The Kansas Democratic Party has been making strong efforts to engage Kansas Latino organizations and communities to better understand the issues we share in common. To those ends we have recently hired Carlos Lugo to serve as our new Hispanic Outreach and Field Director.

Carlos has already begun meeting with and listening to local activists about how we should move forward. Just last weekend, the Kansas City Star highlighted Carlos’s recent efforts and outlined what Kansas Democrats are doing to prepare for 2014 and beyond.

And now Carlos is taking his show on the road.

All week long, Carlos will be touring southwest Kansas with Kerry Gooch, the KDP’s political director, to better understand the issues facing this fast growing region. And during their time on the road, Kerry and Carlos will be providing us with updates about where they’ve been and who they’ve met with this week. Check back in to see just what the KDP is doing to make sure all Kansans’ voices are heard.

Day 1: Dodge City

We couldn’t visit southwest Kansas without first visiting Boot Hill Cemetary. So that’s where we started our week long adventure.

We took this photo in Dodge City on Tuesday at the Boot Hill museum. We stopped by the parlor in the museum and had a few “Sapsaparillas”. Sapsaparillas were the first form of root beer and can only be found now in a few places. The Boot Hill museum is built at the base of a old and very famous cemetery. Every year people travel all over the world to visit Dodge City and this museum which were made famous because of the long running tv show “Gun Smoke”.

Day 2: Liberal, Kansas

Our second day on the road started with a meeting with Kay Burtzloff, Executive Director of the Seward County United Way.

In addition to working as the Executive Director of the Seward County United Way, Kay also serves as the Secretary of the Seward County Democratic Party. Kay informed us of all the programs United Way works on in the community and made suggestions about what other local community leaders and activists we should contact during our trip or on subsequent return visits.

Kay also asked us to give her a quick Votebuider training. Even when we’re out of the office, we can’t get away from Votebuilder! Votebuilder has never been used in Seward County and Kay’ enthusiasm and excitment showed when she started learning about all the great tools Votebuilder can provide county party volunteers and staff.

Following this great meeting, we met up with Don Chewy, a strong advocate for southwest Kansas and a great guy. Don Chewy showed us around Liberal and introduced us to local small business owner Patricia Alfalo.

Patricia could not have been more accomodating and was kind enough to show us around her thrift store that provides clothes and other items for very low prices in Liberal, Kansas. Patricia’a store is an important part of the Hispanic community and serves a many local families. As a small business owner, Patricia is one of the growing number of Hispanic store owners in Liberal who try to provide goods and services for low and discounted rates because of the low wages many people in the community are paid.

–

Chuck Hindman, of the Mid America Land Restoration Company,  will be the guest speaker at the monthly Big First Tea Party on Tuesday, September 10th, at 6 PM, at Thirsty’s, 2704 Vine Street in Hays.

Following the energy presentation, there will be a video.  Common Core, which might shed some light on what is happening in education today in Kansas.

by Stacy Campbell

K-State Research & Extension

To save time and cost, some wheat producers may be thinking about adding a little extra nitrogen (N) as urea or UAN to their phosphorus fertilizer through the drill with the seed. This would either be in addition to, or instead of, any preplant N applications.

While a minimum preplant N application of 20 to 40 lbs N per acre is often desirable, especially in no-till production systems, it is important to avoid placing urea containing fertilizers in direct seed contact. We suggest that NO urea or UAN solution be placed in contact with the seed. If the fertilizer N applied at seeding will be separated from seed by 1 inch or more, urea-containing fertilizers can be safely used.

Methods of early-season nitrogen applications

If the starter fertilizer can’t be “spiked” with urea to add extra N, how can the necessary 20 to 40 pounds of N be applied? Subsurface banding (knifing) of N as either anhydrous ammonia, liquid UAN, or dry product will result in the greatest N use efficiency by the wheat crop. This is especially true for no-till wheat production.

If knifed N applications are not used, the next best application method would be surface banding (dribbling) of UAN solution in streams on 15- to 18-inch centers. Broadcasting urea, ammonium nitrate, or UAN applications are not generally as efficient as subsurface banding, but they are often the best choice due to equipment, logistics, or weed management considerations. Broadcast applications of N will have the most consistent performance if followed by light incorporation, precipitation, or irrigation.

