Conservapedia - User contributions [en]

William Allen White

2009-10-03T20:40:52Z

Historian1982:

'''William Allen White''' (1868-1941) was the editor of the ''Emporia Gazette'' in Emporia, [[Kansas]] from 1895 until his death, as well as a best-selling author. He gained fame in 1896 for his attacks on the far-left Populists. After 1901 he was a leading supporter of [[Theodore Roosevelt]]. White remained devoted to the conservative virtues he lovingly described in small town America. He was America's most famous small-town editor and a nationally respected spokesman for the [[Progressive movement]].
==Career==
White was born and lived his entire life in Emporia, Kansas. While attending the University of Kansas (1886-1890) he worked for the Lawrence ''Journal.'' In 1890 he joined the El Dorado ''Republican,'' in 1891 went to the Kansas City ''Journal,'' and between 1892 and 1895 worked for the
Kansas City ''Star.'' In 1895 White became owner and editor of the Emporia ''Gazette.'' With his warm sense of humor, a facile editorial pen, and a commonsense approach to life, he soon became known throughout the country.<ref> See [http://www.emporia.com/waw/index.html]</ref> His ''Gazette'' editorials were widely reprinted; he wrote syndicated stories on politics; and he published many books, including biographies of [[Woodrow Wilson]] and [[Calvin Coolidge]].

==What's the matter with Kansas?" (1896)==
In 1896 White attracted national attention with a
scathing attack on [[William Jennings Bryan]], the Democrats, and the Populists entitled "What's the Matter With Kansas?"<ref> See [http://www.emporia.com/waw/kansas.html online edition]
</ref> It was a satirical attack that blamed the crackpot Populist leadership for the state's declining population and prestige, <ref>http://www.h-net.org/~shgape/internet/kansas.html</ref>.

The [[Republican Party]] distributed millions of copies of White's editorial. In 2004, liberal author [[Thomas Frank]] wrote a bestselling book with the same title that bitterly attacked conservatives and Republicans for their contributions to Kansas politics. <ref>http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2004/apr/25/whats_the_matter/</ref> (Frank maintains that by supporting a party which he claims is beholden to the richest classes, the working class of Kansas is voting against its own economic interests when it supports the Republican party.)

==Politics==
Between 1901 and 1909, White was a confidant of President [[Theodore Roosevelt]], popularized the aims of progressive Republicans in ''McClure's'' magazine, and managed political campaigns in Kansas. Then in 1912 he bolted the Republicans to help Roosevelt found the Progressive Party.

White was a reporter at the [[Versailles Conference]] in 1919 and a strong supporter of [[Woodrow Wilson]]'s proposal for the [[League of Nations]]. The League went into operation but the U.S. never joined. During the 1920s, he was critical of both the isolationism and the conservatism of the Republican
Party.

In 1924, White ran for governor of Kansas as an independent on an anti-[[Ku Klux Klan]] platform, and came in third. <ref>http://www.kancoll.org/khq/1976/76_2_traylor.htm</ref>

In the 1930s, although he was an early supporter of the Republican presidential nominees, [[Alf Landon]] in 1936, and [[Wendell Willkie]] in 1940, White wrote many editorials praising the social and economic reforms of President [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]]. After World War II started, while the U.S. wneutral, White became chairman of the Committee to Defend America by Aiding the Allies, and helped rally the public behind Roosevelt's program of extending aid to Britain even at the risk of war with Germany. On January 29, 1944, White died in Emporia, widely hailed as a symbol of the greatness of small-town America

==Small town values==
the 1896 editorial and "Mary White"--a beautiful tribute to his 17-year-old daughter on her death in 1921, portayed her as an anti-flapper--were his best-known writings. Locally he was known as the greatest booster for Emporia.

In his novels and short stories, White developed his idea of the small town as a metaphor for understanding social change and for preaching the necessity of community. While he expressed his views in terms of the small town, he tailored his rhetoric to the needs and values of emerging urban America. The cynicism of the post-World War I world stilled his imaginary literature, but for the remainder of his life he continued to propagate his vision of small-town community. He opposed chain stores and mail order firms as a threat to the business owner on Main Street. The [[Great Depression]] shook his faith in a cooperative, selfless, middle-class America. Like most old Progressives his attitude toward the New Deal was ambivalent: President [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] cared for the country and was personally attractive, but White considered his solutions haphazard. White seemed to see the country uniting behind old ideals by 1940 in the face of foreign threats.<ref> Agran (1998)</ref>

==Tributes and Honors==
The library at Emporia State University, which is home to one of the only Library Science departments in the Midwest, is named after White, as is the Journalism Department at the [[University of Kansas]].

