Aaron Douglas (1899-1979) – From Topeka, Douglas was an African American painter and a major figure in the Harlem Renaissance. The first people who lived in Kansas were Native Americans who were nomadic (people who don't live in one place for very long). John Brown, Isaac Goodnow, Carrie Nation, William Allen White, Walter P. Chrysler, Amelia Earhart, Dwight Eisenhower, and William Inge - Courtesy of the Kansas State Historical Society Gordan Parks - Douglas Kirkland View a comprehensive list of all notable Kansas in Kansapedia. Olive Ann Beach (1903-1993) – Aircraft manufacturer and philanthropist. Along with his brother, John O. Wattles, founded the town of Moneka, Kansas. Delano Lewis (1938-present) – From Topeka and Arkansas City, Lewis was a U.S. Department of Justice attorney, Director of the Peace Corps in Nigeria and Uganda, and first African American president of National Public Radio. In the east the cities are older, closer together, and generally less progressive, though most of them are attractive, with broad, well-shaded residential streets and downtown shopping facilities. William Inge (1913 – 1973) – From Independence, Inge was a Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright. Charles “Charlie” C. Bassett (1847-1896) – One of the many men who served the law in the wicked little town of Dodge City, Kansas. Kansas is named for the Kansas River that creates the northeast border. Find more more Kansas famous people below. There are now 93,285 fewer people unemployed in the state. Wyatt Earp (1848-1929) – Wichita and Dodge City lawman. In observance of the Kansas 150, Governor Sam Brownback's Blue Ribbon Panel for Kansas History announced 12 Notable Events in Kansas History on January 24, 2012, in Topeka. Julius Augustus Wayland (1854-1912) Having his base of operations in Girard, Wayland was the founder of Socialist newspaper, Appeal to Reason. The river was named for the Kansa or Kaw people who lived for generations in the area. Jotham Meeker (1804-1855)  – A missionary at the Ottawa Mission. David J. He was the founder of Council Grove. Rush Elmore (1819-1864) – One of the first Associate Justices of Kansas Territory. Clarina I. H. Nichols (1810-1885) – Women’s rights supporter, educator, and newspaper journalist. Preston B. Plumb (1837-1891) – Lawyer, United States Senator, and founder of Emporia. Ackert, James E. Adair, Florella Brown. Kansa, also spelled Konza or Kanza, also called Kaw, North American Indians of Siouan linguistic stock who lived along the Kansas and Saline rivers in what is now central Kansas. Joseph L. Bristow – (1861-1944) – Editor and U.S. Clarence Batchelor (1888-1977) – Received a Pulitzer Prize in 1937 for editorial cartoons. The most conspicuous demographic trend has been the move from the farms to the cities, a trend that has continued with further technological advances in farming and the increasing size of individual landholdings. – Kickapoo Indian chief and prophet, moved to present-day Kansas around 1833 when the Kickapoo were removed from Illinois. Many of the small cities, especially in the west, offer unexpected cultural and commercial resources, perhaps because they often lie far apart and draw from large trade territories. This list represents those events that had a national or international impact. The national trend away from manufacturing and toward the service sector has been experienced to a lesser degree in Kansas, which has remained slightly above the national average in the proportion of employees in manufacturing. Steve Hawley (1952-present) – Born in Ottawa and raised in Salina, Hawley was an astronaut who was a mission specialist on the maiden flight of the Space Shuttle Discovery. William C. Quantrill (1837-1865) – After serving as a teacher at Lawrence, Quantrill began to lead gangs of Border Ruffians in the Kansas-Missouri Border War, became a Confederate soldier during the Civil War, and was responsible for the Lawrence Massacre in 1863. Kanza/Kaw Tribe – From a period extending far back into the past — far back of any written record — the