Direct seed placement of nitrogen

When placing starter fertilizer in direct contact with wheat seed, producers should use the following guidelines:

The problem with placing urea-containing fertilizer with the seed is that urea is initially converted to ammonia and may be toxic to plant roots if the wheat seed is placed in direct contact with the fertilizer.

The views and opinions expressed in this post are solely those of the author. These views and opinions do not represent those of the Post News Network and/or any/all contributors to this site.

We were surprised that the Hays Post would print the emotional tirade by the Kansas Democratic Party, devoid of facts, but full of derogatory conclusions seeking to name “worst Kansas politician.”
For starters, as even a casual observer would understand, the worst politician is the one who loses the election. To argue otherwise is merely whining about the voters’ choice. Given that the Kansas Democrats are 0-6 for federal elections and 0-6 for state wide office, rejected by the people, they are not faring too well, thus the bitterness.
So let’s review facts.
They accuse Governor Brownback of using a law that gives “him unilateral power to appoint judges.” Really? The law states the Governor nominates, the Senate confirms. No one has unilateral appointment power.
As to the cronyism charge leveled at Caleb Stegall – no less that Stephen Six, former democrat attorney general, described him as a “deep thinker, a scholar of the law,’ ‘highly principled, ethical,’ ‘always prepared and diligent’ and someone who ‘would make a terrific addition’ to the court”.
Next they accuse Secretary of State Kris Kobach of starting “another wasteful lawsuit” – but Kansas is merely following the course of action specified by the U.S. Supreme Court to enforce state law. The legislature overwhelmingly passed the law, Secretary Kobach and Attorney General Schmidt are just enforcing it.
Last, the Democrats reserve special hatred for Tim Huelskamp, the District’s Congressman, personally attacking his character. But they characteristically provide no facts to back up their baseless claims.
As to Obamacare- a program that has cost American jobs, has forced many workers to be reduced from full-time to part-time, has increased health insurance costs and will massively increase Washington’s already huge debt; a program that not even the 86,000 HHS employees can explain; a program that gives an abusive IRS power to enforce; and a program where Obama has already missed more than half of his own 82 timelines — who would not advise people to seek other better options?
As Congressman Huelskamp has made clear: until President Obama himself, and his family, and his entire White House, and every member of Congress, and every other federal employee is required to participate in ObamaCare, no other American should be forced to either.
But let’s see what the people of the First District think- according to the official records Tim Huelskamp won all 211,337 votes cast in the 2012 election. That’s 100.0 % of the vote. That’s a winner.

Clay Barker

Book Review:  Dog Blood   (Author David Moody)

The world has suffered a catastrophe of unknown cause, dividing humankind into two: the Haters and the Unchanged. Each group believes the other to be the enemy; each group is fighting for survival. Only by working together can the enemy – whoever that enemy is – be defeated. There are no other choices.

I gave a rather lukewarm review of Hater as it just didn’t click for me ~ there might have been better ways to show the spread of the haters rather than just violent snap shots. I don’t know, randomness was part of the story but doesn’t work well with me as structure.

Anyways, Dog Blood is a tighter story, more concise, just better. Danny has grown and developed .. as much as you could ask of a Hater/Zombie…

And just like a really good story that leads into another, I’m anxious to start the next book to see what happens.

4 out of 5 stars

Marleah Augustine is the Adult Department Librarian at the Hays Public Library

You can see more of her blog here https://hayspubliclibrary.wordpress.com

By John Schlageck, Kansas Farm Bureau

Ever hear of digging prickly pear cactus out of a pasture for 50 cents an acre?

I hadn’t either until longtime Phillips County resident Max Schick told me his story.

Schick was a boy of 10 back in the mid ‘30s when the U.S. government paid people to rid their grass of prickly pear cactus. He and his older brother toiled for two years on his family’s 65-acre pasture to rid the land of these sticky, nuisance plants threatening the western Kansas short-grass prairie.