In addition both a B-29 bomber and a WWII liberty Ship were named in honor of WAW.

Three elementary Schools (in Wichita, Kansas City, and Emporia, Kansas) are named after WAW

William Allen White's home in Emporia ''Red Rocks'' is on the National Register of Historic Places and is owned and operated by the [[Kansas Historical Society]].

He received two Pulitzer Prizes. One for his editorial "To An Anxious Friend" in defense of freedom of speech, and one posthumously after he died for his Autobiography.

Though never having received a diploma from the [[University of Kansas]], he was granted ten honorary degrees from such institutions as [[Columbia University]], [[Harvard]], and [[Washburn University]] in [[Topeka]], [[Kansas]].

==References==
<References/>

==Bibliography==
* Agran, Edward Gale. ''"Too Good a Town": William Allen White, Community, and the Emerging Rhetoric of Middle America.'' 240 pp.
* Hinshaw, David. ''A Man from Kansas: The Story of William Allen White'' (2005) 332 pp [http://books.google.com/books?id=lB70bZSAtwQC&dq=intitle:william+intitle:allen+intitle:white&num=30&as_brr=0 excerpt and text search]
* McKee, John DeWitt. ''William Allen White: Maverick on Main Street'' (1975) 264 pages
* Griffith, Sally Foreman. ''Home Town News: William Allen White and the Emporia Gazette'' (1989) [http://www.questia.com/read/78811835 online edition]

===Primary sources===
* White, William Allen. "What's the matter with Kansas?" (1896) [http://www.emporia.com/waw/kansas.html online edition]
* White, William Allen. ''In Our Town'' 1906 - 369pp [http://books.google.com/books?id=NV15YJCfI9YC&dq=inauthor:william+inauthor:allen+inauthor:white&num=30&as_brr=0 online edition]
* White, William Allen. ''A Certain Rich Man'' (1909) [http://www.questia.com/read/93950542 online edition]
* White, William Allen. '' The Old Order Changeth: A View of American Democracy'' (1910) 266pp [http://books.google.com/books?id=DEH4SncdL_QC&pg=PA1&dq=inauthor:william+inauthor:allen+inauthor:white&num=30&as_brr=0 online edition]
* White, William Allen. ''Woodrow Wilson: The Man, His Times and His Task'' (1924) [http://www.questia.com/read/61963505 online edition]
* White, William Allen. ''A Puritan in Babylon: The Story of Calvin Coolidge'' (1938) [http://www.questia.com/read/1105748 online edition]
* White, William Allen. ''Defense for America'' (1940) 205pp
* White, William Allen. ''The Autobiography of William Allen White'' (1946; 2nd ed. 1990) 669 pages
* White, William Allen. ''Masks in a Pageant'' 566pp
* White, William Allen. '' Selected Letters of William Allen White, 1899-1943'' (1947), 460pp Edited by Walter Johnson

[[category:Progressive Era]]
[[category:New Deal]]
[[category:journalists]]

{{DEFAULTSORT:White, William Allen}}

<gallery>
Image:Example.jpg|Caption1
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</gallery>

William Allen White

2009-10-03T20:39:24Z

Historian1982: /* Tributes */

William Allen White

2009-10-03T20:36:31Z

Historian1982: /* Tributes */

'''William Allen White''' (1868-1941) was the editor of the ''Emporia Gazette'' in Emporia, [[Kansas]] from 1895 until his death, as well as a best-selling author. He gained fame in 1896 for his attacks on the far-left Populists. After 1901 he was a leading supporter of [[Theodore Roosevelt]]. White remained devoted to the conservative virtues he lovingly described in small town America. He was America's most famous small-town editor and a nationally respected spokesman for the [[Progressive movement]].
==Career==
White was born and lived his entire life in Emporia, Kansas. While attending the University of Kansas (1886-1890) he worked for the Lawrence ''Journal.'' In 1890 he joined the El Dorado ''Republican,'' in 1891 went to the Kansas City ''Journal,'' and between 1892 and 1895 worked for the
Kansas City ''Star.'' In 1895 White became owner and editor of the Emporia ''Gazette.'' With his warm sense of humor, a facile editorial pen, and a commonsense approach to life, he soon became known throughout the country.<ref> See [http://www.emporia.com/waw/index.html]</ref> His ''Gazette'' editorials were widely reprinted; he wrote syndicated stories on politics; and he published many books, including biographies of [[Woodrow Wilson]] and [[Calvin Coolidge]].

