Topic: Gender bias
Interview of Christine Downey, August 2, 2019
Interviewed by Dale Goter
Former State Senator Christine Downey recalls her three terms in the Kansas Senate (1993-2004) during her 2019 oral history interview. With her background as a teacher, education issues were important to her as the era of school-funding litigation continued. She was involved in water-related policy making, in particular at the nexus of water quality and agricultural practices. She recalls her service in the Senate and on the Kansas Board of Regents first developing the policy and then implementing fundamental changes to the postsecondary education system. Ms. Downey discusses numerous instances of working across the aisle Show Moreto accomplish policy objectives that did not break on strict party lines. Show Less
Interview of Deanell Tacha, April 12, 2023
Interviewed by Jim Concannon
Jim Concannon guides retired federal Judge Deanell Tacha through an interview that probes her background, reasons for becoming a lawyer, and then a judge on the United States Court of Appeals, and her career in public service as an administrator and professor of law. Tacha spoke about how women were treated in law school and during her early law practice. She advocated for the advancement of women in law and the workplace. Tacha credited Kansas' U.S Senator Bob Dole for her nomination to the federal Court of Appeals. She compared the federal system of selecting judges Show Morewith the Kansas merit selection system and prefers the Kansas nonpartisan system. Tacha explained how the federal judiciary is organized, focusing on the kinds of cases they hear. She related a story about a trip she took to Albania to assist with developing a new constitution for the country, discussed her experience as Dean of the Law School at Pepperdine University, and closed with an observation about "thoughtful, civilized discourse". Show Less
Interview of Janis Lee and Laura McClure, May 20, 2024
Interviewed by Rex Buchanan
Janis Lee and Laura McClure, both Democrats elected from predominantly Republican districts that overlapped, often campaigned together and conducted constituent communication sessions in the areas they both represented. Because their time in the legislature (1989-2011) and their largely rural districts in northcentral Kansas intersected, Lee and McClure both worked on a wide range of policies pertinent to the Energy & Environment Collection of oral histories: confined feeding facilities, solid waste, waste tires, water quality standards, the Kansas v. Colorado lawsuit, and the Water Transfer Act that the city of Hays was exploring at the time of this interview, among Show Moreothers. In the energy arena, significant issues during their time of service in the Kansas Legislature included retail wheeling of electricity, gas pollution remediation, well plugging, and gas-gathering systems regulations. In this May 2024 interview, they explore those issues, the dynamics of the legislature, campaigning, and the work involved in serving in the legislature.
Another interview of Lee may be found in the Women, Then and Now collection on this site.
Show Less
Interview of Cynthia Hornberger, April 10, 2026
Interviewed by Robert St. Peter
Dr. Cynthia Hornberger is a nurse-leader in nursing education and health care. In this 2026 interview she explains how nursing education evolved at Washburn University, and how the status and competency of nurses has grown in hospitals across the country. Hornberger sees advanced practice-trained nurses as critical components of the health care team and critical to delivering health care in rural settings. Today the demand for nurses often exceeds the supply. She traces the history of the development of nursing programs in Kansas to the Axtell Hospital, Axtell, Kansas and overall, to Lillian Wald who in 1893 who Show Moreadvised Dr. Samuel Crumbine, Kansas' most famous public health official. When asked why Kansas is slipping in health rankings compared to other states, she suggests Kansas lacks access to services to prevent, monitor and treat illnesses. Shortage of health care professionals is another cause. She notes there are political ramifications - politicians who do not prioritize the health and well-being of infants and children or people who are socioeconomically challenged. The discussion of how the role of nursing changed over time reflects changing attitudes about gender roles and nurses' desire for more training and a larger leadership role. Hornberger believes some things in health care eventually will be replaced by artificial intelligence (AI), such as diagnostics. The interview ends with her summarizing of her 50 years in nursing and describing her passion for gardening.
Highlights -- short excerpts from the interview