Extremely drought-resistant, the prickly pear cactus was thriving during the drought of the Dirty Thirties crowding out the grassland and food supply of cattle.

There’s a bit of untold irony here as well, Schick says. Some of the grass survived only because the cattle couldn’t reach it because of the cactus spines and stickers.

“Back then, the cactus hills dotted the pasture like fly specs,” Schick says. “They were everywhere in the pasture.”

On his family’s farm, located approximately seven miles northeast of Logan, Schick and his brother dug the cactus out of the ground with a shovel. They couldn’t afford gloves and were always fighting the little red stickers that broke off the plant sand became embedded in their clothes and skin.

Every night when they finished digging cactus, the two boys would go down to the pond and try to wash themselves clean of the prickly pear cactus.

“The pond was our shower back then,” Schick says. “It’s how we got clean.”

The Schick brothers dug from breakfast to dinner and from dinner until supper time. After about two days of digging, they’d go out with a team and wagon and load up the cactus and haul it into the farmstead and throw them in a rick or stack.

“You had to dig each plant out of the ground and then take ‘em clean out of the pasture,” Schick says. “At the bottom of each cactus was a little bit of a root, about as round as your little finger and a couple inches long. If you didn’t get the root and all, the cactus would sprout and grow again.”

When the brothers finally finished prickly pear excavation project, their uncle and grandfather received payment from the government. The sum of approximately $32.50 was considered a gold mine back then, Schick recalls.

“I didn’t get anything, my brother kept it all,” he says. “I was just trailing along for the fun. At 10 and seven miles from a town we only went to three times a year, what did I need money for?”

Young Schick has no regrets about the two years of his young life spent digging prickly pear cactus out of his family’s pasture. He prefers to look at this period in his life that made him appreciate what he did have.

It was also during this time he discovered a treasure that still holds his interest 75 years later.

“I can remember it like it was yesterday,” Schick remembers. “It was along about 11 in the morning and I was pretty tired from all that digging. There he lay in a low spot in the pasture a few feet from a cactus I was workin’ on.”

That’s when the Phillips County farm boy saw his first arrow head.

“It was about two inches long and worked on both sides,” Schick says. It was made of flint with a round, good point – a real beauty.”

Since that day many years ago, the Phillipsburg resident still collects, trades and admires his Native American arrow heads. He’s walked many a mile and worn out the knees on more than one pair of coveralls in search of his passion littered across the High Plains prairie.

At the spry age of 86, Schick reports he’s “doin’ fine.”

And with autumn just around the corner, he’s preparing for his pumpkin patch and telling stories with the youngsters. But don’t kid yourself, he still finds time to look through his collection of arrow heads – especially his favorites.

John Schlageck is a leading commentator on agriculture and rural Kansas. Born and raised on a diversified farm in northwestern Kansas, his writing reflects a lifetime of experience, knowledge and passion.

By U.S. Senator Jerry Moran

More than a century ago, a group of business leaders in Hutchinson formed the Reno County Agricultural Society and hosted a fair in a small wooden livery stable behind the town’s only bank. Forty years later in 1913, Kansas Governor George Hodges made Hutchinson the official location for the Kansas State Fair, which was described by The Hutchinson News as having an “auspicious opening” when thousands of Kansans gathered for “a record-breaking agricultural and horticultural exhibit showing.”

The fair continued to grow over the next 100 years and became a true reflection of the times. Just as life in Kansas changed drastically during World War II, so did the fair. The 1942 Kansas State Fair had a “Scrap Day,” where more than 32 tons of metal was collected to contribute to the war effort by offering free admission in exchange for donations. Booths even had war bonds and stamps available for purchase.

A century later, the “auspicious opening” description of the first official Kansas State Fair still rings true, as it remains Kansas’ largest single event – attracting nearly 350,000 attendees annually. Kansas families enjoy endless entertainment, thrilling rides, exhibitor booths, and – of course – delicious food. A staple food-stop for me and my wife, Robba – who is a former Kansas State Fair Board President – is Our Lady of Guadalupe’s food station in Cottonwood Court where parishioners build camaraderie serving hungry folks tasty enchiladas, tacos and tamales.