==What's the matter with Kansas?" (1896)==
In 1896 White attracted national attention with a
scathing attack on [[William Jennings Bryan]], the Democrats, and the Populists entitled "What's the Matter With Kansas?"<ref> See [http://www.emporia.com/waw/kansas.html online edition]
</ref> It was a satirical attack that blamed the crackpot Populist leadership for the state's declining population and prestige, <ref>http://www.h-net.org/~shgape/internet/kansas.html</ref>.

The [[Republican Party]] distributed millions of copies of White's editorial. In 2004, liberal author [[Thomas Frank]] wrote a bestselling book with the same title that bitterly attacked conservatives and Republicans for their contributions to Kansas politics. <ref>http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2004/apr/25/whats_the_matter/</ref> (Frank maintains that by supporting a party which he claims is beholden to the richest classes, the working class of Kansas is voting against its own economic interests when it supports the Republican party.)

==Politics==
Between 1901 and 1909, White was a confidant of President [[Theodore Roosevelt]], popularized the aims of progressive Republicans in ''McClure's'' magazine, and managed political campaigns in Kansas. Then in 1912 he bolted the Republicans to help Roosevelt found the Progressive Party.

White was a reporter at the [[Versailles Conference]] in 1919 and a strong supporter of [[Woodrow Wilson]]'s proposal for the [[League of Nations]]. The League went into operation but the U.S. never joined. During the 1920s, he was critical of both the isolationism and the conservatism of the Republican
Party.

In 1924, White ran for governor of Kansas as an independent on an anti-[[Ku Klux Klan]] platform, and came in third. <ref>http://www.kancoll.org/khq/1976/76_2_traylor.htm</ref>

In the 1930s, although he was an early supporter of the Republican presidential nominees, [[Alf Landon]] in 1936, and [[Wendell Willkie]] in 1940, White wrote many editorials praising the social and economic reforms of President [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]]. After World War II started, while the U.S. wneutral, White became chairman of the Committee to Defend America by Aiding the Allies, and helped rally the public behind Roosevelt's program of extending aid to Britain even at the risk of war with Germany. On January 29, 1944, White died in Emporia, widely hailed as a symbol of the greatness of small-town America

==Small town values==
the 1896 editorial and "Mary White"--a beautiful tribute to his 17-year-old daughter on her death in 1921, portayed her as an anti-flapper--were his best-known writings. Locally he was known as the greatest booster for Emporia.

In his novels and short stories, White developed his idea of the small town as a metaphor for understanding social change and for preaching the necessity of community. While he expressed his views in terms of the small town, he tailored his rhetoric to the needs and values of emerging urban America. The cynicism of the post-World War I world stilled his imaginary literature, but for the remainder of his life he continued to propagate his vision of small-town community. He opposed chain stores and mail order firms as a threat to the business owner on Main Street. The [[Great Depression]] shook his faith in a cooperative, selfless, middle-class America. Like most old Progressives his attitude toward the New Deal was ambivalent: President [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] cared for the country and was personally attractive, but White considered his solutions haphazard. White seemed to see the country uniting behind old ideals by 1940 in the face of foreign threats.<ref> Agran (1998)</ref>

==Tributes==
The library at Emporia State University, which is home to one of the only Library Science departments in the Midwest, is named after White, as is the Journalism Department at the [[University of Kansas]].

In addition both a B-29 bomber and a WWII liberty Ship were named in honor of WAW.

Three elementary Schools (in Wichita, Kansas City, and Emporia, Kansas) are named after WAW

William Allen White's home in Emporia ''Red Rocks'' is on the National Register of Historic Places and is owned and operated by the [[Kansas Historical Society]].

==References==
<References/>

==Bibliography==
* Agran, Edward Gale. ''"Too Good a Town": William Allen White, Community, and the Emerging Rhetoric of Middle America.'' 240 pp.
* Hinshaw, David. ''A Man from Kansas: The Story of William Allen White'' (2005) 332 pp [http://books.google.com/books?id=lB70bZSAtwQC&dq=intitle:william+intitle:allen+intitle:white&num=30&as_brr=0 excerpt and text search]
* McKee, John DeWitt. ''William Allen White: Maverick on Main Street'' (1975) 264 pages
* Griffith, Sally Foreman. ''Home Town News: William Allen White and the Emporia Gazette'' (1989) [http://www.questia.com/read/78811835 online edition]

