From the Lawrence Daily Journal-World for March 9, 1987:

• Two union organizations were competing for a chance to represent Kansas University faculty members. The possibility of a union at KU had existed since 1979, but recent increased dissatisfaction among faculty members had put the issue closer to the front burner. An election would probably be held in the fall to determine whether members wanted a union, and if so, which organization should represent them.
• The KU Center for Research, Inc., had just received a $164,000 grant from the National Bureau of Standards to be used for continued research on the future use of computers in factories. The grant was to be used in the mechanical engineering department’s Computer Integrated Manufacturing Laboratory.