While the fair continues to evolve – just as our state does – its roots remain in agriculture. As the economic backbone of so many of the Kansas towns where you and I were raised, agriculture is also our link to the past – a time when families were the axis around which all things revolved. In today’s fast-paced world, there are few industries where sons and daughters can still work side-by-side with moms and dads, grandmas and grandpas. The fair is a great time to celebrate that tradition.

One way the tradition is showcased at the fairgrounds is through Kansas youth organizations like 4-H and FFA. I always enjoy visiting with these young people who learn the meaning of hard work and responsibility through projects like raising and showing livestock, taking photographs, baking, or learning carpentry through woodworking construction. But it’s also hard not to recognize the parents and mentors who were there every step of the way. Through experiences in organizations like 4-H and FFA, our state and country’s next generation of leaders are being equipped with the skills and values necessary to reach their full potential and become successful in life.

With the record-setting drought and the uncertainty surrounding the Farm Bill, it is vital that we make certain agriculture remains profitable so there is a next generation of farmers and ranchers in Kansas. As a senator from a farm state, I often find myself educating my colleagues in Washington, D.C., about the critical importance of strong agriculture policy. With an increasingly urban Congress and the complexities of a global agricultural economy, this is often not an easy task. My conversations with Kansans during the fair remind me that working to keep the family farm alive and providing consumers with safe and affordable food is worth every effort.

As the Kansas State Fair celebrates 100 years, we are blessed to have such a strong agriculture community. I hope you will join me in honoring that community by attending the fair which begins Friday, September 6 and runs through Sunday, September 15. I know you will enjoy the exciting rides and the wonderful – and sometimes wacky – food, but be sure to check out the exhibit halls, livestock barns, and countless educational opportunities. I also have a booth in the Pride of Kansas building where members of my staff will be available to answer questions, so please come by for a visit. Thank you to the Kansas State Fair Board Members and staff who put in countless hours of planning to ensure the fair’s success.

I hope to see you and your family at the fair, and am sure you’ll leave with a greater appreciation for the agriculture families who work so hard to make certain Kansas remains the special place we love to call home.

By: Lucia Bain, Kansas Room Librarian, Hays Public Library

In the mid-1960s, Hays became the first city in Kansas to establish a community-wide arts council. The formation of this arts council was a decisive turning point for the Hays community. Imagine what this community would be like without all the programs sponsored by the Arts Council over the years? The downtown would certainly have a different feel to it. There would be no art walks, no Famous Figures contest, and no Five State Photography competition. The Arts Council has helped make Hays a vibrant and interesting place to live over the last fifty years.

This was the premise of an application I recently submitted to the Kansas Humanities Council (KHC). By outlining a local “turning point,” Hays could be one of four communities in the state chosen to have a short, but professional film produced. On August 22nd, I received word that the KHC had indeed chosen Hays and the formation of the city’s Arts Council as one of the four winning communities! Filming will begin this fall and once production of the film is complete, there will be an official premier. I’ll be writing about the project as it moves along so keep your eyes peeled for updates on the filming and news of the premier event.
In other news, the month of September is shaping up to be a busy one. September sees the return of a several popular library programs. On Tues., Sept. 3 at 5:30 PM in the Kansas Room, I’ll be hosting the second meeting of the Any Book Group. Didn’t come to the first meeting? No worries! The premise of the Any Book Group is that anyone who’s read any book can attend. We all read different books, so anyone can participate in the discussion. Get to know some fellow bibliophiles (book lovers) and enjoy the conversation.