===Primary sources===
* White, William Allen. "What's the matter with Kansas?" (1896) [http://www.emporia.com/waw/kansas.html online edition]
* White, William Allen. ''In Our Town'' 1906 - 369pp [http://books.google.com/books?id=NV15YJCfI9YC&dq=inauthor:william+inauthor:allen+inauthor:white&num=30&as_brr=0 online edition]
* White, William Allen. ''A Certain Rich Man'' (1909) [http://www.questia.com/read/93950542 online edition]
* White, William Allen. '' The Old Order Changeth: A View of American Democracy'' (1910) 266pp [http://books.google.com/books?id=DEH4SncdL_QC&pg=PA1&dq=inauthor:william+inauthor:allen+inauthor:white&num=30&as_brr=0 online edition]
* White, William Allen. ''Woodrow Wilson: The Man, His Times and His Task'' (1924) [http://www.questia.com/read/61963505 online edition]
* White, William Allen. ''A Puritan in Babylon: The Story of Calvin Coolidge'' (1938) [http://www.questia.com/read/1105748 online edition]
* White, William Allen. ''Defense for America'' (1940) 205pp
* White, William Allen. ''The Autobiography of William Allen White'' (1946; 2nd ed. 1990) 669 pages
* White, William Allen. ''Masks in a Pageant'' 566pp
* White, William Allen. '' Selected Letters of William Allen White, 1899-1943'' (1947), 460pp Edited by Walter Johnson

[[category:Progressive Era]]
[[category:New Deal]]
[[category:journalists]]

{{DEFAULTSORT:White, William Allen}}

William Allen White

2009-10-03T20:34:10Z

Historian1982: /* References */

'''William Allen White''' (1868-1941) was the editor of the ''Emporia Gazette'' in Emporia, [[Kansas]] from 1895 until his death, as well as a best-selling author. He gained fame in 1896 for his attacks on the far-left Populists. After 1901 he was a leading supporter of [[Theodore Roosevelt]]. White remained devoted to the conservative virtues he lovingly described in small town America. He was America's most famous small-town editor and a nationally respected spokesman for the [[Progressive movement]].
==Career==
White was born and lived his entire life in Emporia, Kansas. While attending the University of Kansas (1886-1890) he worked for the Lawrence ''Journal.'' In 1890 he joined the El Dorado ''Republican,'' in 1891 went to the Kansas City ''Journal,'' and between 1892 and 1895 worked for the
Kansas City ''Star.'' In 1895 White became owner and editor of the Emporia ''Gazette.'' With his warm sense of humor, a facile editorial pen, and a commonsense approach to life, he soon became known throughout the country.<ref> See [http://www.emporia.com/waw/index.html]</ref> His ''Gazette'' editorials were widely reprinted; he wrote syndicated stories on politics; and he published many books, including biographies of [[Woodrow Wilson]] and [[Calvin Coolidge]].

==What's the matter with Kansas?" (1896)==
In 1896 White attracted national attention with a
scathing attack on [[William Jennings Bryan]], the Democrats, and the Populists entitled "What's the Matter With Kansas?"<ref> See [http://www.emporia.com/waw/kansas.html online edition]
</ref> It was a satirical attack that blamed the crackpot Populist leadership for the state's declining population and prestige, <ref>http://www.h-net.org/~shgape/internet/kansas.html</ref>.

The [[Republican Party]] distributed millions of copies of White's editorial. In 2004, liberal author [[Thomas Frank]] wrote a bestselling book with the same title that bitterly attacked conservatives and Republicans for their contributions to Kansas politics. <ref>http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2004/apr/25/whats_the_matter/</ref> (Frank maintains that by supporting a party which he claims is beholden to the richest classes, the working class of Kansas is voting against its own economic interests when it supports the Republican party.)

==Politics==
Between 1901 and 1909, White was a confidant of President [[Theodore Roosevelt]], popularized the aims of progressive Republicans in ''McClure's'' magazine, and managed political campaigns in Kansas. Then in 1912 he bolted the Republicans to help Roosevelt found the Progressive Party.

White was a reporter at the [[Versailles Conference]] in 1919 and a strong supporter of [[Woodrow Wilson]]'s proposal for the [[League of Nations]]. The League went into operation but the U.S. never joined. During the 1920s, he was critical of both the isolationism and the conservatism of the Republican
Party.

