The Legacy of William Allen White
Posted by Jim Wayman on Jun 21, 2016
The Sage of Emporia was the subject of a very interesting program from Roger Heineken and Karen Sommers. William Allen White was born in 1868, bought the Emporia Gazette in 1895 (at age 27), and in the very next year he wrote "What's the Matter with Kansas", which launched him onto the national stage. He championed the First Amendment, which won him the Pulitzer Prize in 1923. Active in politics, Will ran for Governor in 1924 in an effort to fight the Ku Klux Klan in the region. With Emporia on the main line of the Santa Fe Railroad and convenient for travel, Will hosted visits from five US Presidents, including frequent visits from Herbert Hoover, who helped to dedicate his bust at Peter Pan Park. Peter Pan Park was the location of his daughter's accidental death on horseback, and was donated by the White family to the City of Emporia for a park. Red Rocks, the large family home for 100 years, has become one of 16 historic sites in Kansas, and the only one depicting 20th century history. 
In an effort to share our rich heritage and educate our community on the importance of our heritage for both the past as well as future leadership lessons, the first Saturday in October has been established as William Allen White Legacy Day. Coinciding with the William Allen White Book Awards, the Red Rocks Rumble, a multiple bus tour, will feature homes and other historical landmarks of significance between 1895 through World War II. Reserve this date on your calendar!