Kanza claimed, as a nation, the region that they ceded to the United States by the treaty of June 1825. He was well-traveled and known for his sharp wit in his editorials. Fred Andrew Stone (1873-1959) – Raised in Topeka, he was a famed Vaudeville song and dance man. Alvin “Creepy” Karpis (1908-1979) – Raised in Topeka, Karpis was a bank robber, bootlegger, who spent time in Alcatraz. Kansas’s early settlers were principally antislavery New Englanders of British ancestry. Thomas Carney (1828-1888) –  A businessman in Leavenworth, Carney became the second governor of the State of Kansas. John A. Halderman (1833?-1908) – Soldier, statesman, and diplomat from Leavenworth. The availability of a reliable workforce has been one of the advantages the state has had to offer to prospective employers. Dictionary of American History, This includes historical sketches on various topics in U.S. history, such as wars, people, laws, and organizations. The simplicity of the people—good, earnest people. William Mervin “Billy” Mills (1938-present) – From Lawrence, Mills was born on the Pine Ridge, South Dakota and a member of the Oglala Lakota (Sioux), attended Haskell Institute and the University of Kansas, in 1964 at the Tokyo Olympics he became the only American to win the 10,000-meter run. – Pearson was one of the first settlers in Douglas County, Kansas, fought with John Brown in the Battle of Black Jack and built a home near Baldwin City that continues to stand today. Geographical and historical treatment of Kansas, including maps and a survey of its people, economy, and government. Lawrence, home of the state’s largest university, depends on the school for its economy, though the city has worked successfully to attract high-technology and light-manufacturing industry. Walter Percy Chrysler (1875-1940) – Born in Wamego and raised in Ellis, Chrysler was machinist, railroad man, automotive industry executive, and founder of the Chrysler Corporation. Bernard W. Rogers (1921-2008) – From Fairview, he was an American general who served as Chief of Staff of the United States Army, NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander, and Commander in Chief, United States European Command. Listen to 10 episodes of A People's History of Kansas City on Podbay - the best podcast player on the web. Anne Le Porte Diggs (1853-1916) – From Lawrence, Diggs was a journalist, state librarian, and supporter of Populism and Women’s Suffrage. Harry Hines Woodring (1887-1967) – From Elk City, Woodring was a banker, Democratic governor of Kansas, and U.S. Secretary of War. She was the 42nd Governor of Kansas from 1991 to 1995. More thinly populated than the east, western Kansas has always feared and fought eastern domination, while the east often has ignored the west. Rivalry between these two urban areas is obvious in the state legislature. David Lykins (1820?-1861) – Pro-slavery advocate and member of the Bogus Legislature. Abram B. Burnett (1811-1870) – Potawatomie chief. The Kaw Nation (or Kanza or Kansa) are a federally recognized Native American tribe in Oklahoma and parts of Kansas. The Wichita Indians who originally lived in southern Oklahoma and northern Texas also began to push into southern Kansas, as more and more people invaded their original territory. Frank Carlson (1893-1987) – From Concordia, Carlson served in the U.S. House of Representatives, U.S. Senate, and as governor. Gerald Burton Winrod (1900-1957) – Evangelist, author, and political activist. You May Be Surprised To Learn These 11 Famous People Are From Kansas. He was immediately captured and hanged the same day by vigilantes. George W. Deitzler (1826-1884) – Free-State advocate, soldier, and politician. Horace L. Moore (1837-1914) – From Lawrence, he was a banker, soldier, and member of Congress. This program of “personal diplomacy” emphasizes nongovernmental contacts between people. Hugh Sleight Walsh (1810-1877) – Secretary and acting governor of the Territory of Kansas. James Henry Lane, aka: “The Grim Chieftain,” Bloody Jim (1814-1866) – Principal leader of