William Allen White and the KKK in Kansas “A Real American Goes Hunting"

Many remembered the tumultuous 1924 Kansas Gubernatorial campaign as the time William Allen White chased the Ku Klux Klan out of Kansas. As the editor of the Emporia Gazette, White was acutely aware of the growing presence of the KKK in Kansas following World War I. Seeing no candidates free of Klan influence, White declared, “I want to be governor to free Kansas from the disgrace of the Ku Klux Klan.” This presentation follows the raucous two-month campaign that had White traveling over 2,700 miles to deliver 104 speeches, all directed at expelling the KKK. Though he did not win, White’s efforts led to a Kansas Supreme Court ruling that outlawed the Klan in Kansas.

Beverley is an author, educator, and chair of the William Allen White Children’s Book Awards selection committee in Emporia.

Sponsored by Humanities Kansas, the Cowley County Historical Society, and the Winfield Public Library.