love. Physically and morally,
at least the requirements which the
girls fixed do not come very far from
the ideals of most persons. a man of
the physical requirements listed by the
college girls of Kansas would be as
near the ideal man as can be found,
excepting in special instances.
PHYSICAL culturists have been hunting
for years for the perfect man and have
found but one or two that come near
the mark. But the Kansas girls picked
out a man who would be very good
specimen of manhood. Then they
hedged him about with moral and men,
tai qualifications which would tend to
make the man an ideal in every sense.
Average of All Ideals.
The physical qualifications for the
ideal man were worked out by DIT
James Naismith, physical director of
the State University.
were worked out by the girls of all
the colleges of the state who are &C
tive memebrs of the Y. w. c. A. asso-
Citations.
| The physical qualifications were the
averages taken from the reports of
hundreds of girls of the state, each girl
being asked to submit measurements
that she considered ideal for man.
The nine commandments for the ideal
young man were selected from hum
dreds of statements of girls who were
asked to specify the requirements each
would make and the nine items men
toned oftenest were the ones taken as
the average ideal
The physical tastes of the girls were
wonderful to behold. There were some
who preferred men whose physical lines
resembled the proverbial bartender,
while others liked giants and some
liked little fellows who would have to
stand on a chair to button his wife's
waist. Usually tall girls liked short
men, while plump girls liked tall.
skinny chaps. The rule of contrasts
was followed almost invariably where
the girl who made her choice of an
ideal was large or small, compared with
the average girl.
some Put Cooking First.
The mental and moral requirements
varied a great deal, too. Some girls
put the ability to cook ahead of all
other standards. One surprising fea-
ture of the reports is embraced in the
first two of the. standards The girls
insist that their escorts must be OF
good appearance, but they do not care
whether he is handsome or just ord
mary. Just so he is neat and puts up
a good front. The second rule pro-
vides for neatness and then declares
against the other extreme. the dandy.
No actual count was made of the
hundreds of replies, but there were
less than a dozen of the girls who
did not make these two requirements,
and as far as known not single girl
in Kansas expressed any fondness for
the dude. Another requirement was
that there must be no sneering or jok-
ing at religion. That this requirement
was noted is taken to indicate that
considerable number of young men
had been caught making light of relig-
ion and indicating a preference to
sofas and hammocks to going to church
Sunday evening.
Tobacco and Liquors Taboo.
Not all the girls were pronounced
against smoking except cigarettes.
Many had no objections to cigars or
pipes. Everyone objected to chewing
tobacco ana everyone objected vigor-
ously to the use of liquors in any
form
The ideal Kansas young man must
be a sensible sort of a chap, because
the composite girl specifically provides
that he must be a good conversation |
alist and that she does not care to
hear much in fattery. The composite |
girl does not care to listen to nom |
sense all the time. but will take lit !
tie wheat with the chaff and think /
more of the young man for it.
A growing tendency on the part of
some young fellows to refuse to re- |
spect their fathers and mothers or |
those of mature age was checked by |
the young women with their stand |
ards.
Kansas has been studying the stand |
ards for several weeks and it is gen
orally believed that the girls picked
good ideal and boys could do worse
than follow the requirements of the
college girls.