Interview of William Avery, December 5, 2003

Interview Description

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 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.

Interviewee Biographical Sketch

William Avery was born in Wakefield, Clay County, KS, August 11, 1911. He received an Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Kansas in1934. After graduation Avery returned to the family farm near Wakefield. He served on the Wakefield Rural High School Board of Education from the mid-1940s to the mid-1960s. He was elected as a Republican to the Kansas House of Representatives, serving from 1951-1955. Two of those years, 1953-'55 he was a member of the Legislative Council (the predecessor of the Legislative Coordinating Council). Avery served as Congressional liaison for the Assistant Secretary of the Interior from 1973-1976. He was elected to the Eighty-fourth and to the four succeeding Congresses (January 3, 1955-January 3, 1965). He was not a candidate for renomination to Congress in 1964, but was a successful candidate for Governor of Kansas and served one term from January 11, 1965, to January 9, 1967. Avery was not reelected Governor in 1966. Avery died on November 4, 2009, in Wakefield, Kans.

Interviewee Date of Birth

August 11, 1911

Interviewee Date of Death

November 4, 2009

Interviewee Political Party

Republican

Interview Location

Wakefield, KS