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 grassroots 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.Abortion; Death Penalty; DUI - Driving under Influence; Highway program; Natural Resources; Ogallala Aquifer; Property tax; Reappraisal; State Budget; Transportation plan; Veterans; Water Plan; Water policy
Mike Hayden has had a long career in public service at the state and national levels. In addition to serving as Governor of Kansas (1987-1991), Hayden served in the US Army and the Kansas House of Representatives where he served two terms as Speaker. He was also Assistant Secretary of the US Department of Interior during the G. H. W. Bush administration (1991-1993) and served nine years as Secretary of the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks for Governors Graves, Sebelius, and Parkinson. Hayden graduated from Kansas State University in 1966 with a degree in wildlife conservation and completed a master's degree in biology in 1974 at Fort Hays State University. He was first elected to the Kansas House of Representatives in 1972 and re-elected to six additional terms, serving from 1973 to 1987. He served as Chair of the House Ways and Means Committee in the 1979 to 1982 legislative sessions and was Speaker of the House in the 1983 to 1986 sessions.
March 16, 1944
Republican
Member, Kansas House of Representatives 1973-1987
Chair, House Ways and Means 1979-1982
Speaker, Kansas House of Representatives 1983-1986
Governor, State of Kansas 1987-1991
Assistant Secretary, Fish, wildlife & Parks, US Department of Interior 1991-1993
Secretary, Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks 2002-2011
Topeka, KS
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