In 1924, White ran for governor of Kansas as an independent on an anti-[[Ku Klux Klan]] platform, and came in third. <ref>http://www.kancoll.org/khq/1976/76_2_traylor.htm</ref>

In the 1930s, although he was an early supporter of the Republican presidential nominees, [[Alf Landon]] in 1936, and [[Wendell Willkie]] in 1940, White wrote many editorials praising the social and economic reforms of President [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]]. After World War II started, while the U.S. wneutral, White became chairman of the Committee to Defend America by Aiding the Allies, and helped rally the public behind Roosevelt's program of extending aid to Britain even at the risk of war with Germany. On January 29, 1944, White died in Emporia, widely hailed as a symbol of the greatness of small-town America

==Small town values==
the 1896 editorial and "Mary White"--a beautiful tribute to his 17-year-old daughter on her death in 1921, portayed her as an anti-flapper--were his best-known writings. Locally he was known as the greatest booster for Emporia.

In his novels and short stories, White developed his idea of the small town as a metaphor for understanding social change and for preaching the necessity of community. While he expressed his views in terms of the small town, he tailored his rhetoric to the needs and values of emerging urban America. The cynicism of the post-World War I world stilled his imaginary literature, but for the remainder of his life he continued to propagate his vision of small-town community. He opposed chain stores and mail order firms as a threat to the business owner on Main Street. The [[Great Depression]] shook his faith in a cooperative, selfless, middle-class America. Like most old Progressives his attitude toward the New Deal was ambivalent: President [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] cared for the country and was personally attractive, but White considered his solutions haphazard. White seemed to see the country uniting behind old ideals by 1940 in the face of foreign threats.<ref> Agran (1998)</ref>

==Tributes==
The library at Emporia State University, which is home to one of the only Library Science departments in the Midwest, is named after White, as is the Journalism Department at the [[University of Kansas]].

==References==
<References/>

==Bibliography==
* Agran, Edward Gale. ''"Too Good a Town": William Allen White, Community, and the Emerging Rhetoric of Middle America.'' 240 pp.
* Hinshaw, David. ''A Man from Kansas: The Story of William Allen White'' (2005) 332 pp [http://books.google.com/books?id=lB70bZSAtwQC&dq=intitle:william+intitle:allen+intitle:white&num=30&as_brr=0 excerpt and text search]
* McKee, John DeWitt. ''William Allen White: Maverick on Main Street'' (1975) 264 pages
* Griffith, Sally Foreman. ''Home Town News: William Allen White and the Emporia Gazette'' (1989) [http://www.questia.com/read/78811835 online edition]

===Primary sources===
* White, William Allen. "What's the matter with Kansas?" (1896) [http://www.emporia.com/waw/kansas.html online edition]
* White, William Allen. ''In Our Town'' 1906 - 369pp [http://books.google.com/books?id=NV15YJCfI9YC&dq=inauthor:william+inauthor:allen+inauthor:white&num=30&as_brr=0 online edition]
* White, William Allen. ''A Certain Rich Man'' (1909) [http://www.questia.com/read/93950542 online edition]
* White, William Allen. '' The Old Order Changeth: A View of American Democracy'' (1910) 266pp [http://books.google.com/books?id=DEH4SncdL_QC&pg=PA1&dq=inauthor:william+inauthor:allen+inauthor:white&num=30&as_brr=0 online edition]
* White, William Allen. ''Woodrow Wilson: The Man, His Times and His Task'' (1924) [http://www.questia.com/read/61963505 online edition]
* White, William Allen. ''A Puritan in Babylon: The Story of Calvin Coolidge'' (1938) [http://www.questia.com/read/1105748 online edition]
* White, William Allen. ''Defense for America'' (1940) 205pp
* White, William Allen. ''The Autobiography of William Allen White'' (1946; 2nd ed. 1990) 669 pages
* White, William Allen. ''Masks in a Pageant'' 566pp
* White, William Allen. '' Selected Letters of William Allen White, 1899-1943'' (1947), 460pp Edited by Walter Johnson

[[category:Progressive Era]]
[[category:New Deal]]
[[category:journalists]]

