U.S. Senator Pat Roberts

Sports

Maurice Greene: Kansas City. Track and field sprinter who broke the 100-meter world record on Wednesday June 16, 1999 in Athens, Greece with a time of 9.79 seconds. Greene appeared at the 2000 Olympic games in Sydney, Australia. He attended Schlagle High School in Kansas City.

Barry Sanders: Wichita. Former NFL Pro Bowl running back for Detroit Lions. Heisman Trophy winner in 1988.

Gale Sayers:Hill City. Attended University of Kansas. Former running back for Chicago Bears. Inducted into Pro Football's Hall of Fame.

Lynn Dickey: Osawatomie. Football standout at Kansas State University and former Green Bay Packers quarterback.

Pancake Race: Liberal, Kansas is the home of the Pancake Race. Every year on Groundhog Day runners in Liberal and runners in Olney, England, Liberal's sister city, run a race during which they are required to carry a skillet and flip a pancake several times.

Wilt Chamberlain: University of Kansas, basketball player for the LA Lakers and Philadelphia 76ers. Holds record for most points scored in single game (100 points).

Dr. James Naismith: Lawrence. Invented the game of basketball.

Tom Watson: Overland Park. Professional golfer.

John Riggins: Centralia. Hall of Fame running back for the Washington Redskins and the 1982 Super Bowl MVP.

Lynette Woodard: Wichita. First female member of the Harlem Globetrotters. Two time Olympian and captain of the 1984 Olympic gold medal team.

Walter "Big Train" Johnson: Humboldt. Pitcher for the Washington Senators (now the Texas Rangers).

Jim Ryun: Lawrence. Olympic silver medalist and one-time world record holder in the mile. Ryun is now a Congressman for Kansas.

Personalities

Jean Harlow: Seneca. Film actress.

Emmett Kelly: Sedan. Circus clown.

Damon Runyon: Manhattan. Short story writer and journalist.

Gordon Jump:Manhattan. Attended Kansas State University. Starred on TV's "WKRP".

Jim Lehrer: Wichita. Television journalist and anchor on PBS's "The News Hour with Jim Lehrer".

Kirstie Alley: Wichita. Played Rebecca Howe on the NBC show "Cheers" and starred in such movies as "Look Who's Talking."

Don Johnson: Galena. Star of the TV shows "Nash Bridges" and "Miami Vice."

Vivian Vance: Cherryvale. Played Ethel on "I Love Lucy."

Buster Keaton: Piqua. Silent film star who received an Oscar for his lifelong work in comedy.

Dennis Hopper: Dodge City. Actor who starred in the movies "Hoosiers" and "Speed."

Eric Stonestreet: Kansas City. Graduated from Kansas State University. Actor who had roles in several popular television series, including Modern Family. In 2010, won a Primetime Emmy Award as Outstanding Supporting Actor for his role in the series.

Legends

William "Bat" Masterson: Ford County. Sheriff.

Thomas R. Boston Corbett: Concordia. The man credited with shooting John Wilkes Booth, President Abraham Lincoln's assassin

Buffalo Bill Cody: Leavenworth. Pony Express rider and star of his Wild West Show.

Wyatt Earp: Wichita. The famous peace officer of Dodge City.

James"Wild Bill" Hickock: Ellis County. Gunfighter and sheriff.

Other Notable Kansans

Robert Dole: Russell. Served in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate, vice presidential candidate in 1976, sought Republican presidential nomination in 1980 and 1988, and 1996 GOP presidential nominee.

Carry A. Nation: Medicine Lodge. Temperance advocate.

Marlin Fitzwater: Abilene. Served as press secretary to Presidents Ronald Reagan and George Bush.

Arlen Specter: Wichita. Has been a US Senator from Pennsylvania since 1980.

Steve Hawley: Ottawa. Mission specialist on the maiden flight of the space shuttle Discovery.

Henry Bloch: Mission Hills. The founder and owner of H. & R Block.

Charles Curtis: Topeka. Of part Native American background, served in US Congress and US Senate championing Native American rights to self-government. A fiscal conservative who generally supported farm and veterans' benefits, he served as Vice President under Herbert Hoover.

Dwight D. Eisenhower: Former President of the United States. Before becoming president, Eisenhower was a famous general and World War II hero. He commanded the Allied forces to victory. You can visit the Eisenhower home, museum, and library in Abilene.

George Washington Carver: Ness County. Agriculture scientist. Mortgaged his home to go to college. Known as the "Father of Peanuts."

Gwendolyn Elizabeth Brooks: Topeka. American poet known for detailing the dreams and struggles of Black Americans in her verses. Pulitzer Prize winner in 1949.

Mary"Mother" Bickerdyke: Salina. Civil War nurse.

Nick Chiles: Topeka. Editor of the longest running African American newspaper in the United States.

James Langston Hughes: Topeka. Poet and author.

Lutie Lyle: Topeka. First black female to practice law in the United States.

Mike Love: Hutchinson. Member of The Beach Boys.

Walter Chrysler: Wamego. Established the Chrysler Company.

Amelia Earhart: Atchison. First woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. She and her plane disappeared during an attempt to fly across the Pacific Ocean. She is one of Kansas' best known personalities.

William Inge: Independence. Pulitzer Prize winning playwright . Mr. Inge wrote "Picnic" and Bus Stop".

Gordon Parks: Fort Scott. Author of "The Learning Tree," this famous black photographer was a photojournalist for LIFE magazine.

Places

Council Grove: Morris County. Indian treaty signed for survey of Santa Fe Trail (1825).

Dodge City: Former cowboy capital; Boot Hill, gunman cemetery; Front Street, 1870's historic reproduction of main street.

Eisenhower Center: Abilene. Boyhood home, museum, and library with memorabilia of the former president.

Mulberry Creek: Morrill. Formerly know as Sun Springs, this wooded area is home to a number of natural springs. It was a popular destination of wealthy travelers in the 1800"s who sought medical relief from the spring water. Today the site is used as a family resort and campground.

Lebanon: Smith County. Near geographic center of the 48 contiguous United States.

Bison Monument: Ottawa County. The 50 ton stone, steel and concrete bison was built by Ray and Chester Smith in the 1970's and took 53 weeks to construct.

Route 66:Cherokee County. Route 66 is a famous highway stretching from Los Angeles, California to Chicago, Illinois. 13.2 miles of Route 66 passes through Baxter Springs, Galena and Riverton in southeast corner of Kansas.

Beaumont Water Tower: This water tower is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is possibly the last remaining wooden water tower in Kansas.

St. Jacob's Well: Clark County. St. Jacob's Well was once a watering spot for Indians. They even left a stone marker on the top of a nearby hill to signal that water was in the area. The well is actually a pond, and the bottom has never been discovered!

Cheyenne Bottoms: Cheyenne Bottoms is located near Great Bend and is an important wetland. It is known for the variety of birds that one can see there. Great Bend is named for the large curve that the Arkansas River makes near the town.

Cosmosphere: Hutchinson is most famous for the Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center which has one of the most varied and comprehensive displays of artifacts relating to space exploration. The museum has recently been renovated and also contains the IMAX theatre as well as interactive displays.

Mount Sunflower: Located in Wallace County, Mount Sunflower is the highest point in Kansas at an elevation of 4,039 feet.