Topeka Archives - Kansas Oral History Project

Interview of Gianfranco Pezzino, January 23, 2026

Interviewed by Robert St. Peter

This interview with Dr. Gianfranco Pezzino is the second in the Healthy Kansans series and sets the stage for understanding the concern that Kansas has slipped considerably in the nationwide rankings of health in the states over the last 30 years. His explanation of how the rankings work and why they are important is clear and understandable. Pezzino stated, "In the end, I became more and more convinced that the important thing was not the numbers. It was the communication that we could build around those numbers." His discussion of the social determinants of health is Show Moreimportant to understanding the rankings. He recalls a controversy covered by the local newspaper that quoted the county commissioner saying, "What does education have to do with health.?" He used that as a opportunity to begin a community conversation about those linkages. As an epidemiologist, Dr. Pezzino has played many roles in health policy in Kansas - from the local health officer to state policy maker. He recounts the stresses of being the county health officer during COVID and comments that the "social contract has been broken." He comments that there is still value in providing accurate data as a public health person but now a lot of the authority has been moved from public health officers to local elected officials. That has created a tension between individual rights and the social good. Show Less

Interview Excerpt of Foster Chisholm by Joan Wagnon, December 5, 2025

This four minute excerpt from Foster Chisholm's interview, which is a part of the "Statehouse Conversations" collection, discusses school segregation in Topeka. Chisholm's experiences were remarkably similar to those described in Carolyn Campbell's interview. He also talks about experiencing discrimination at the VA Hospital in Topeka when he was passed over for a job.

Interview of Foster Chisholm, December 5, 2025

Interviewed by Joan Wagnon

Foster Chisholm, in retirement after a 25 year career working in the Topeka Post Office, went to work as Doorman for the Kansas House of Representatives. In his 2025 oral history interview he describes growing up in North Topeka, attending segregated schools, and being discouraged by his high school counselor from going to college. Chisholm worked for 35 years at the VA Hospital and at the Post Office in Topeka. After he retired, a friend told him about an opening for a Doorman in the Kansas House of Representatives. He got the job and after Show More3 years became the first Black Sergeant-At-Arms in the Kansas Capitol. Chisholm describes his nonpartisan role in assisting the Legislature as it did its business. He also has a few funny stories about what happened during those 15 years. His biography really showcases his commitment to improving his Topeka community with his volunteerism. A short excerpt highlights his comments about segregated schools; it also appears in the Diversity Collection. The photograph of the armed doormen triggered a conversation off camera about the Legislative Uprising of 1893 and their role, and also the most famous Kansas doorman, Boston Corbett. Materials about both the legislative uprising and Corbett appear in Resources for Educators/History. Show Less

Interview of Connie Hubbell, May 21, 2025

Interviewed by Mark Tallman

Connie Hubbell is well-known in state government circles as an effective advocate for education, mental health, and health care for seniors. In this oral history interview, she recalls her service on the State Board of Education -- for three terms -- and her time as President of the National Association of State Boards of Education. She recalls one of the significant accomplishments while on the Kansas state board leading it to mandate human sexuality AIDS education in Kansas public schools. Hubbell also recalls setting the stage for the inclusion of special education students into regular classrooms. Show MoreThat move began under her leadership of the National Association of State Boards of Education. She followed that experience with a run for Kansas Lt. Governor on the ticket with gubernatorial hopeful Fred Kerr. Although they were not successful, three governors subsequently noticed her management skills and offered her positions in their administrations, beginning with Governor Graves who appointed her Secretary of Aging. She retired from the position of Director of Governmental Affairs for the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services in 2021. Show Less

Interview of Dale Cushinberry, May 21, 2025

Interviewed by Mark Tallman

In his interview, Dale Cushinberry describes how the adults in his life provided opportunities for him and led him to a career in education in the Topeka area. He taught elementary school, coached basketball, and counseled students. He moved into school administration as a principal when he spent four years at Highland Park High School as assistant principal. Washburn University offered him a position in the Education department where he served for seven years. Throughout his career, he has tried to also have a positive influence on his students’ lives. Cushinberry states during his Show Moreinterview, that “… our kids are victims of our system failures. Systems that fail around them, whether it be the home front, whether it be our school, whether it be our churches, on and on.” He believes that “It’s our job to create an environment, to create a culture where our kids can meet success.” He created that environment at Highland Park High School as its principal for 16 years. Cushinberry discusses his strategies and his philosophy for working with students and their families.