{{DEFAULTSORT:White, William Allen}}

William Allen White

2009-10-03T20:33:49Z

Historian1982: /* Small town values */

'''William Allen White''' (1868-1941) was the editor of the ''Emporia Gazette'' in Emporia, [[Kansas]] from 1895 until his death, as well as a best-selling author. He gained fame in 1896 for his attacks on the far-left Populists. After 1901 he was a leading supporter of [[Theodore Roosevelt]]. White remained devoted to the conservative virtues he lovingly described in small town America. He was America's most famous small-town editor and a nationally respected spokesman for the [[Progressive movement]].
==Career==
White was born and lived his entire life in Emporia, Kansas. While attending the University of Kansas (1886-1890) he worked for the Lawrence ''Journal.'' In 1890 he joined the El Dorado ''Republican,'' in 1891 went to the Kansas City ''Journal,'' and between 1892 and 1895 worked for the
Kansas City ''Star.'' In 1895 White became owner and editor of the Emporia ''Gazette.'' With his warm sense of humor, a facile editorial pen, and a commonsense approach to life, he soon became known throughout the country.<ref> See [http://www.emporia.com/waw/index.html]</ref> His ''Gazette'' editorials were widely reprinted; he wrote syndicated stories on politics; and he published many books, including biographies of [[Woodrow Wilson]] and [[Calvin Coolidge]].

==What's the matter with Kansas?" (1896)==
In 1896 White attracted national attention with a
scathing attack on [[William Jennings Bryan]], the Democrats, and the Populists entitled "What's the Matter With Kansas?"<ref> See [http://www.emporia.com/waw/kansas.html online edition]
</ref> It was a satirical attack that blamed the crackpot Populist leadership for the state's declining population and prestige, <ref>http://www.h-net.org/~shgape/internet/kansas.html</ref>.

The [[Republican Party]] distributed millions of copies of White's editorial. In 2004, liberal author [[Thomas Frank]] wrote a bestselling book with the same title that bitterly attacked conservatives and Republicans for their contributions to Kansas politics. <ref>http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2004/apr/25/whats_the_matter/</ref> (Frank maintains that by supporting a party which he claims is beholden to the richest classes, the working class of Kansas is voting against its own economic interests when it supports the Republican party.)

==Politics==
Between 1901 and 1909, White was a confidant of President [[Theodore Roosevelt]], popularized the aims of progressive Republicans in ''McClure's'' magazine, and managed political campaigns in Kansas. Then in 1912 he bolted the Republicans to help Roosevelt found the Progressive Party.

White was a reporter at the [[Versailles Conference]] in 1919 and a strong supporter of [[Woodrow Wilson]]'s proposal for the [[League of Nations]]. The League went into operation but the U.S. never joined. During the 1920s, he was critical of both the isolationism and the conservatism of the Republican
Party.

In 1924, White ran for governor of Kansas as an independent on an anti-[[Ku Klux Klan]] platform, and came in third. <ref>http://www.kancoll.org/khq/1976/76_2_traylor.htm</ref>

In the 1930s, although he was an early supporter of the Republican presidential nominees, [[Alf Landon]] in 1936, and [[Wendell Willkie]] in 1940, White wrote many editorials praising the social and economic reforms of President [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]]. After World War II started, while the U.S. wneutral, White became chairman of the Committee to Defend America by Aiding the Allies, and helped rally the public behind Roosevelt's program of extending aid to Britain even at the risk of war with Germany. On January 29, 1944, White died in Emporia, widely hailed as a symbol of the greatness of small-town America

==Small town values==
the 1896 editorial and "Mary White"--a beautiful tribute to his 17-year-old daughter on her death in 1921, portayed her as an anti-flapper--were his best-known writings. Locally he was known as the greatest booster for Emporia.

In his novels and short stories, White developed his idea of the small town as a metaphor for understanding social change and for preaching the necessity of community. While he expressed his views in terms of the small town, he tailored his rhetoric to the needs and values of emerging urban America. The cynicism of the post-World War I world stilled his imaginary literature, but for the remainder of his life he continued to propagate his vision of small-town community. He opposed chain stores and mail order firms as a threat to the business owner on Main Street. The [[Great Depression]] shook his faith in a cooperative, selfless, middle-class America. Like most old Progressives his attitude toward the New Deal was ambivalent: President [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] cared for the country and was personally attractive, but White considered his solutions haphazard. White seemed to see the country uniting behind old ideals by 1940 in the face of foreign threats.<ref> Agran (1998)</ref>

==Tributes==
The library at Emporia State University, which is home to one of the only Library Science departments in the Midwest, is named after White, as is the Journalism Department at the [[University of Kansas]].

