In the annals of Kansas history no episode better proves the axiom “truth is stranger than fiction” than the bizarre story of Dr. John Brinkley. From goat glands to country music, Doctor Brinkley consistently challenged established notions of decency and prompted greater scrutiny of both medical practice and radio broadcasting. A growing number of Brinkley-related materials are available on Kansas Memory.

Brinkley's medical practice in Milford, Kansas (1917-1930s), championed the beneficial effects of goat glands when transplanted to humans.

While in Milford, he established radio station KFKB (i.e. Kansas First, Kansas Best) in 1923 to entertain his patients and promote his medical practice. Roy Faulkner (a.k.a. the Lonesome Cowboy) frequently appeared on Brinkley’s station.

Brinkley's several bids for governor of Kansas in the 1930s drew on the popularity of his medical practice and radio broadcasts.

Following the revocation of his medical and broadcasting licenses in Kansas, Brinkley relocated to Del Rio, Texas. There, among other things, he operated the cross-border radio station XERA in Villa Acuna, Mexico, powerful enough to dominate airwaves all across the Great Plains. Brinkley’s promotion of early country music acts, such as the Carter Family, introduced a national audience to music originally intended only for southern whites.

The international nuisance created by Brinkley's border radio station prompted the North American Regional Broadcasting Agreement (or Treaty of Havana) of December 13, 1937, a use agreement on international airwaves involving Canada, Cuba, the United States, Haiti, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic.

Here at the State Archives & Library, we hold John Brinkley's personal papers donated to the Kansas Historical Society by his widow, Mrs. Minnie Brinkley of Del Rio, Texas, in 1977. We also hold the research collection of Gerald Carson, author of The Roguish World of Dr. Brinkley. Additional Brinkley materials are also available on Kansas Memory.