anti-slavery forces in Kansas during the Kansas-Missouri Border War and the Civil War. Kansas didn’t really get settled by Europeans until the mid-1850’s though most towns were founded in the 1880’s. George A. Crawford (1827-1891) – Lawyer, journalist, and founder of Fort Scott, Kansas. Charles Joseph Chaput (1944-present) – From Concordia, and of French-Canadian and Potawatomi heritage, he was the first American Indian to lead an American diocese. The Wichita metropolitan area accounts for more than one-fifth of the state’s population. Frank Carney (1938-present) – Along with brother, Dan, established the first Pizza Hut Restaurant in Wichita, Kansas after borrowing $600 from their mother. Charles Curtis (1860-1939) – Of Kanza Indian descent, Curtis served in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate, and as Vice President of the United States. Julia Louisa Lovejoy (1812-1882) – Ardent abolitionist who lived in Manhattan and Lawrence. Justin De Witt Bowersock (1842-1922) – U.S. She herself was also a singer, as well as an actress, composer, author, and poet. Walk in the steps of Civil War soldiers at a battlefield, discover tribes dating back centuries, tour the boyhood home of an American president or sit in a classroom that was ground zero in a landmark battle for civil rights. More Famous People of Kansas. Charles Lawrence Robinson (1818-1894) – Free-State leader and the first governor of the State of Kansas. Robert B. Mitchell (1823-1882) – Soldier, Free-State advocate, and member of the first Kansas Territorial Legislature. He and two other men were lynched by a vigilante mob in Caldwell, Kansas on July 29, 1874. Josiah Miller (1828-1870) – A Free-State advocate who started one of the first Kansas newspapers. There, he operated a successful store along the Santa Fe Trail, as well as serving as a mail agent. National S. Goff – From Neosho Falls, Goff was one of the founders of the Missouri-Kansas-Texas (Katy) Railway Company. Samuel M. Irvin (1812-1887) – An early missionary and teacher to the Sac and Fox Indians. Samuel F. Tappan (1831-1913) – A journalist, military officer, abolitionist, and a Native American rights activist. William Eugene Smith (1918-1978) – From Wichita, Smith was a photojournalist for Newsweek, Life, and Parade; known for humanistic photography. Martin Franklin Conway ( 1827-1882) – From Leavenworth, Conway was the first U.S. Daniel R. Anthony, Jr. (1870-1931) – Journalist and politician from Leavenworth. Walter A. Huxman (1887-1972) – The 27th Governor of Kansas. Grenville L. Gove (18? Overland Park, in Johnson county, was incorporated as a city only in 1960 but by the end of the 20th century had overtaken even Kansas City in population; several large corporations are based there. Henry Newton Brown (1857-1884) – Brown fought with the Regulators in the Lincoln County War of New Mexico. – Early Catholic priest and author. Blackbear Bosin – (1921-1980) – An artist of Kiowa– Comanche ancestry. James Naismith (1861-1939) – From Lawrence, he was the inventor of the game of basketball and a coach at the University of Kansas. Marshal in Montana. Wichita, the largest city, has the state’s largest buildings, biggest industries, and most-venturesome businesses. Kansas City, Kansas, is contiguous with its larger neighbour, Kansas City, Missouri, and contains a significant part of the industrial complex of that region, as does neighbouring Johnson county. Daniel Woodson (1824-1994) – The first secretary and several times acting governor of the Territory of Kansas. Somehow, the prairie dust gets in your blood, and it flows through your veins until it becomes a part of you. Gwendolyn Brooks (1917-2000) – Pulitzer Prize-winning poet from Topeka. Samuel Lappin (1831?