==References==
<References/>

==Bibliography==
* Agran, Edward Gale. ''"Too Good a Town": William Allen White, Community, and the Emerging Rhetoric of Middle America.'' 240 pp.
* Hinshaw, David. ''A Man from Kansas: The Story of William Allen White'' (2005) 332 pp [http://books.google.com/books?id=lB70bZSAtwQC&dq=intitle:william+intitle:allen+intitle:white&num=30&as_brr=0 excerpt and text search]
* McKee, John DeWitt. ''William Allen White: Maverick on Main Street'' (1975) 264 pages
* Griffith, Sally Foreman. ''Home Town News: William Allen White and the Emporia Gazette'' (1989) [http://www.questia.com/read/78811835 online edition]

===Primary sources===
* White, William Allen. "What's the matter with Kansas?" (1896) [http://www.emporia.com/waw/kansas.html online edition]
* White, William Allen. ''In Our Town'' 1906 - 369pp [http://books.google.com/books?id=NV15YJCfI9YC&dq=inauthor:william+inauthor:allen+inauthor:white&num=30&as_brr=0 online edition]
* White, William Allen. ''A Certain Rich Man'' (1909) [http://www.questia.com/read/93950542 online edition]
* White, William Allen. '' The Old Order Changeth: A View of American Democracy'' (1910) 266pp [http://books.google.com/books?id=DEH4SncdL_QC&pg=PA1&dq=inauthor:william+inauthor:allen+inauthor:white&num=30&as_brr=0 online edition]
* White, William Allen. ''Woodrow Wilson: The Man, His Times and His Task'' (1924) [http://www.questia.com/read/61963505 online edition]
* White, William Allen. ''A Puritan in Babylon: The Story of Calvin Coolidge'' (1938) [http://www.questia.com/read/1105748 online edition]
* White, William Allen. ''Defense for America'' (1940) 205pp
* White, William Allen. ''The Autobiography of William Allen White'' (1946; 2nd ed. 1990) 669 pages
* White, William Allen. ''Masks in a Pageant'' 566pp
* White, William Allen. '' Selected Letters of William Allen White, 1899-1943'' (1947), 460pp Edited by Walter Johnson

==References==
<references/>

[[category:Progressive Era]]
[[category:New Deal]]
[[category:journalists]]

{{DEFAULTSORT:White, William Allen}}

William Allen White

2009-10-03T20:33:28Z

Historian1982: /* Primary sources */

'''William Allen White''' (1868-1941) was the editor of the ''Emporia Gazette'' in Emporia, [[Kansas]] from 1895 until his death, as well as a best-selling author. He gained fame in 1896 for his attacks on the far-left Populists. After 1901 he was a leading supporter of [[Theodore Roosevelt]]. White remained devoted to the conservative virtues he lovingly described in small town America. He was America's most famous small-town editor and a nationally respected spokesman for the [[Progressive movement]].
==Career==
White was born and lived his entire life in Emporia, Kansas. While attending the University of Kansas (1886-1890) he worked for the Lawrence ''Journal.'' In 1890 he joined the El Dorado ''Republican,'' in 1891 went to the Kansas City ''Journal,'' and between 1892 and 1895 worked for the
Kansas City ''Star.'' In 1895 White became owner and editor of the Emporia ''Gazette.'' With his warm sense of humor, a facile editorial pen, and a commonsense approach to life, he soon became known throughout the country.<ref> See [http://www.emporia.com/waw/index.html]</ref> His ''Gazette'' editorials were widely reprinted; he wrote syndicated stories on politics; and he published many books, including biographies of [[Woodrow Wilson]] and [[Calvin Coolidge]].

==What's the matter with Kansas?" (1896)==
In 1896 White attracted national attention with a
scathing attack on [[William Jennings Bryan]], the Democrats, and the Populists entitled "What's the Matter With Kansas?"<ref> See [http://www.emporia.com/waw/kansas.html online edition]
</ref> It was a satirical attack that blamed the crackpot Populist leadership for the state's declining population and prestige, <ref>http://www.h-net.org/~shgape/internet/kansas.html</ref>.

The [[Republican Party]] distributed millions of copies of White's editorial. In 2004, liberal author [[Thomas Frank]] wrote a bestselling book with the same title that bitterly attacked conservatives and Republicans for their contributions to Kansas politics. <ref>http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2004/apr/25/whats_the_matter/</ref> (Frank maintains that by supporting a party which he claims is beholden to the richest classes, the working class of Kansas is voting against its own economic interests when it supports the Republican party.)

==Politics==
Between 1901 and 1909, White was a confidant of President [[Theodore Roosevelt]], popularized the aims of progressive Republicans in ''McClure's'' magazine, and managed political campaigns in Kansas. Then in 1912 he bolted the Republicans to help Roosevelt found the Progressive Party.

