William Allen White. If you are from Emporia or the surrounding communities, this name might’ve sounded familiar. If you would like to know more about this cool historical guy, then keep on reading!

Quick Stats:

Birth: February 10, 1868 in Emporia, KS

Death: January 29, 1944 in Emporia, KS

Mother: Mary Ann Allen

Father: Allen White

Spouse: Sallie Lindsey

Children: William Lindsay White, Mary Lindsey White

Quick Bio:

William Allen White was born in Emporia, KS but soon moved to El Dorado, not far from Emporia. He soon began apprenticing for press, then soon attended college. After graduating college, he was an editorial writer for the Kansas City Star, the Kansas City newspaper. He married his wife on April 27, 1893. They then moved back to Emporia and bought the Emporia Gazette. He was a well known author and journalist, and helped argue against many issues of the time including the Ku Klux Klan.

Fun Facts:

You can tour his home in Emporia, KS at 927 Exchange St.

President Roosevelt visited him

He had a movie based on him and his daughter entitled, “Mary White”

He has a book award named after him, the William Allen White Book Award.

He edited the Emporia Gazette for 49 years

He has a school named after him, William Allen White Elementary.

At Emporia State University, he has a library named after him.

William Allen White was a well-respected man during his time. He had a lovely family and lived in Emporia, Kansas. He was a newspaper editor, journalist, and author and he stood up for what was right. He was a very important man to Emporia and definitely lived an interesting life. I hope you are now more educated on the life of William Allen White! If you would like some further reading, feel free to check out the links I posted below! 🙂

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Allen_White

https://www.kshs.org/kansapedia/william-allen-white/16139

https://www.emporia.edu/libsv/wawbookaward/

http://www2.ku.edu/~jschool/school/waw/memorials/map/redrocks.html