To the editor:

A few weeks ago, when I still considered myself an avid KU basketball fan, I was hoping our basketball program would not land Charlie Villanueva because of the perception he was a “hot dog” and a “know-it-all” who would be a detriment to KU’s team concept.

I had been a fan from my days in the pep band in the early 1950s, later working on the construction of Allen Fieldhouse and purchasing season tickets shortly thereafter. I have continued to purchase tickets annually through thick and thin to follow the legions of Phog Allen and his successors.

However, as a result of the Williams Fund effort to extort larger “contributions” from us, I no longer consider myself a KU fan. My phone call in response to the very sinister letter from the Williams Fund did not progress to a dollar amount because I consider a contribution to be a voluntary event, not a response to extortion, to which I respond negatively. In fact, in 1987 when the athletic department demanded we double our contribution or face likely loss of our seats, I took our tickets directly to Mr. Richard Konzem, suggesting he could “place them where the sun don’t shine. Do it now!”

He declined.

My wife and I are in discussions regarding what group would best use and most appreciate a portion of our estate. The recent actions of the Williams fund have made it clear that KU (whether the Williams Fund, the Lied Center or other more worthy segments of the KU family) should be removed from consideration since we are not millionaires and therefore any contribution we could make would be viewed as “chicken feed.” Others would clearly be more appreciative.

Lawrence Bodle,

Lawrence