White was a reporter at the [[Versailles Conference]] in 1919 and a strong supporter of [[Woodrow Wilson]]'s proposal for the [[League of Nations]]. The League went into operation but the U.S. never joined. During the 1920s, he was critical of both the isolationism and the conservatism of the Republican
Party.

In 1924, White ran for governor of Kansas as an independent on an anti-[[Ku Klux Klan]] platform, and came in third. <ref>http://www.kancoll.org/khq/1976/76_2_traylor.htm</ref>

In the 1930s, although he was an early supporter of the Republican presidential nominees, [[Alf Landon]] in 1936, and [[Wendell Willkie]] in 1940, White wrote many editorials praising the social and economic reforms of President [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]]. After World War II started, while the U.S. wneutral, White became chairman of the Committee to Defend America by Aiding the Allies, and helped rally the public behind Roosevelt's program of extending aid to Britain even at the risk of war with Germany. On January 29, 1944, White died in Emporia, widely hailed as a symbol of the greatness of small-town America

==Small town values==
the 1896 editorial and "Mary White"--a beautiful tribute to his 17-year-old daughter on her death in 1921, portayer her as an anti-flapper--were his best-known writings. Locally he was known as the greatest booster for Emporia.

In his novels and short stories, White developed his idea of the small town as a metaphor for understanding social change and for preaching the necessity of community. While he expressed his views in terms of the small town, he tailored his rhetoric to the needs and values of emerging urban America. The cynicism of the post-World War I world stilled his imaginary literature, but for the remainder of his life he continued to propagate his vision of small-town community. He opposed chain stores and mail order firms as a threat to the business owner on Main Street. The [[Great Depression]] shook his faith in a cooperative, selfless, middle-class America. Like most old Progressives his attitude toward the New Deal was ambivalent: President [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] cared for the country and was personally attractive, but White considered his solutions haphazard. White seemed to see the country uniting behind old ideals by 1940 in the face of foreign threats.<ref> Agran (1998)</ref>

==Tributes==
The library at Emporia State University, which is home to one of the only Library Science departments in the Midwest, is named after White, as is the Journalism Department at the [[University of Kansas]].

==References==
<References/>

==Bibliography==
* Agran, Edward Gale. ''"Too Good a Town": William Allen White, Community, and the Emerging Rhetoric of Middle America.'' 240 pp.
* Hinshaw, David. ''A Man from Kansas: The Story of William Allen White'' (2005) 332 pp [http://books.google.com/books?id=lB70bZSAtwQC&dq=intitle:william+intitle:allen+intitle:white&num=30&as_brr=0 excerpt and text search]
* McKee, John DeWitt. ''William Allen White: Maverick on Main Street'' (1975) 264 pages
* Griffith, Sally Foreman. ''Home Town News: William Allen White and the Emporia Gazette'' (1989) [http://www.questia.com/read/78811835 online edition]

===Primary sources===
* White, William Allen. "What's the matter with Kansas?" (1896) [http://www.emporia.com/waw/kansas.html online edition]
* White, William Allen. ''In Our Town'' 1906 - 369pp [http://books.google.com/books?id=NV15YJCfI9YC&dq=inauthor:william+inauthor:allen+inauthor:white&num=30&as_brr=0 online edition]
* White, William Allen. ''A Certain Rich Man'' (1909) [http://www.questia.com/read/93950542 online edition]
* White, William Allen. '' The Old Order Changeth: A View of American Democracy'' (1910) 266pp [http://books.google.com/books?id=DEH4SncdL_QC&pg=PA1&dq=inauthor:william+inauthor:allen+inauthor:white&num=30&as_brr=0 online edition]
* White, William Allen. ''Woodrow Wilson: The Man, His Times and His Task'' (1924) [http://www.questia.com/read/61963505 online edition]
* White, William Allen. ''A Puritan in Babylon: The Story of Calvin Coolidge'' (1938) [http://www.questia.com/read/1105748 online edition]
* White, William Allen. ''Defense for America'' (1940) 205pp
* White, William Allen. ''The Autobiography of William Allen White'' (1946; 2nd ed. 1990) 669 pages
* White, William Allen. ''Masks in a Pageant'' 566pp
* White, William Allen. '' Selected Letters of William Allen White, 1899-1943'' (1947), 460pp Edited by Walter Johnson

==References==
<references/>

[[category:Progressive Era]]
[[category:New Deal]]
[[category:journalists]]

{{DEFAULTSORT:White, William Allen}}