Commentary titans shaped Kansas communities for generations. They still have much to teach.

By: Clay Wirestone

Outlets: Kansas Reflector

Published: September 28, 2026

Words: 1,178

Last Updated: 2 weeks, 3 days ago

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I remember two bronze plaques in an Emporia park, each cast with the anguished writing of a father recounting the death of his 16-year-old daughter. I was only 8 years old, but the words of William Allen White in Emporia’s Peter Pan Park left a permanent impression.

I didn’t understand what a newspaper editor or columnist did back then, but I surely knew White was important. A bronze bust of the Emporia …

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