News
Introduction and Conversation, Interview of Michael Young, February 28, 2025
During Black History Month in 2025, the Kansas Oral History Project interviewed Michael Young, the artist who painted the Brown v. Board Mural gracing the third-floor hall outside the Old Supreme Court Room in the Kansas Statehouse. The interview was conducted by Linda Jeffrey in the Statehouse with the mural serving as the backdrop. Ms. Jeffrey is a native Topekan [...]
Remembering Jim Hoy
Jim Hoy was a valued founding member of the Kansas Oral History Project who served on the Board of Directors from 2016 until his death in 2025. His sudden passing last weekend shocked and saddened everyone who counted him as a colleague, friend, and mentor. We will all miss his wit, wisdom, and love of the beautiful Flint Hills and those who live there. Rex Buchanan, one of KOHP’s interviewers, wrote and recorded a remembrance of Jim that was broadcast on Kansas Public Radio on February 28. [...]
Kansas Oral History Project 2024 Annual Meeting, November 2, 2024
The KOHP 2024 Annual Meeting included the highlight of the day, Michael Smith and Ed Flentje's discussion of their recently released book, Reform and Reaction: The Arc of Kansas Politics. In addition, Sue Peterson, who was elected KOHP Vice-President at the meeting, reflected on her service as staff for House Leadership, including former Speaker of the House Mike Hayden. Dave Heinemann, a member of the KOHP Board of Directors and Executive Committee, and the volunteer responsible for most of the oral history recordings archived at KsOralHistory.org presented a compilation of segments of interviews that focused on the usefulness of taking a bipartisan approach to policy making. [...]
Getting Serious About Water Woes On the High Plains
Rex Buchanan, Director Emeritus of the Kansas Geological Survey, a KOHP interviewer, and commentator for Kansas Public Radio (KPR) recently made some observations about the continuing evolution of water policy in Kansas. This commentary serves as an addendum to the KOHP Reflections on Water oral history collection. [...]
Gathering Strays: Stories from Kansas and the Southwestern Plains
Rancher, writer and retired English professor, Dr. Jim Hoy has a new book about life on the great plains. Hoy is also a board member of the Kansas Oral History Project, Inc. He is also a retired English professor at Emporia State who grew up in a ranching family near the Flint Hills town of Cassoday. He is still involved in ranching. As Rex Buchanan points out, "Jim knows Chaucer AND cattle." The book is called Gathering Strays: Stories from Kansas and the Southwestern Plains and is available from the University Press of Kansas. Rex Buchanan's closing comment: "If you've spent much time in Kansas, this book will increase your appreciation for the state's people and their history. And if you're new to Kansas...you'll get a first-class introduction to the place we call home. There's no place like it."
2023 Nominees for KOHP Board of Director Positions
The Kansas Oral History Project Board of Directors consists of 15 people who serve 3 year terms, with 5 elected each year at its annual meeting. The Nominating Committee of the Board of Directors is recommending two current directors continue and five new directors, to be added and voted on at the December 2, 2023 Annual Meeting.
Match Day at Western Kansas Community Foundation November 14-28, 2023
The Kansas Oral History Project (KOHP) just established the Kansas Oral History Endowed Fund held at the Western Kansas Community Foundation (WKCF). Now KOHP can participate in WKCF's Match Day and raise money for our 2024 operational needs. The matching funds go to our endowed fund. One of the reasons for choosing WKCF was their commitment to strengthening nonprofits by creating MatchDay – by giving participating organizations the opportunity to raise all important operating dollars while winning match dollars which go to strengthen their endowed funds.
Women in Politics Research
Women who served in the Kansas Legislature during the 1990s were interviewed for a Washburn University oral history project while they were in office; some of them were interviewed again some 20 years later by the Kansas Oral History Project. Looking back on their time in the legislature, the interviewees did not report experiencing overt gender discrimination while serving in the Legislature but described challenges.