Dan Tontz, ’60
Editor’s Note: This story appeared in The Messenger on April 10, 1959, 55 years ago today.
Learning about parliamentary law and procedure was one of the benefits Dan Tontz, ’60, received from being a page boy for the Kansas State Senate March 13 and 14. Senator Garner E. Shriver from Wichita obtained the appointment for Dan.
“This was the second time I have served as a page boy for the Kansas Senate. The first time was in ’57,” stated Dan.
After the Senate adjourns for the day, page boys are free to do what they wish until the next session. Since there was a special session on Saturday, which Dan was going to serve, he stayed in Topeka at one of the hotels.
“I wish I had stayed in my hotel room that evening, but I decided to go to a show. After the show was out, I started back to the hotel but all of a sudden it dawned on me I didn’t know where I was going. I was lost,” laughed Dan.
Incidentally it must be added that Dan finally thought of going back to the theatre and asking a doorman how to find his hotel.
“Mailing letters, delivering messages, getting food and drink for senators, taking bills to the clerk, and bringing other bills from the document are just a few of the duties of a page boy,” explained Dan.
Looking at this article 55 years later, I remember this Senate Page experience very well. It laid the foundation for me to get a bachelors and masters degree in political science and public administration, plus a Human Resource career in the Federal Bureaucracy. However, I don’t remember the night that I got lost in downtown Topeka between the movie theater and my hotel. My modern day GPS sure could’ve helped me. Apparently I followed my dad’s advice which was — when you’re lost, turn around and your steps.