-1892) – Prominent in Kansas political affairs, Lappin was tried for forgery, counterfeiting, and embezzlement. Senator and U.S. District Judge, and author of the Hatch Act. James Butler “Wild Bill” Hickok (1837-1876) – Abilene and Ellsworth gunfighter and lawman. State law prohibits corporations, trusts, limited liability companies, limited liability partnerships, or corporate partnerships from owning or acquiring any agricultural land in the state, leaving such ownership the province of family businesses; however, corporate farming has made inroads following the passage of a proviso that allows counties a degree of choice in the matter. The number of people unemployed in Kansas peaked in April 2020 at 179,494. Virtually every denomination and sect is represented in the state, including such rare groups as the Amish and the Dunkard Brethren. Edward Winslow Wellington (1853-19??) Later, French fur trappers came to the area. The way they talk and the way they live. The birth rate, however, has produced a slight natural increase in population in most years. Frederick Funston (1865-1917) – From Iola, Funston was an adventurer, colonel of the Twentieth Kansas Volunteer Regiment, general in the regular U.S. army, and received Congressional Medal of Honor for action during Philippine Insurrection. Osa Johnson ( 1894-1953) From Chanute, Osa and her husband Martin, made themselves known as photographers, explorers, naturalists, and authors. Samuel A. Kingman (1818-1904) – A Chief justice of the Kansas Supreme Court. “Pioneers in Kansas,” mural by J. Kenneth Sydney Davis (1912-1999) – Writer, biographer, aide to Milton Eisenhower, received the Francis Parkman Prize for his biography of Franklin D. Roosevelt. Two years later they franchised their first Pizza Hut restaurant in Topeka. Edward “Eddie” J. Adams (1887-1921) – A Kansas bootlegger, car thief, and murderer, Adams was eventually captured and sentenced to life imprisonment. Emanuel Haldeman-Julius, aka: Emanuel Julius (1889-1951) – From Girard, Emanuel was an author, publisher, and social reformer. Christian “Jim” Roper (1916-2000) – From Halstead, in 1949 he became the first NASCAR Winston Cup Series stock car race winner. Paul M. Ponziglione (1818-1900) – One of the early Catholic missionaries in Kansas. Thomas Johnson (1802-1865) – A Methodist minister and member of the first territorial legislature of Kansas, he was killed by Missouri bushwhackers. Franklin George Adams (1824-1899) – Free-State advocate, teacher, attorney and publisher. Kansas Redlegs – Although the “Red Legs” are commonly associated with the Jayhawkers of the Bleeding Kansas era and the Civil War, they were actually a separate guerilla unit that only fought during the Civil War. Kanza Chief White Plume by Charles Bird King about 1822. Earl Sutherland (1915-1974) – From Burlingame, he was the winner of the Nobel Prize for physiology and medicine in 1971. A snippet view is available at [3] Webster's Guide to American History: A Chronological, Geographical, and Biographical Survey and Compendium . Damon Runyon (1884-1946) – From Manhattan, he was a short story writer and journalist. Richard Cordley (1829-1904) – Author and minister, Cordley was present at the Lawrence Massacre and lived to write about it. Thomas Sears Huffaker (1825-1910) – A pioneer teacher of Kansas, one of the founders of Council Grove, and a politician. Clara H. Hazelrigg (1859-??) Walt Mason (1862-1939) – A poet and humorist. Sidney Clarke (1831-1909) – One of the early members of Congress from Kansas and a Free-State advocate. Henry Worrall (1825-1902) – One of Kansas’ first artists. Kansapedia Topic: People. Karl Menninger (1893-1990) – From Topeka, Menninger was a psychiatrist and co-founder of the Menninger Clinic and Foundation. They hunted American bison. Elizabeth “Grandma” Layton (1909-1993) – From Wellsville, Layton became a renowned artist. African Americans in Kansas. Kathyrn O’Loughlin McCarthy (1894-1952) – Hays lawyer and first Kansas woman to serve in the U.S. Congress. It is thought that the Kansa had migrated to this location from an earlier prehistoric territory on the Atlantic coast. Lease (1853 – 1933) – Attorney, lecturer, writer, and supporter of Populism from Wichita. Henry J. Adams (1816-1870) – Lawyer, Free-State advocate, politician, and soldier. Zula Bennington “Peggy” Greene (1895-1988) – From Topeka, she was an author and columnist.