On September 24 at 6 PM in the Trish Davies Room (2nd Floor) join us for another line dancing lesson with Vanessa North! The August line dancing lesson was so popular that we set up another class for Sept. Put on some comfy shoes and learn how to shuffle, slide and shimmy along to some of the most popular line dances. You’ll never be afraid of those group dances at weddings again.
If you’re an early riser who likes the outdoors, then you might enjoy a bird walk in Frontier Park with the Mannells on Sat., Sept. 28 at 8 AM. Terry and his wife are local birders and they’ll offer their expertise in identifying different types of birds. We’ll be meeting on the east side of the Frontier Park Bridge. Bring binoculars if you have them, wear comfortable shoes and get ready to see some birds you probably didn’t realize were right in your own backyard!
Finally, on September 30th the library will be hosting a chili cook-off. This will be the fourth installment of the Kansas Cooks! series. Anyone who thinks they have a superb recipe is encouraged to enter a crock-pot full of their best chili. Entries must be dropped off in the Schmidt Gallery by noon. Throughout the day, patrons will have the opportunity sample and vote for their favorite chili and at 5 PM the winner will be crowned. Registration is required for this event, so please sign up by through our online calendar (https://www2.youseemore.com/hays/calendar.asp) or by calling me at 785-625-9014. I hope to see you there and maybe your chili will reign supreme!
The Kansas Room is open from 9 AM to 4:30 PM on Mondays, 9 AM to 6 PM Tuesday through Friday and by request. If you wish to contact me, you may do so by calling 625-9014 or by emailing [email protected].

The views and opinions expressed in this post are solely those of the author. These views and opinions do not represent those of the Post News Network and/or

any/all contributors to this site

The following editorial is attributed to Senator David Haley (D-Kansas City)

Noted Wichita State University professor, H. Edward Flentje, penned an opinion recently published in the Wichita Eagle strongly suggesting that Kansas lawmakers should pay their own way to attend meetings of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). In short, he contends that taxpayer dollars are wasted where only conservative Kansas legislators go to proselytize and to be proselytized with that fringe of American political perspectives. Though partially valid, a deeper inspection of new policies enacted by the Kansas Legislature this year exposes a more troubling discrimination in legislative travel policy, which ANY Kansas taxpayers – regardless of political party or ideology – should summarily reject.

The real issue is that taxpayer money is now being used, with rare exception, for lawmakers to only attend dogma-based conferences (primarily hosted by ALEC), while rejecting conferences by decidedly more neutral organizations that offer legislators real world research and mainstream national policies; including the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) and the Council of State Governments (CSG).

Admittedly, our absence does little to hurt the discourses had in meetings by those organizations. In many cases, these organizations, and the legislative members from the other 49 participating states, probably miss us about as much as they’d miss Fred Phelps, debates on evolution versus creationism, or other tripe spewed by America’s version of the male-dominated “my-religion-knows-better-for-you-than-your-religion” ‘Taliban-esque’ legislators has exported by Kansas to credible national think tanks.

Undoubtedly, though, inhibiting MOST lawmakers from participating in national discussions on policymaking is detrimental to the development of Kansas and to the prospect of no-label, bipartisan reasonableness as part of our national image.

Future budgets, as have been time honored in Kansas and the majority of States until this year, should include pro-rata taxpayer support, allowing for a certain number of spots across the board for each conference; not just one narrowly drawn ideological conference resulting in a vast discrimination in the amount of taxpayer supported Kansas attendees.

Senator David Haley (Wyandotte) represents the Fourth Senate District and is entering his 20th year in the Kansas Legislature. He served twice as the Democratic nominee for Kansas Secretary of State.

Remarks by Senate Democratic Leader Anthony Hensley

Kansas Democratic Party DemoFest

If you believe, as I believe, that workers injured on the job and workers laid off due to no fault of their own have had their benefits drastically reduced by the Governor and his right-wing allies in the Kansas Legislature, then let’s defeat Sam Brownback.

If you believe, as I believe, that the working men and women of organized labor have been kicked in the teeth over the past three years because of the assault on their rights to participate in the political process, then let’s defeat Sam Brownback.

If you believe, as I believe, in a fair tax structure based on a family’s ability to pay, NOT the Brownback unfair tax cuts to benefit the rich and large corporations at the expense of working families and the poor, then let’s defeat Sam Brownback.

If you believe, as I believe, that the Brownback tax cuts are not tax cuts at all, but are really a tax shift onto the sales tax and the local property tax, which are regressive and hit hardest those who live on fixed incomes, then let’s defeat Sam Brownback.

