Wichita's nickname serves as low-key promotion

Topeka Capital-Journal, The, Jun 10, 2001 by Matt Moline Capital-Journal

Slogan

After a century of reliance on conventional promotional slogans to spark Wichita's image, a California historian assesses the city's enduring "Doo-Dah" nickname heritage as a zany "un-slogan" reaction by young people to old-style boosterism.

By Matt Moline

Special to The Capital-Journal

WICHITA --- For more than a century, Wichita has been blessed by a string of worthy nicknames, beginning with an 1887 promotional slogan, "Peerless Princess of the Plains."

In more modern times, 1928 witnessed the first use of the term, "Aircraft Capital of Kansas," followed by the go-for-broke slogan of the 1940s, "Air Capital of the World."

So what is next for the state's largest city? How about a promotional campaign that is entirely lacking hype, hoopla and hooey? According to Wichita State University alumnus Francis Schruben, generations of hip Wichitans have been doing just that --- referring to the city by the zany nickname, "Doo-Dah."

After months of research, Schruben concluded that the term originated with local college students during the 1920s.

Schruben said he got interested in tracking down the origins of the nickname after reading a column a year ago by Wichita Eagle writer Bob Getz, who attributed the nickname to 1950s-era beat- generation poet Allen Ginsberg.

"It was suggested that the term might first have been used by the late poet-guru," Schruben said. "But 'Doo-Dah' does not appear in his meandering poem, 'Wichita Vortex Sutra.' " On the other hand, Schruben's investigations uncovered only indirect links between the Wichita 'Doo-Dah' and a pair of popular songs --- Johnny Mercer's 1946 title, "Zip-Iddy-Doo-Dah," and Stephen Foster's 1850 tune, "Camptown Races."

"Apparently, the term doo-dah was first used in America in connection with the 'Camptown Races,' " said Schruben, who lives in Canoga Park, Calif. "Then and later, doo-dah meant 'a good time' or 'giddiness,' as a core of meanings. The 'doo' part forms such playful words as 'doo-hickey' and even 'doofus,' which means a foolish or inept person."

The current edition of "The Slang Thesaurus" variously defines doo- dah as a doo-hickey, gizmo, doodad, whatchamacallit, whatnot, whatsit or a you-know-what.

Schruben said he plans to submit his research to the U.S. Board on Georgraphic Names for place-name verification, a step that could make Wichita the only community in the nation to be officially known as "Doo-Dah."

Emporia State University alumnus Cameron McDaniel said his fraternity buddies from Wichita always referred to their hometown as 'Doo-Dah' in the late 1990s.

"Now, I send out notes to people saying, 'Come on down to 'Doo- Dah' --- that's 'Wichita' to the lay person," said McDaniel, who works as a school psychologist in nearby Valley Center.

McDaniel said the nickname makes him think of Mercer's zippy, happy-go-lucky tune, which was written for Walt Disney's movie classic, "Song of the South," a 1946 film adapation of Joel Chandler Harris' Uncle Remus tales.

"When I think of 'Doo-Dah,' it brings a sense of happiness, a spark," McDaniel said. " 'Doo-Dah' seems kind of unordinary and joyful, I don't know, something just sparks."