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| Established | 1988 |
|---|---|
| Location | Cremer Hall, Emporia State University School of Business and Technology, Emporia, Kansas, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 38°24′56″N96°10′52″W / 38.41556°N 96.18111°W |
| Type | Hall of fame |
| Website | www |
The Kansas Business Hall of Fame (KBHF) recognizes business leaders who have contributed to the economic growth of the state of Kansas. It was established in 1988 by the Emporia State University School of Business, where it remains housed on the second floor of Cremer Hall. [1]
The KBHF was established by the School of Business at Emporia State University in 1988 to recognize Kansas business leaders and create awareness of the state's history of business leadership. [2] [3]
The first inductees to the KBHF in 1989 were Olive Ann Beech, co-founder of Beech Aircraft; Cyrus K. Holliday, a railroad executive and one of the founders of Topeka; and Bernhard Warkentin, who introduced Turkey red wheat to Kansas. [4] The induction ceremony was held on February 7, 1989, as part of a meeting of the Kansas Chamber of Commerce and Industry at the Ramada Inn in Topeka. [5] [6]
In 2019, the Kansas Department of Commerce faced criticism over the criteria for its Kansas Job Creation Program Fund awards, including $80,000 given to the KBHF in 2018, which were used as matching dollars to build a new facility. [7]
 | This list of "famous" or "notable" people has no clear inclusion or exclusion criteria . Please help improve this article by defining clear inclusion criteria to contain only subjects that fit those criteria. (July 2024) |
Each year, the KBHF inducts one historical business figure and one contemporary leader. [8]
The Historic Heritage Award is given to significant figures who have contributed to Kansas business, and the Contemporary Honors Award is awarded to those who display outstanding leadership in the contemporary business of Kansas, or a native Kansan who has earned national recognition. The KBHF also has the ability to give special awards to Kansans for unusual service to businesses. [9]
Nominees for the Historic Heritage Award are solicited from the general Kansas business community, and recipients must have added to the growth of Kansas, been deceased for at least ten years, and be approved by a majority of KBHF board members. [9]
The following people have been inducted as historical figures. [10]
For example, Clara Stover and her husband Russell founded Russell Stover Candies in 1923; they were inducted into the KBHF in 2003 and the company was sold in 2014 to Lindt for $1.6 billion. [16] [19]
Notably, this list also includes the founders of Chrysler (Walter Chrysler), Coleman (William Coffin Coleman), and the Sprint Corporation (C. L. Brown).
Nominations for the Contemporary Honors Award come from the general business community. Recipients must be contemporary business leaders of Kansas and approved by a majority of KBHF board members. Nominees do not need to live in Kansas, but must display outstanding leadership and business excellence in Kansas. [9]
These people have been inducted as contemporary business figures: [20]
As an example, the Carney brothers founded Pizza Hut in 1958 from their first outfit in Wichita, Kansas. They were honored in the KBHF in 2003 and the chain is now international. [27] [28]
The KBHF board of directors is composed of representatives of the following: [9]
Members of the board are expected to contribute monetary donations to the KBHF annually, with contributions each year due by November 1. The board meets a minimum of two times per year, and the KBHF bylaws encourage in-person or virtual attendance at least once per year. Members are elected for a four-year term and are eligible for re-election. [9]
The KBHF holds an annual essay-writing contest open to high school students in grades 9–12, including home-schooled students. The contest requires each contestant to research one KBHF inductee who inspires them and write an essay of 500–1000 words. Four winners each receive a $500 prize, which is donated by the Kansas Chamber of Commerce. [29] [30]
Emporia is a city in and the county seat of Lyon County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 24,139. Emporia lies between Topeka and Wichita at the intersection of highways K-99, U.S. Route 50, Interstates 335 and 35. Emporia is also a college town, home to Emporia State University and Flint Hills Technical College. It is home of two annual sporting events: Unbound Gravel and Dynamic Discs Open.
Emporia State University is a public university in Emporia, Kansas, United States. Established in March 1863 as the Kansas State Normal School, Emporia State is the third-oldest public university in the state of Kansas. Emporia State is one of six public universities governed by the Kansas Board of Regents.
Brothers Dan and Frank Carney were American businessmen who founded Pizza Hut.
Brock Pemberton was an American theatrical producer, director and founder of the Tony Awards. He was the professional partner of Antoinette Perry, co-founder of the American Theatre Wing, and he was also a member of the Algonquin Round Table.
Henry Justin Allen was an American politician serving as the 21st Governor of Kansas (1919–1923) and U.S. Senator from Kansas (1929–1930).
