First year at KU: 1991

Contact: 119 Stauffer-Flint

Patty Cromwell plays an important part in the success of the University Daily Kansan. She works with students who sell advertising for the newspaper.

“My job is to do all the bookkeeping for the Kansan and keep track of what has to be billed,” Cromwell said.

There are 50 to 60 students on Cromwell’s payroll. The students go out into the Lawrence community and sell advertising to businesses. She says advertising sales make a major contribution to the success of the Kansan.

“This is what funds the Kansan,” Cromwell said. “We get no state funding.”

Cromwell is responsible for printing out a report that tells her how many ads have been sold for the next issue of the newspaper. She works on a tight deadline and sometimes makes changes up until final deadline.

“If ads are not in, or they are wrong, we have to make changes before the paper prints,” Cromwell said.

Cromwell also works with the Kansan during the summer term. She’s at work each day that the paper prints. She said she enjoys the summer the most because the Kansan is published only once a week and the students are more relaxed.

Before Cromwell came to the School of Journalism, she worked in other areas of the University. She began her career at KU in engineering management at the Regents Center in Overland Park. She then moved to work in the Organizations and Leadership offices in the Kansas Union. She worked in the department of Aerospace Engineering, and then moved to the Dean’s office in the School of Engineering. She then moved to the J-School and found her place in the Kansan business office. She’s held this position longer than any other at KU, and she says it has provided her with challenging opportunities.

Cromwell stays busy, but she has found one place to relax. “Potter Lake,” she said. “I like that spot on our campus. I think it is one of the prettiest.”