Kansas Natives
Sunflower Motif
Sunflowers are a widespread, native plant in Kansas. In 1903 it was named the official state flower, and is widely nicknamed the "Sunflower State." It is no surprise then that buttons for Kansas elections often feature the image of a sunflower.
A Family Affair
Shortly before ending his tenure as the 26th Governor of Kansas, Alf Landon was selected as the Republican nominee for the 1936 presidential election against incumbent President Franklin D. Roosevelt. After losing the election in a landslide, Landon left the political sphere. However, four decades later, his daughter, Nancy Kassebaum, became the first woman to represent Kansas in the United States Senate in 1978. Following in her father’s footsteps, Kassebaum served three terms in the Senate before retiring in 1997.
Robert J. Dole
Born in Russell, Kansas, in 1923, Bob Dole would grow to be a World War II hero and an accomplished Senator with an enduring legacy. Dole first entered national politics in 1960, when he was elected to the House of Representatives. He later joined the Senate in 1968 and held the position of Republican Leader from 1985 until his resignation in 1996. Over the course of his career, Senator Dole made multiple bids for the presidency and was on the ballot in 1976 as President Gerald Ford’s running mate. He secured the Republican nomination in 1996, but ultimately lost against President Bill Clinton.
Charles Curtis
Charles Curtis was a long-standing Member of Congress and a member of the Kaw Nation. He served in the House of Representatives from 1893-1907 before moving to the Senate from 1907-1913 and 1915-1929. In 1928, Curtis competed with Herbert Hoover for the Republican nomination for presidency. Though Hoover won the nomination, Curtis was later selected as the vice-presidential nominee. When Hoover and Curtis won the election, Curtis became the first person of non-white ancestry to serve in the executive branch, and he remains the highest-ranking government official with Native American ancestry.