Leading the Way: Famous Kansans
Many have tried to define the Kansas character.
The landscape, historical events, and the diversity of the people who
have settled Kansas
are all given credit for shaping its character.
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Kansas Character |
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One thing for sure, I never appreciated the prairie as a kid the way I do now. . .You see vast blue sky and maybe one cloud puff--sort of icing on the cake. . .People here have a certain character that ties in with that. As a whole, it gives you a certain sense of magnificence.
Gordon Parks
1986
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The character of John Brown, full of purpose, courage, fanaticism and recklessness is in every way typical of the Kansan of the early and troubled years of our history.
James M. Harvey
1897
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We have a state spirit which is a unique mingling of Puritan morality, Southern chivalry, and Western individualism.
Milton Eisenhower
1949
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If you want to understand the character of our people, you must understand the fierce sense of independence that sweeps across the plains from Bird City to Kansas City. It's the kind of spirit that resists definition. Like the proud people of my state, there are no easy labels you can pin on that spirit.
Bob Dole
1984
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The image of Kansas is tied to actual events and people from our past, as well as fictional events and characters. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is closely linked with the state's image. In the book by L. Frank Baum Kansas is described as "gray" and drab. Yet by the end Dorothy learns the value of Kansas and home.
Kansas is often portrayed as a wholesome place with strong and decent citizens. Dorothy and Superman are fictional characters linked to Kansans. These two remain enduring symbols because they embody the very characteristics that Americans admire, including truth and fairness.
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