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The people of Kansas are one of the state's greatest assets. Kansans are good, strong, industrious and dedicated to their beliefs. Long before statehood, Kansans have been humanistic— devoted to helping others. Read on and learn more about some famous Kansans.
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| Charles Curtis |
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Charles Curtis, a Topekan who was part Kaw Indian, served as vice president of the United States under Herbert Hoover. Curtis served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1893 to 1907 and served in the U.S. Senate from 1907 until he was elected vice president in 1929. As Senate Majority Leader under President Woodrow Wilson in 1919, Curtis led the floor fight for women's suffrage. |
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| Bob Dole |
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Bob Dole, from Russell, represented Kansas in Congress from 1963 to 1996 and was the Republican leader in the Senate from 1985 to 1996. He ran for president in 1996 against President Bill Clinton. During World War II, him arm was injured in combat, for which he received two Purple Hearts. |
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| Amelia Earhart |
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Amelia Earhart, of Atchison, was the first female granted a pilot's license by the National Aeronautics Association and the first female - and only the second person - to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. She disappeared during her 1937 attempt to fly around the world.
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| Dwight D. Eisenhower |
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Dwight D. Eisenhower, who was raised in Abilene, was commander-in-chief of
the Allied Armies in Europe during World War II and U.S. president from 1953-61. He is buried in Abilene.
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| Alf Landon |
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Alf Landon, of Independence, was Kansas governor from 1933-1937. In 1936, as the Republican presidential nominee, Landon lost to Franklin D. Roosevelt by one of the greatest margins in American political history. |
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| Richard Myers |
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Richard Myers was the nations 15th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. General Myers flew combat missions over Vietnam after receiving his commission from Kansas State University. He returned to Kansas State University in 2005 after retiring from the Armed Forces. |
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| Carry Nation |
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Around the turn of the 20th century, Carry Nation, of Medicine Lodge, became
nationally known as a symbol of the temperance movement. She is best known for destroying illegal saloons with her famous hatchets. |
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| Gordon Parks |
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Gordon Parks, born in Fort Scott, was a world-renowned photographer, writer and motion picture producer; he won the 1973 Pulitzer Prize in photography. Parks wrote the books "The Learning Tree" and "A Choice of Weapons," and he directed the movie "Shaft." |
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| Jim Ryun |
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In the 1960s, Jim Ryun, of Wichita, set a new world record for the mile run,
becoming the first American mile titlist in 30 years. He also held world records for 1500 meters and the half mile. Ryun was named the World's Outstanding Athlete in 1966 and 1967, and was a three-time Olympian. |
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| William Allen White |
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William Allen White, editor and publisher of the Emporia Gazette, was awarded a Pulitzer in 1923 for his editorial "To an Anxious Friend." |
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