Highlight -- short excerpt from the interview

All the Oars in the Water

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Interview of Frank Henderson, May 21, 2025

Interviewed by Mark Tallman

At the time when a group of high school students discovered that Fred Seaman, the namesake of Unified School District 345 was the Exalted Cyclops of the Ku Klux Klan in the 1920's, Frank Henderson was President of the Seaman School Board. In this oral history interview, he describes the process the board went through to investigate and analyze the students' recommendations to change the district name. At the end of the process, the name remained, but Fred Seaman's photo and memorabilia were removed from the school buildings and placed in the museum. He said the outcome didn't Show Moresatisfy anyone but it was unanimous. Henderson described many challenging situations at the local, state and national levels as he served on various state and national boards of education. Henderson's observations highlights major issues in education that affected school boards and local communities. The interview reflects Henderson's view that "Every Student Matters." He believes, "we, as fellow humans, have the responsibility to see the value in every person and do what we can to ...help that person fulfill their potential." Show Less

Interview of Evelyn Wilson, April 21, 2025

Interviewed by Richard Ross

Evelyn Wilson’s interview provides an excellent explanation of the unique role of the Kansas Supreme Court. Wilson provided a thorough explanation of how Supreme Court Justices are selected in Kansas and explained the importance of the judicial branch remaining separate from the other two branches of government and emphasizing that each branch was designed to be completely separate. The role of the Judiciary is to interpret the law. She believes there is always a method to make the law better, to change the law, if you work within the process that was designed by the writers of Show Morethe U.S. Constitution. Her closing admonition, “… we all have a job to do, and that job is so important.” It’s to vote. “The Supreme Law is the people’s law, not a king. As long as we protect the republic, that will remain the case. And if we don’t protect the republic, it might not be.” She also shares her personal health struggles and deep commitment to the responsibilities of her position that led her to the decision to retire.

Highlight -- short excerpt from the interview

Mentorship

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Interview of Patrick (Pat) Hubbell, April 9, 2025

Interviewed by Mike Lennen

Long-time legislative lobbyist, Pat Hubbell describes in this oral history interview, how lobbyists work, how they interact with legislators and other advocates, and talks about the importance of this "at the rail" part of the Kansas Legislature. His chief lobbying duties were on behalf of the railroads; Hubbell also had other clients. He worked in the 1970's with Kansas Senators and Representatives in Washington. particularly while the 4-R Act was being developed. The railroad industry plays an important role in transporting Kansas agricultural products. At that time, several railroad companies were going bankrupt, and a Show Moreloss would have been devastating to Kansas farmers. He emphasized that the railroads were lobbying for fair taxation. They wanted to be treated as a competitive business model rather than as a monopoly. “Railroads offer a list of opportunities for people locating businesses in Kansas to have rail service.” Hubbell described his philosophy on lobbying: “we try to find an answer that everybody can agree to. . . Just the fact that you have a lobbyist doesn’t mean you ought to be taking a bill every session to the legislature.” Show Less

Interview of Jerry Farley, March 18, 2025

Interviewed by Mark Tallman

Dr. Jerry Farley served 25 years as President of Washburn University before retiring in 2024. Known for wearing a bow tie on campus, Farley changed Washburn from a municipal university with a largely off-campus student body to a major Kansas institution receiving state aid and with a thriving on-campus student contingent. He recalls his most important decision as merging with the local vocational-technical school to create Washburn Tech. The transcript below follows as closely as possible the original interview. In some cases, responses to questions were derived from an earlier, written interview provided by Dr. Farley and Show Moreposted on Lasting Legacy Online . Show Less

Interview of Andy Tompkins, January 13, 2025

Interviewed by Mark Tallman

Andy Tompkins has had a leading role in education in Kansas that started in 1970 when he was hired to teach English in Hugoton. That job quickly became Principal and then Superintendent of three different districts until he was tapped in 1996 as Commissioner of Education. Tompkins recounted in this oral history interview the changes that took place in public education in Kansas during his career. Tompkins' interview toucheed on special education, "A Nation at Risk", the movement to improve education, standards and the 1992 School Finance Reform Act. He was able to explain why things Show Morechanged and with what result. Tompkins portrays skilled leadership and a trusted leader committed to improving education for all. Show Less

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