Agriculture Policy & Rural Life
Agriculture Policy & Rural Life
About this Collection
Agriculture Policy & Rural Life is a collection of oral history interviews of Kansans from many rural parts of the state and from the wide range of occupations and experiences that contribute to agriculture policy and rural life. While farmers and ranchers are central to the story, the collection also includes the voices of educators, researchers, conservationists, lenders, business owners, cooperative leaders, journalists, public officials, and community leaders whose work has influenced agriculture policy and life in rural Kansas.
Interview of Matt Allen, Tom Nguyen, Atim Longa and Anthony Calderon, August 21, 2026
Interviewed by Robert St. Peter
This interview of four community leaders in Garden City is different from most of the interviews in this collection, first because it is a conversation among a group of people, and second, instead of talking about medical care or healthcare, they talked about things that are really important to how healthy Garden City is as a community. Participants are Matt Allen, current city manager of Garden City, Tom Nguyen, current Mayor and city commission member, Atim Longa, director of the Kansas Office for Refugees for the International Rescue Committee and Anthony Calderon, a wrestling coach and highway Show Morepatrolman. Their stories about how they came to Garden City are fascinating. Their accomplishments, working individually and together have made Garden City an innovative, welcoming place for a diverse population that has created economic growth for the area. Show Less
Interview of William Avery, December 5, 2003
Interviewed by Bob Beatty
This 2003 transcript captures an oral history interview of Governor William Avery, who served as the Governor of Kansas from 1965 to 1967. During the interview, Avery recalls his journey from third-generation farmer to public servant, emphasizing how his involvement in as grassroots fight against creation of the Milford Reservoir propelled him into the state legislature and eventually the U.S. Congress. A theme of the interview is Avery’s commitment to state aid for education, a policy he championed despite knowing that the necessary tax increases and withholding systems would likely lead to his political defeat.
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Interviews of former Kansas governors Show Moreconducted by Dr. Bob Beatty of Washburn University during the early decades of the 21st Century for the Kansas Governors Recorded History and Documentary Project provide a view of the lives, political philosophies, and governing styles of governors who led Kansas from the late 20th to the early 21st Century. Beatty generously granted the Kansas Oral History Project (KOHP) permission to house the transcripts of these interviews conducted with former governors John Anderson, William Avery, John Carlin, Bill Graves, Mike Hayden, Mark Parkinson, and Kathleen Sebelius. These interviews are a significant addition to the Kansas Governors Collection, and the KOHP Board is grateful to Dr. Beatty for making the transcripts available for posting here. Show Less
Interviews of John Carlin, February 12, 2004 and March 10, 2008
Interviewed by Bob Beatty and Mark Peterson
This transcript of two oral history interviews of John Carlin, who served as the Governor of Kansas from 1979 to 1987. The interviews were conducted in February 12, 2004 and March 10, 2008 by Dr. Bob Beatty and Dr. Mark Peterson of Washburn University. In the interviews Carlin describes his transition from a dairy farmer in Saline County, KS to serving as governor of the state, exploring how his rural upbringing instilled a strong work ethic and practical decision-making skills. He recalls his unlikely 1978 election as governor over an incumbent, accomplishing goals in a Republican-controlled legislature through bipartisan cooperation, Show Moreand management of controversial issues such as utility reform, the death penalty, and the severance tax. The transcripts are part of the record of the shift from traditional politics to a more modern, issue-driven executive style during a period of significant economic and social transition for Kansas.
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Interviews of former Kansas governors conducted by Dr. Bob Beatty of Washburn University during the early decades of the 21st Century for the Kansas Governors Recorded History and Documentary Project provide a view of the lives, political philosophies, and governing styles of governors who led Kansas from the late 20th to the early 21st Century. Beatty generously granted the Kansas Oral History Project (KOHP) permission to house the transcripts of these interviews conducted with former governors John Anderson, William Avery, John Carlin, Bill Graves, Mike Hayden, Mark Parkinson, and Kathleen Sebelius. These interviews are a significant addition to the Kansas Governors Collection, and the KOHP Board is grateful to Dr. Beatty for making the transcripts available for posting here. Show Less
Interviews of Mike Hayden, November 24, 2003 and September 29, 2008
These interviews of Governor Mike Hayden, were conducted by Dr. Bob Beatty of Washburn University for the Kansas Governors Recorded History and Documentary Project. The interviews provide a look at Hayden's path from a rural upbringing in northwest Kansas to the state's highest elected office. Hayden reflects on how his identity as a Vietnam veteran and his family’s deep roots in public service provided him with the determination necessary to navigate the legislative landscape and rise to the position of Speaker of the House. In these interviews, Hayden also describes his leadership style and strategic focus on Show Moregrassroots rural support, which proved essential in passing a landmark comprehensive highway plan and managing the political fallout of property tax reappraisal. This interview adds to the historical record of Kansas politics in the 1980s, emphasizing the responsibility of governance and the importance of maintaining public trust through honest, if sometimes difficult, policy decisions. A unique perspective on Kansas policymaking emerges from consideration of this interview in conjunction with KOHP interviews of Hayden conducted in 2018 and 2021.
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Interviews of former Kansas governors conducted by Dr. Bob Beatty of Washburn University during the early decades of the 21st Century provide a view of the lives, political philosophies, and priorities of governors who led Kansas from the late 20th to the early 21st Century. Beatty generously granted the Kansas Oral History Project (KOHP) permission to house the transcripts of these interviews conducted with former governors John Anderson, William Avery, John Carlin, Bill Graves, Mike Hayden, Mark Parkinson, and Kathleen Sebelius. These interviews are a significant addition to the Kansas Governors collection, and the KOHP Board is grateful to Dr. Beatty for making the transcripts available for posting here. Show Less
Interview of Kathleen Holt and Quentin Hope, August 14, 2026
Interviewed by Mary Galligan
In their 2026 oral history interview, Kathleen Holt and Quentin Hope recounted the establishment of High Plains Public Radio (HPPR) in western Kansas. During the interview Holt and Hope recalled how the station began in the late 1970s as a grassroots community project to create a source of intellectual and cultural connection in a sparsely populated region. They described overcoming technical and financial hurdles, repurposing an old school building and a former library to create studios, and placing radio equipment atop grain elevators to expand the reach of the station’s signal. They emphasized that the station was Show Morebuilt with a pioneering spirit of shared resources, relying on personal local credibility and a vast network of dedicated volunteers. Holt and Hope highlight HPPR's evolution into a regional resource that, at the time of the interview, served the western one-third of Kansas and parts of nearby Colorado, Oklahoma and Texas. Holt and Hope concluded their interview by expressing the wish that future generations sustain this civic legacy by adapting to new types of media while maintaining the core mission of strengthening the community.
Highlights -- short excerpts from the interview