Monday, July 19, 2010
The Jayhawk Bookstore was born 33 years ago when former owner Bill Muggy opened shop, selling books to KU students at a discounted price. On July 14, he and his wife, Janet, gave up their baby.
“I took the store from conception to wedding,” Bill said. “It has new life, but it’s carrying my DNA.”
The Jayhawk Bookstore — "at the top of the hill" — has been sold to Nebraska Book Company after 33 years in business.
Muggy sold the store to Nebraska Book Company, which he said was more equipped to handle the business in light of industry changes such as online sales. Although the Jayhawk Bookstore has new owners, the store that sat in the heart of KU’s campus for more than three decades has solid memories with roots that run deep. The company that played a role in the beginning of the Jayhawk Bookstore is the very company that will carry on its history.
The store was one of the original Kansas Lottery retailers and sold one of the first Kansas Lottery instant tickets on November 12, 1987, said Sally Lunsford, employee for the Kansas Lottery.
A Playboy magazine signing featuring a Women of KU calendar model Carey Oroke, was held there in 2002.
Janet remembers rationing the store’s 500 Kansan newspapers after the men’s basketball won a national championship in 2008. Every person was only allowed one copy, she said.
Diane Huges, who worked at the Jayhawk Bookstore for 18 years, witnessed three KU national championship wins in her years at the University, one of which while she worked there.
“I remember one night Bill and I were sitting on the floor folding garments,” Huges said, referring to the night of the 1988 championship. “It was a mess.”
She said the championships brought to town friends she hadn’t seen for 20 years, and it was exciting to see so many faces she knew from her years as a student.
“Bill asked me, ‘Do you know everyone who ever went to KU?’”
Grandparents, parents and their children had all become loyal customers to the store and Huges, 78, said she had a wonderful time working there.
Janet, who worked at the store for 12 years, remembered when the store’s jingle started. Customers would be on the phone and say, “I’m at the bookstore — at the top of the hill.” That’s how it all started, she said.
Janet talked about when a new student from Denmark appeared on the front stoop of the store, knowing little English and without a clue where to go.
“He had two giant suitcases on wheels. I remember he got out of that taxi and said, ‘Here I am,’” Janet said. Those are the kinds of things she’ll miss.
When Bill opened the Jayhawk Bookstore it used about 2,000 square feet, about a quarter of the space the store now uses, and the business grew to take over the first and second floors of the building.
Bill said in the first year of business he bootlegged most of the information he needed to get books for students.
“There was a time when Bill Muggy meant competition. I’ve walked past that,” Bill said.
The University and the Jayhawk Bookstore have had a long standing written agreement to share information about course reading materials, said Mike Reed, director of Kansas Union communications and retail marketing.
Bill said he and Janet decided to sell the store when more business started moving online. Nebraska Book Company, which was originally Cliff’s Notes, was created by Cliff Hillegas. Cliff’s son and Bill had been classmates, Bill said. Hillegas, who died in 2001, was an early partner and contributor to the Jayhawk Bookstore, Bill said.
Bill said the demand to move online wasn’t something he wanted to try to keep up with.
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