Olive Ann Beech was an American aerospace businesswoman who was the co-founder, president, and chairwoman of the Beech Aircraft Corporation. She founded the company in 1932 with her husband, Walter Beech, and a team of three others. She earned more awards, honorary appointments, and special citations than any other woman in aviation history and was often referred to as the “First Lady of Aviation”.
Ulysses Lee Gooch, often known as Rip Gooch, was an American pilot, aviation entrepreneur, and politician in Kansas. Gooch was a member of the Kansas Commission on Civil Rights, 1971–74; member of the Wichita City Council, 1989–93; and a Kansas state senator from 1993 until retiring in January 2004 as the state's oldest serving senator, at 80. Gooch was one of the first inductees to the Black Aviation Hall of Fame.
Joseph Robert Seaman was an American football coach. He served as the head football coach at Wichita State University from 1971 to 1973 and at Emporia State University from 1979 to 1982, compiling a career college football record of 23–56.
The 1905 Oklahoma Sooners football team represented the University of Oklahoma as an independent during the 1905 college football season. In their first year under head coach Bennie Owen, the Sooners compiled a 7–2 record, and outscored their opponents by a combined total of 229 to 59. This was first year that the Sooners defeated the Texas Longhorns.
The Chicagoan and Kansas Cityan were a pair of American named passenger trains operated by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. They ran between Chicago, Illinois and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The trains were introduced as a Chicago–Wichita service in 1938 and extended to Oklahoma City the next year. A Kansas City–Tulsa connecting train, the Tulsan, was also introduced at that time. The Chicagoan and Kansas Cityan ran until 1968, while the Tulsan ran until 1971.
The Central Intercollegiate Conference (CIC) was an American intercollegiate athletic conference that operated from 1928 to 1968. It was less often referred to as the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (CIAC), particularly towards the beginning of its existence. Formed in late 1927, the conference initially had seven members, all located in the state of Kansas, and began play in early 1928. Many of the league's members went on to form the Central States Intercollegiate Conference (CSIC) in 1976.
Kent E. Rogers is a former American football coach. He was the head football coach at Bethel College in North Newton, Kansas, serving for 19 seasons, from 1979 to 1994, and compiling a record of 69–80–1.
The President of Emporia State University is the chief administrator of the university. Each is appointed by and is responsible to the other members of that body, who delegate to him or her the day-to-day running of the university. The president of Emporia State is selected by the Kansas Board of Regents, the governing board for public universities in the state of Kansas, after a nationwide search.
K-57 is a 31.2-mile-long (50.2 km) north–south state highway in the U.S. state of Kansas. K-57's southern terminus is at K-4 in Dwight. The northern terminus is at U.S. Route 77 (US-77) north of Junction City. The highway intersects Interstate 70 (I-70) in Grandview Plaza; at the intersection, I-70 is also the route of US-40 and K-18. K-57 overlaps US-40 Business from I-70 northbound to North Washington Street in Junction City. North of Junction City, the highway passes through Milford State Park where it crosses the Milford Lake Dam. The majority of the highway is two-lanes except for the section from J Hill Road in Grandview Plaza to the junction with K-244 which is four-lanes.
K-22 was a state highway in the U.S. state of Kansas. It served as a direct link from Wichita to Topeka and completely overlapped other routes. The highway was designated mid 1930, and was decommissioned March 25, 1938.
The 1918 College of Emporia Fighting Presbies football team was an American football team that represented the College of Emporia during the 1918 college football season. The team was made up of players participating in the school's wartime Student Army Training Corps and was sometimes referred to as the S.A.T.C. team. It posted a perfect 6–0 record and won the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference.
The 1919 College of Emporia Fighting Presbies football team was an American football team that represented the Emporia College as a member of the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference KCAC) during the 1919 college football season. Led by second-year head coach Gwinn Henry, the Fighting Presbies posted a perfect 8–0 record, shut out seven of eight opponent, and won the KCAC title. The team's roster featured Harold Grant and L. T. Harr.
Gene Camarena is an American businessman. He is currently the president and CEO of La Raza Pizza, a Pizza Hut franchisee which operates over 60 locations in Indiana, Texas, and New Mexico. He also has business interests in Marriott hotels, banking, and real estate.
Yolanda Camarena is an American education professional and philanthropist known for her contributions to higher education and community involvement. Born in San Antonio, Texas, she became the first in her family to attend college. She earned a bachelor of education degree and a master's degree in education policy analysis, later working at the Harvard Kennedy School.
