Topeka Archives - Page 2 of 5 - Kansas Oral History Project

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

Interview of Sam Brownback, December 2, 2024

Interviewed by Rex Buchanan

Sam Brownback reviews his service to Kansas beginning with his time as Kansas Secretary of Agriculture and extending through his terms as Governor. Brownback credits his upbringing on a farm in Linn County for development of his views on conservation and resource management. He recalled dealing with the farm crisis and water issues, particularly those involving the Ogallala Aquifer, during his tenure as Secretary of Agriculture. He described carrying his concern for water into his terms as Governor as a vision focused on long-term sustainability for the Ogallala. He also recalled using extensive public consultations to further policy Show Morechanges such as helping to eliminate the "use it or lose it" mentality in the approach to groundwater usage. Brownback described himself as a strong advocate for wind power, supporting development of wind farms, particularly in the central and western regions of the state. He also described extending the protection of the Flint Hills from wind farm development. In the interview, Brownback highlighted his pragmatic approach to policymaking and relationships developed during his public service career.

Highlights -- short excerpts from the interview

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Interview of Kimberly Svaty, May 14, 2024

Interviewed by Jim McLean

In this 2024 interview Kimberly Svaty describes the development of wind energy in Kansas. One of the early projects was a wind farm in Spearville; the significance of that project to the community was a donation agreement that continues to fund projects for the schools and community. She sees wind farms as the next generation of the Kansas energy economy. There are now 45 operating wind farms that use 60% of what is generated locally. Today, the lowest cost power is wind. She described Kansas is the Saudi Arabia of Wind. The interview covers Show Morewhy the push to build coal-fired powerplant in Holcomb didn't happen-- because markets stopped it. Svaty notes that 90% of energy in the Southwest Power Pool comes from wind--it is very reliable. She also discusses concerns about how the windmills are changing the view and how they dominate the landscape with their red flashing lights. She notes the FAA will be a factor in legislative attempts to change the rules. County commissions also have much control over wind development via zoning. The interview concludes with a discussion of solar energy and its potential impact and other clean energy sources such as Hydrogen. Svaty noted that construction has begun on the first 100-megawatt solar facility located in Barber County and that solar energy complements wind. Show Less

Interview of Richard Ross, March 13, 2024

Interviewed by Eric Rosen

Richard Ross, from 1978 to 2016 served as the Reporter of Decisions of the Kansas Appellate Courts, a constitutional office. He edited over 132 volumes, 81 Kansas Reports and 51 Kansas Court of Appeals Reports in his 39-year career. Appearing in the Kansas Supreme Court conference room, Supreme Court Justice Eric Rosen interviewed Ross, who described in detail the processes he used to publish the Reports. When he started, there were no computers, just typewriters to create the courts' opinions. During Ross' early years as Reporter, the court moved from the Capitol, across the street into Show Morethe Judicial Building. As technology advance, the process of creating the Reports changed, but also the volume of work increased. The interview gives an insight into the inner workings of the Court and its judges/justices. It also chronicles the community work that Ross does, fund-raising for the renovation of Constitution Hall in Topeka with Friends of the Free State Capitol and serving on the Washburn University Foundation Board of Trustees. Show Less

Interview of Jim Gartner, February 16, 2024

Interviewed by Chris Courtwright

This interview sheds light on several activities related to the Kansas Legislature, particularly the role of lobbyist in decision making and the role of school boards in governance of education. It begins in 1967 with quite a tale of Gartner's service as a young Marine, wounded in VIetnam and how that impacted his career choices. A brief work experience building tires at Goodyear convinced him to get a college degree. Southwestern Bell Telephone hired him as one of the first male telephone operators in Kansas. He ended up as Vice President of External Affairs many years Show Morelater. He began his lobbying career in 1987 partnered with Denny Koch. Together they helped define deregulation and worked with both the legislature and the Kansas Congressional Delegation. In 2009 Gartner was appointed to the USD 437 school board to fill a vacancy. That's where he learned about school finance and governance. In 2016 Rep. Annie Tietze resigned and Gartner won that legislative seat. The House Taxation Committee was a logical appointment, given his lobbying background. The Brownback Tax Experiment was failing, and the legislature was eager to repeal it. Brownback vetoed the bill passed by the legislature; they quickly overrode his veto and restored more conventional tax policy. The interview concludes with a discussion of the food sales tax exemption proposed by Governor Kelly and Gartner's frustration with the legislative process and how it changed over the 30 years of his involvement. Show Less

Interview of David Pierce, October 2, 2023

Interviewed by Rex Buchanan and Mike Lennen

Retired Professor David Pierce recalls how he became interested in environmental policy and in oil and gas law. After starting his career, this native Kansan returned to the state where it was easy to do business in the oil and gas industry. In this interview, Pierce identified several factors that contribute to the positive business atmosphere, including land ownership patterns, the location of Kansas' oil and gas resources, and a general attitude that regulation is a means by which reasonable resource extraction is facilitated. He identifies two areas where solutions need to be identified: one old issue, in Show Morethe eastern part of the state where unplugged wells continue to be a problem; and the other a newer issue of increased seismic activity associated with new drilling techniques. Pierce also reviews several of the key federal and state laws and court decisions that have shaped the nexus of energy and environmental policy in the oil and gas industry. Show Less

Interview of Ronald Wurtz, April 18, 2023

Interviewed by Nancy Parrish

As he tells it in this oral history interview, Ron Wurtz always wanted to be a lawyer. He chose Washburn University because they had a law school and a ROTC program. He interned with Shawnee County District Attorney Gene Olander as a law student, and after four years as an Air Force Judge Advocate, he returned to work as an Assistant District Attorney in Topeka before becoming a state public defender in 1979. Wurtz's interview covers -- the death penalty, to which he has always opposed, and sentencing guidelines, which he originally supported and later opposed. He discusses Show Moreseveral of the cases he worked on. More recently, he has worked on the Expungement Project and at the time of this interview, taught at the Washburn University Law Clinic. Occasionally he has also served as a judge pro tem. Show Less

Interview of Howard Schwartz, April 25, 2023

Interviewed by Richard Walker

Howard Schwartz credits Wilt Chamberlain for encouraging him to leave Philadelphia and come to Kansas to college. Then Jim James asked him to set up a system to manage personnel in 110 courts located in the state's 105 counties. Schwartz spent the next 32 years managing change within the Kansas courts as the Judicial Administrator. This oral history interview covers court unification, the management of court dockets, the creation of child support guidelines, and the evolving relationships among courts and judges over how the system is administered. Schwartz developed a special friendship with Justice Kay McFarland Show Morewho asked him and his wife, Elaine to assist with the disposition of her estate. Schwartz wrote an article for the Kansas Bar Association publication about Chief Justice McFarland which is also available for download. Show Less

Remembering Chief Justice Kay McFarland — Interview of Elaine Schwartz, April 25, 2023

Interviewed by Joan Wagnon

This short conversation with Elaine Schwartz, former legislator and Topeka city council person describes her friendship with Justice Kay McFarland and how Schwartz became trustee for McFarland's estate. The estate benefitted the Topeka Zoo and specifically, the Asian garden named for Justice McFarland. Justice Kay McFarland was the first woman appointed to the Kansas Supreme Court and the first Chief Justice. Her career and life story can be found at this link: https://my.lastinglegacyonline.com/story/kay-mcfarland/

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