If you believe, as I believe, in fiscal responsibility and that the Brownback tax cuts will in reality cause a self-inflicted budget crisis for years to come and will drastically reduce core government services for K-12 education, higher education, public safety, corrections, transportation, and disabled and senior Kansans, then let’s defeat Sam Brownback.

If you’re concerned, as I’m concerned, that local school districts are being forced into closing schools, laying off teachers, increasing class sizes and increasing local property taxes because the Governor and his allies don’t give a damn about public education, then let’s defeat Sam Brownback.

If you’re offended, as I’m offended, that public school teachers and public employees are treated like 2nd class citizens and treated like a drain on the state’s budget by the Governor and his right-wing cronies in the Legislature, then let’s defeat Sam Brownback.

If it’s appalling to you, as it’s appalling to me, that the Governor went out on a tour of college campuses to oppose budget cuts to higher education and then cut a deal to sign into law the largest budget cuts to higher education in Kansas history, then let’s defeat Sam Brownback.

If you predict, as I predict, that the Brownback/Colyer KanCare plan is really an unmitigated disaster waiting to happen and if you believe that ID and DD should be carved out of the plan, then let’s defeat Sam Brownback. And, let’s defeat Jeff Colyer.

If it sticks in your craw, like it sticks in my craw, that the right-wing Republican legislature gave the Governor unilateral power to appoint right-wing judges to the Kansas Court of Appeals who will be rubber-stamped by the Kansas Senate, then let’s defeat Sam Brownback.

If you are outraged, like I am outraged, that the Governor and the right-wing Republican leadership is ignoring a district court order that our state’s school finance system is unconstitutional because it is under-funded and it is now before the Kansas Supreme Court that is likely to set the stage for a constitutional crisis, then let’s defeat Sam Brownback.

If you’re mad as hell, like I’m mad as hell, that the Governor is nothing more than a power-hungry, deceptive, Washington, D.C. style politician who puts his political aspirations and political agenda above everything else, then let’s defeat Sam Brownback.

Tonight, I have the honor of introducing a man that I’ve known since he was 21 years old. And I can tell you without a doubt that it was apparent then, just as it is now, that when it comes to leadership, integrity and talent, he is the real deal.

His name is Paul Davis.

As you know, he is my counterpart in the Kansas Legislature. He is the House Democratic Leader.

He is married to a beautiful, talented woman, her name is Stephanie, and they are the parents of a beautiful three-old daughter, her name is Caroline.

Paul Davis is considering embarking upon the most courageous and most important campaign of his life.

And it goes without saying that given the destructive direction that Sam Brownback is taking our state, it will be the most important campaign of our lives as well.

Throughout the course of this campaign, particularly over the next few months, the Brownback campaign is going to try to make us believe that Sam Brownback just can’t be beat.

Well, my response to them is this: Sam Brownback can be beat.

The Brownback campaign will spin the pundits by saying that a Democrat doesn’t have enough name recognition.

Well, my response to them is this: Sam Brownback has a lot of name recognition, but it’s the wrong kind of name recognition because he has the wrong kind of agenda.

The Brownback campaign will claim that a Democrat can’t raise enough money to mount a competitive campaign. I say to them don’t bet on how much money can be raised from Democrats, independents and moderate Republicans given how dissatisfied they all are with Sam Brownback’s politics, policies and performance in office.

The Brownback campaign will claim a Democrat can’t beat a Republican incumbent Governor at the conclusion of his first term. My response to this claim is that they are in denial of Kansas political history:

Democrat Bob Docking defeated first term unpopular Republican Governor Bill Avery.
Democrat John Carlin defeated first term unpopular Republican Governor Bob Bennett.
Democrat Joan Finney defeated first term unpopular Republican Governor Mike Hayden.

But, the most absurd thing the Brownback campaign will spin is that a Democrat from Lawrence can’t be taken seriously.

Well, 150 years ago next Tuesday Lawrencians chased William Quantrill and his raiders back to Missouri. This Lawrencian right here might just chase Brownback and his bullies back to Washington, D.C.

