Honoring a Prairie Politician
Frank Carlson of Concordia was the son of Swedish immigrants and a veteran of World War I. After the war, Carlson returned home to raise livestock and farm. In 1928, four businessmen approached Carlson in his wheat field and persuaded him to run for a seat in the Kansas House of Representatives. The rest is history. Carlson won the election and began a prestigious political career that included service in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1935-1947, as governor of Kansas from 1947-1950, and in the United States Senate from 1950-1969.
The Frank Carlson Library in Concordia is home to the Carlson Collection of papers, artifacts and memorabilia documenting Carlson's life and career from his early years in Concordia to his service in Congress during World War II to his support of civil rights legislation in the 1960s. On Saturday, November 5, the library will host an open house of the new permanent exhibition, Frank Carlson: Prairie Politician from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. At 7:00 p.m., Robert Linder, professor of history at Kansas State University, presents And Frank Came Home: Frank Carlson and His Washington Experience. The exhibition and lecture are part of the statewide commemoration of Kansas 150 and are supported by a KHC Mini grant. More information about this event can be found here.
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