Refine Your Results
  • Interviewee

    • Show more

Interview of Ralph Skoog, July 17, 2015

Interviewed by Burdett Loomis
Ralph Skoog
Ralph Skoog

There is no video associated with this interview.

Interview Description

In his 2015 oral history interview, former Representative Ralph Skoog recalls a Kansas Legislature in transition. Ralph was initially elected to represent Topeka and Shawnee County in 1961, prior to the U.S. Supreme Court's Baker v. Carr 'one-person, one-vote' decision. His first 'district' was one-third of Shawnee County. When he returned to the House in 1967 after an unsuccessful campaign for Congress in 1964, he represented a more equal-size district of approximately 17, 000 residents of the County. Ralph recalls a legislature very much in transition at the beginning of the decline of rural domination of the policymaking process and at the beginning of institutional change that came to fruition after the end of his last term. He recalls passage of important highway, prison, and school district consolidation legislation during his time of service in the House.

Interviewee Biographical Sketch

Ralph Skoog was born December 17, 1929, in Topeka, Kansas. He attended Topeka High School, received a B.S. degree in Civil Engineering and Applied Geology from Kansas State University, and a J.D. degree from Washburn University School of Law. He served in the Kansas House of Representatives from 1961 through 1964 with a final term 1967-1968. Skoog, Robert (Bob) C. Harder, and William (Bill) W. Bunten comprised the Shawnee County delegation to the House during his terms prior to 1966. Ralph combined his law practice with a practice as a consulting engineer and geologist to work on the Kansas Turnpike project and brought this experience to his service on the House Roads and Highways Committee.

Interviewee Date of Birth

December 17, 1929

Interviewee Date of Death

December 13, 2019

Interviewee Political Party

Republican

Interviewee Positions

Member, House Water Resources 1961-1964
State Representative, State of Kansas 1961-1964
Member, House Roads and Highways 1961-1964
Member, House Military Affairs 1961-1962
Member, House Judiciary 1961-1964
Vice-Chair, House Municipalities 1963-1964
Vice-Chair, House Judicial Apportionment 1963-1964
Member, House Rules and Journal 1963-1964
Vice-Chair, House Water Resources 1967-1968
State Representative, State of Kansas 1967-1968
Member, House Roads and Highways 1967-1968
Member, House Judiciary 1967-1968
Chair, House Irrigation 1967-1968

House District Numbers

32; 44

Interview Location

Topeka, KS

Go to Top