As long as we’re talking about where people are from, I would point out that Sam Brownback spent so much of his political career in Washington D.C. that he doesn’t know Johnson County from Johnson City.

The Brownback campaign will say and do anything to keep Sam in office, to hold onto their power and to perpetuate their extreme out-of-the-mainstream political agenda.Our state, our people can’t afford four more years of Sam Brownback. If Paul Davis decides to run, we will be offering the voters of Kansas a very credible, competent, conscientious, caring, compassionate, capable and centrist choice for Governor in 2014.

–

By Ron Wilson, director of the Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development at Kansas State University.

“Three, two, one, liftoff!” The early days of the American space program were an exciting but scary time, with the U.S. in a space race with the Russians. We watched the countdown of the rocket launches on our TV sets. But before our astronauts made their extraterrestrial journeys, one American visitor into outer space was a chimpanzee that was trained by a scientist who ended up in Kansas.

Dr. Fred Rohles is an emeritus professor at K-State. As a teacher of psychology, he taught thousands of students – but before that, he taught an astrochimp.

Dr. Rohles grew up near Chicago. He got a job helping score psychological tests and was thus introduced to the world of psychology. He graduated from Roosevelt University in 1942, enlisted and joined the Army’s psychological research unit (later part of the Air Force), went to Officer Candidate School and was commissioned as a second lieutenant. He would later earn his Ph.D. at the University of Texas and was assigned to the School of Aerospace Medicine.

He was transferred to the Arctic Aeromedical Laboratory in Fairbanks, Alaska where he worked with firefighters on testing experimental clothing and equipment. “Imagine fighting fires in 40 below zero temperatures,” Rohles said. His testing helped design improved ergonomic equipment.

In 1957, the Russians launched a space satellite called Sputnik, which stimulated a race into outer space with America. Dr. Rohles and his whole unit were transferred to the areomedical unit in New Mexico to train chimpanzees for space flight.

One chimpanzee he trained was named Ham, an acronym for the base where they were located: Holloman Aerospace Medical Center. Ham was tested and trained to perform simple motor tasks inside the space capsule.

On Jan. 31, 1961, Ham was launched from Cape Canaveral on a suborbital flight. He passed with, um, flying colors. “Ham was the first higher primate to be launched into outer space,” Dr. Rohles said. Three months later, astronaut Alan Shepard became the first American human to do so.

Dr. Rohles also trained Enos, the first chimpanzee to be launched into orbit. That set the stage for astronaut John Glenn to make America’s first manned orbital space flight.

In 1963, Dr. Rohles retired from the Air Force and joined the faculty at Kansas State. He became director of the Institute for Environmental Research and did considerable research on human comfort. He also taught general psychology annually, teaching nearly 5,000 students through the years. These students came from both rural and urban backgrounds. I was one of those, having grown up near the rural community of Riley, population 848 people. Now, that’s rural.

Dr. Rohles was an excellent teacher. It was fascinating to learn of his historic work in training primates for the space program.

Years later, Dr. Rohles sent astronaut John Glenn a limerick which he wrote: “I will say it again and again. If you don’t think I’m right, ask John Glenn; That his wisest of tips Came from chimpanzee’s lips; From old Enos and Ham, not from men.” Glenn responded in kind: “There once was a teacher named Rohles, who was frequently toasted with skoals, For his work with the chimps Did avoid all the crimps From those infernal manned space patrols.”

Dr. Rohles compiled and edited a remarkable bibliography of research on the chimpanzee which contained some 4,000 references. He produced more than 150 publications. Those relevant to the space program were sent to the Kansas Cosmosphere, along with a copy of the large framed picture of Ham which hangs in Dr. Rohles’ study. As of 2013, Dr. Rohles is 92 years old, still writing and sharp as a tack.

“Three, two, one, liftoff!” That was the sound of space flight in the 1960s. It was a nerve-wracking but exciting time, especially for innovative space researchers. Ham the chimpanzee was one of those space pioneers, and he was trained by a scientist who would later share his expertise with generations of Kansans. We commend Dr. Fred Rohles for making a difference with his research expertise and his excellent teaching. That teaching helped many careers to be launched.