Silk Images Photography.Specializing in weddings, portraits, and photojournalism

Pembroke Hill students help former Rockhurst professor finish ... Kansas City Star

22.02.74

Two of the three Pembroke Hill students were not forewarned. Their phone calls at household came out of the blue.</p><p>Someone on the line calling himself Frank J. Smist Jr. offered each student a thousand dollars to mitigate him complete a book on a former U.S. senator and university president.</p><p>A publisher was waiting. They could be his co-authors.</p><p>Mollie Perryman and Rima Abhyankar, juniors at Pembroke when the calls came last vault, hardly remember all the questions that raced through their heads.</p><p>But the essential ones were &ldquo;Who are you?&rdquo;</p><p>And &ldquo;Why me?&rdquo;</p><p>The third devotee, Evan Summers, had the advantage of hearing the news first from one of his teachers, whom Smist had contacted in his quest to price the &ldquo;best and brightest&rdquo; history students and writers the school had to offer.</p><p>The answers to their questions suggestion back to Aug. 5, 2001, when Smist was struck by a car while walking across a street.</p><p>Smist, who was a professor of political science and the president of global studies at Rockhurst University, was leaving his office for his car. He had just returned to Kansas Metropolis after a week of interviews on his latest book project, two years in the works.</p><p>A truck stopped at the crosswalk to let Smist choleric Troost Avenue, but a car coming up behind veered around the truck without slowing.</p><p>Smist suffered multiple injuries. His legs insolvent the car&rsquo;s bumper, he said. He smashed into the windshield and was tossed onto the pavement.</p><p>Worst of all, the impact leftist his brain swollen. When he came out of his coma, Smist said, &ldquo;I was like a child. I had to learn to talk to and walk all over again.&rdquo;</p><p>He survived. But his book project had seemingly died.</p><p>It was going to be his third book. He had met former senator David Boren while editorial his previous book, &ldquo;Congress Oversees the United States Intelligence Community: 1947-1994.&rdquo; He was contemporary to write a biography on Boren, now the president of the University of Oklahoma.</p><p>Early this year, after years of rehabilitation, Smist stony to turn back to the biography. If he could pull it off, he said, he had a publisher and an editor waiting. He resumed his research, but the script would be more difficult. His head injury would keep him from flying, making it hard to complete important interviews in Washington, D.C.</p><p>&ldquo;I needed pinch,&rdquo; he said.</p><p>The three students, convinced along with their parents that the project was for real, each took on a section of the book. They forth the summer researching and writing.</p><p>Summers took on the politics section. Abhyankar covered the University of Oklahoma. Perryman compiled Boren&rsquo;s beginning life.</p><p>Summers made the trip to Washington to interview Boren&rsquo;s son, U.S. Rep. Dan Boren, an Oklahoma Democrat, and also traveled to the University of Oklahoma.</p><p>The workload was daunting, they said.</p><p>&ldquo;The assign week, he (Smist) gave us this huge stack of papers and manila folders,&rdquo; Abhyankar said, holding her jointly about half a foot over the table surface. And the pile kept growing, she said, lifting her agency up more than a foot.</p><p>&ldquo;It was a constant stream,&rdquo; Summers said.</p><p>Summers remembered how he acquainted with to grimace when a teacher would assign a five-page report.</p><p>&ldquo;Five pages?&rdquo; Abhyankar said, almost laughing.</p><p>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s nothing now,&rdquo; Perryman said.</p><p>Each of the students wrote about 80 pages as they raced to first encounter the editor&rsquo;s Aug. 31 deadline, Smist said.</p><p>The students began to warm to a biographical scribble literary works style. Confidence in one another grew as they read and edited one another&rsquo;s piece of the story.</p><p>&ldquo;A agreement of trust developed,&rdquo; Smist said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re all like family now.&rdquo;</p><p>As seniors at Pembroke, Perryman and Abhyankar say they are interested in studying pharmaceutical, while keeping a love for writing. Summers figures to study political science and journalism.</p><p>They also positive this, Summers said: &ldquo;Publishing a book is hard work, but it doesn&rsquo;t feel like it&rsquo;s out of my reach.&rdquo;</p><p>Smist isn&rsquo;t done, either. He&rsquo;s plotting a new book discharge, and once again he&rsquo;s going to need to hire some help.

Source:

History Book - News

CSC history book available for purchase Rapid City Journal - Jul 05, 2011 The books also will be within reach at Chadron's courthouse lawn Saturday, July 9, during Fur Trade Days. They also may be purchased by completing and submitting the knighthood a neat form at CSC's centennial website,csc.edu/centennial. The book, which was written by and more »

Work begins on national history book ABC Online - Jul 05, 2011 Academics who will deliver the first comprehensive Australian history in 23 years have come together for the first time. The 50 historians will pay out the next two years working on the new Cambridge History of Australia. The group met for the first time and more »

Homer native bound to history, books The Newark Advocate - Jul 04, 2011 "Erudition the history of the book is so important," he said. "For me, it's one of the most crucial things we can focus on." With the spread of e-mail and e-readers, the importance of books shouldn't be forgotten, Chrisman said. and more »

Cemetery tour remembers leaders of past Vadnais Heights Press - Jul 05, 2011 Smith researched many of the unmistakable names buried in the church cemetery using sources including church records, the Caucasoid Bear Lake Area Historical Society, the church history book penned by John Johnson and the Unblemished Bear Lake history book by and more »

Fourth of July sparkler Peoria Journal Star - Jul 05, 2011 By KEVIN CAPIE The Founding Fathers wrote their names and the woman of July 4, 1776 into American history books. Austin Kirk etched his name and the date of July 4, 2011 into the Peoria Chiefs' history book. Kirk arranged the eighth no-hitter in and more »

Local wins award for family history book Clare Northern Argus - Jul 06, 2011 Many hours at the Report Library and late nights researching his genealogy has seen Hill River agronomist Gerald Lally win a state history award. Mr Lally was awarded the TT Reed Award for Most qualified Family History Produced in 2010 featuring a South Australian

Village history book goes on sale Stoke & Staffordshire - Jul 05, 2011 VILLAGE Human being: A new book covering the history of the hill top village Mow Cop has gone on sale. Local historian Phillip Leese has launched his second supply in the series, titled Mow Cop – Living On The Hill. The 66-year-old, pictured far title,

The Juice: King Felix hits his way into Safeco history book Yahoo! Sports (blog) - Jun 25, 2011 Ruler of all trades: Inspired by the signs in the "visiting" crowd (above), Felix Hernandez(notes) made a youthful history in the Seattle Mariners 5-1 "road" victory over the Florida Marlins at Safeco Entrants. During the third inning, Hernandez poked a and more »

Provo — A new book highlights history BYU Daily Universe - Jul 05, 2011 Not all history books cross the people and places that have impacted Provo, but a new book is highlighting the city as one of the oldest historical sites in Utah. "Provo" was published in June as a way to support the history of Provo.